QT tank used for Breeding?

[stresco]

I have a 10Gal QT tank that is sitting with nothing in it but salt water. I was thinking that I can keep some small fish in there, like damsels to keep up the bio-load until I need the tank to treat my reef fish. Then I got another idea: how about I not only keep small fish in there for the bio-load, I breed them too, so this way I have live food for my Eel and my Tuskfish.

I mentioned this idea on the chat board, but no-one seems to think that breeding damsels is a good idea. Some people mentioned that mollys spawn very fast and could be slowly introduced to the SG of seawater. How would I go about acclimating mollys to the SG of seawater and still have them breed? Is there an endpoint for the SG that they can tolerate and still be willing to spawn in the tank? Do I need to add sand and plants to the tank for them? Or is my first idea better? Is it possible to breed damsels? If so, how do I go about it?

 

[reefrunner69]

I would try the mollies, they can tolerate full SW and will breed in full SW. I don't think it is necessary to provide a substrate, although a few decorations (PVC fittings work well) would be in order. To take them from FW to salt water, I would simply exchange a couple or three cups of water per day with SW until the desired SG is reached. The real question is, what are you gonna do with the mollies when you need to medicate a fish or quarantine a fish in your tank or a new arrival?

 

[stresco]

I am not planning on any new fish in the near future because i have reached my limit in the 55gal and i wont be getting the 180 for at least another year, i will only need the tank for treatment. Since i am planning to use the mollies as food anyway, i would expect that i can leave them in the QT during treatment, if i am treating all my fish at once, they will be eaten. If i need to treat just one of my fish, then i can move the Mollies to the 55gal with the other fish where they will be eaten for sure.

Will i need to start the Mollies acclimation off in Brackish water or fresh water?

What is the SG of brackish? About 1.002 or so?

 

[reefrunner69]

I think that's about right for brackish, but you should start it off at whatever they are from the LFS

 

[stresco]

Which Mollies are easier to bread? How do i tell the sex of a Molly? What do i need to provide for them for successfull spawning?

 

[stresco]

Well, i got 3 black fantail mollies today. 1 male and 2 female. I am acclimating them into water with the SG of 1.017. Wish me luck

 

[reefrunner69]

Good Luck!!

 

[stresco]

Lost one of the Mollies. My wife called me at work yesterday morning to tell me that one of the Mollies had died. Hmmmm. I called Petco and asked them if they had a live fish guarentee, they said that their fish are guarenteed for 15 days. I have to bring the dead animal, my reciept and a sample of the tank water in for a replacement. No problem, i thought. Then i get home at 6:30 last night to find out that the dead fish was left floating in the tank all day by my wife 8O There goes the amonia and nitrite levels in that tank. Anyway, i wasnt able to make it to the store las night before they closed, so little mister dead fishy (it was the male) is ina glad baggy in my fridge till i get home tonight.

 

[stresco]

Got a new male Molly on Thursday. Came home from playing Racquetball this afternoon and he was dead 8O The 2 females are still alive :? which is confusing me.