Mollies

[Dade21]

How long do Black Mollies usually live. I lost mine yesterday after getting it last month.

[Sharmon]

Dade there is no way of knowing how old that fish was unless it was a fry (baby fish).
Most fish stores have some sort of guarantee on the fish. You may be able to bring it back for a credit or replacement.

[Johnnymorales]

They should live for a few years. A full grown molly is about 4 inches, and ones sold in chain pet stores are never that large. Often only 2" at most (males are thinner, but about the same length).

Unless you bought one that was 4" long or so, the fish was less than a year old.

Mollies are extremely hardy fish, and can weather all sorts of water conditions that would kill other fish.

So the fact your fish died so so means you either bought one that was ill, but not so ill it was obvious. A healthy molly is a hyperactive little fish that never sits still. In chain stores (all we have here) that sell them, I have yet to see a healthy molly for sale. They are all listless even shimmying. Some even have clamped fins. None of these things are good signs, and a fish with any of these symptoms is not doing well.

If the fish was lively when you first bought it then, perhaps your water conditions are poor. If that is the case then they'd have to have been out of whack for a while to take down a healthy molly.

Mollies bought in pet stores are NOT tropical fish. They are hybrid of a Sailfin Molly species common throughout the Southern US where temps. regularly get down to freezing in winter, and they do fine. They are sometimes crossed with Common Mollies which also live in the Southern US, but their range extends into the tropics. Regardless, that means temp. is not a big concern, unless you experienced wide, rapid swings, which I seriously doubt.

One thing that can make a healthy molly sick very quickly is a lot of stress. Being high strung, once put in the tank at home they should be left alone as much as possible so they can calm down.

I have lots of mollies, and I am talking from experience as well as research in regard to where the mollies in the stores came from.

[Dade21]

Originally Posted by Johnnymorales

They should live for a few years. A full grown molly is about 4 inches, and ones sold in chain pet stores are never that large. Often only 2" at most (males are thinner, but about the same length).

Unless you bought one that was 4" long or so, the fish was less than a year old.

Mollies are extremely hardy fish, and can weather all sorts of water conditions that would kill other fish.

So the fact your fish died so so means you either bought one that was ill, but not so ill it was obvious. A healthy molly is a hyperactive little fish that never sits still. In chain stores (all we have here) that sell them, I have yet to see a healthy molly for sale. They are all listless even shimmying. Some even have clamped fins. None of these things are good signs, and a fish with any of these symptoms is not doing well.

If the fish was lively when you first bought it then, perhaps your water conditions are poor. If that is the case then they'd have to have been out of whack for a while to take down a healthy molly.

Mollies bought in pet stores are NOT tropical fish. They are hybrid of a Sailfin Molly species common throughout the Southern US where temps. regularly get down to freezing in winter, and they do fine. They are sometimes crossed with Common Mollies which also live in the Southern US, but their range extends into the tropics. Regardless, that means temp. is not a big concern, unless you experienced wide, rapid swings, which I seriously doubt.

One thing that can make a healthy molly sick very quickly is a lot of stress. Being high strung, once put in the tank at home they should be left alone as much as possible so they can calm down.

I have lots of mollies, and I am talking from experience as well as research in regard to where the mollies in the stores came from.

Thank you for your insight into this. I actually got the molly in question from a place called Fishy Business. It deals only in Fish and related aquaria/marine life. However as it is on the opposite side of the town where I live, I am guilty (although I Don't like it) of buying from Pet Stores. Pets Mart, Petco etc etc I do weekly water changes and change filter media accordingly as well. I also use prime which has cut amonia and cloudiness of water. I will be doing a water test today as well since my most recent water change was yesterday.

All of my other fish act normal. Right before this one died, I noticed it sitting at the bottom right on the Substrate and it had a white dot on it that I had not noticed before

[toolman]

You said you did a water change yesterday and changed your filter media as well. You shouldn't change your filter media, just swish it in the water you remove when doing your water change and then return it to the filter. All your biological bacteria reside in your filter when you change your filter media your throwing that away, forcing your tank to recycle.

[Dade21]

Originally Posted by toolman

You said you did a water change yesterday and changed your filter media as well. You shouldn't change your filter media, just swish it in the water you remove when doing your water change and then return it to the filter. All your biological bacteria reside in your filter when you change your filter media your throwing that away, forcing your tank to recycle.

So, I shouldn't change the filter cartridges on a monthly basis because it messes up the balance in the aqaurium?

[Coursair]

Originally Posted by Dade21

So, I shouldn't change the filter cartridges on a monthly basis because it messes up the balance in the aqaurium?

Yep. It's a ploy to sell you stuff. You can just rinse in tank water or conditioned tap water and put back. Don't overclean your filter. I don't use Carbon in my filters. I just use more filter floss or bio media.

Carbon is only needed to remove Meds usually.

[toolman]

Exactly, because that's where your bacteria is. That's why many use Aquaclear hob filters or canisters no costly filters cartridges or pads to replace, just rinse sponges out in the water you remove from water change. Can do them same thing with yours, just swish around in the dirty water to get the gunk off. Can keep doing this untill they literally fall apart. Why many will also run two filters, alternate which one you clean each water change.

[Dade21]

I never actually considered running 2 filters. I like the idea. Should I get another aqueon ? or an aqua clear?

[toolman]

You don't have to run two just don't throw away the media each time. I like to run two because I always have a spare that way and extra filtration never hurts. I prefer the Aquaclears, but getting ready to upgrade my 10 gallon tank (currently has one Aqueon quiet flow) to a 40 breeder with a Fluval C4 hob.