Converting A 24g Freshwater Tank -> Nano Reef?, with fish currently in it!

[dgoulston]

Ok so i have my main tank, which is a 24G (90L) Fluval Tank, with fish.

I am going to get another tank to house my CatFish & Neons, but i know that my Mollies can live in full Marine tank.

so is it possible to convert my tank from what it is now to a full reef tank without taking out the Mollies?

Darren.

[A1cntrler]

Just to verify... You want to convert your Freshwater Tank, presently housing the Catfish, neons and Mollies, take out the catfish and neons, but then make it a Marine tank (saltwater) leaving the mollies in there? huh? I might not be the smartest aquarium person here, but I'm gonna vote no on that. Mollies AFIK are not saltwater/marine suitable....

*edit*

I learn something new every day.. Seems to defy logic, but I think you may be correct. The mollies will be just fine in a marine environment. Not really sure how unless thier body is set up to do the water osmosis/waste excrement for both environments?? Amazing either way.. Wow..

[dgoulston]

I learn something new every day.. Seems to defy logic, but I think you may be correct. The mollies will be just fine in a marine environment. Not really sure how unless thier body is set up to do the water osmosis/waste excrement for both environments?? Amazing either way.. Wow..

I know i was just as surprised, cause i love the mollies, such personalities, and would like them in my salt water tank, so wanted to know if anyone has tried it, and if there are any issues? dont want them suffering at all or anything!!!

I know they come from Brackish waters, so live in salt water, and when they migrate when they get to adults they go to even saltier water!

[cocoa_pleco]

mollies can live full saltwater, they have a special gland.

drip them for 2-3 hours and they will be fine for SW, i used to have a SW molly tank.

Just to make sure, youre not adding the catfish and tetras to SW right? they will suffer and die

[dgoulston]

no just the mollies.

[cocoa_pleco]

lol, good.

yeah, theyre fine in full SW

[Tigerbarb]

Very odd. Kind of like salmon. Mollies probably go to the ocean for food occasionally in the wild.

[coachfraley]

Just my opinion, but the best thing about switching to SW, is that you can switch to SW fish. Can you find a home for the mollies?

I converted my planted tank to SW, and I used this forum to find a home for all of my fish.

[dgoulston]

i will be wanting SW fish eventually, but not for a few months at least, and will be able to buy another good FW tank by then,,, so will be housing them in that!

i was thinking of putting the black male mollie & silver female mollies in 1 tank, and visa versa.

the black ones would not mate with the silver would they>?

[Tooch]

I don't know the first thing about saltwater, so I'm just throwing this out there...

Is it good to keep switching the mollies back and forth from FW to SW? If they are just coming out in a few months anyway, wouldn't it be less stressful for them and easier for you to just find a home for them like the catfish?

Like I said, this may be ok, I simply don't know! :c5:

[spudbuds]

Yes any color molly can and will mate with any other color molly.

[dgoulston]

so if a black & silver mate, what colour will the offsping be, or will there be both?

[todaie12]

Wow I never knew that molly's could live in salt water. I guess you do learn something new everyday.

[spudbuds]

so if a black & silver mate, what colour will the offsping be, or will there be both?
I have no idea. It would most likely depend on the most dominant color for that species. You may get some of each, or some that are a little of both.

To give you an example, I had a sunset platy (redish orange color) mate with mickey mouse platy (white with black "mickey mouse" on the tail). The fry are all redish in color like that sunset platy, but they have the black mickey mouse on their tail. I suspect that means for platies, red is more dominant then white for the body color and the "mickey mouse" marking on the tail is a dominant trait.

- Bill

[cocoa_pleco]

yeah, like spud said, its the dominant X and Y thing