Help finding tankmates for aggressive Mollys

[spencerharrison]

So over the course of a few days I have gone from 4 fish (2 guppy 2 molly) down to just 2 Mollies. My wife, daughter, and I went away for a couple of days and had my sister in law look after my tank.
When she got there on our first night away everything was fine and dandy. Then when she went back on our third night she found our blue guppy at thr surface dead and with a side fin missing. I got her to take thr body out and do am ammonia test and it found less than .5ppm (the tank isess than 2 weeks old).
When we got home I found the rainbow molly had damage to his tail. I removed the rainbow molly and returned him to my LFS where they are going to quarantine him and put him back with the other rainbows.
The guy at the LFS said that Mollies can be very territorial and shouldn't have been put with guppies. Everything I read online says they can. Did I just end up picking the two most jerk bully Mollies in the store? I would get another species, but my daughter LOVES these Mollies (it is her tank after all lol). She is two years old and loves to tell people she has 4 fish.
So after my long rant my main question is, what other fish can i put in this tank that isn't going to be stressful to any of the inhabitants and my daughter can have her 4 fish.
Tank details: 10 gallon, HOB filter, bubbler dialed down, 2 red crypt plants, 1 pumpkin patch molly, and one black molly.

 

[spencerharrison]

I forgot to mention that the guy at the LFS said this variety of molly we bought will get to 4-5 inches long. So pretty much the max of this tank. Is that a bunch of nonsense and I can just add more Mollies and be done with my problem?
I am in contact with someone selling a 20 gallon tank which would solve my problems completely. But that hasn't materialized yet and I have to start a whole new cycle in that tank

 

[Aiken Drum]

Guppys and mollys are generally considered to be good tank mates. But if your LFS doesnt think so, why did they sell them to you?

Every fish is different and each has its own individual temperament. If fish are stressed and not comfortable they are more likely to react to other fish.

Yes a 20g tank will be better for your mollys than a 10g tank.

 

[spencerharrison]

Believe me I'm annoyed with this store. The guy who sold me the fish and the tank said they would be ok together and to do a fish in cycle.
I'm pretty sure I just have mean Mollies. I really hope this person I'm talking with about this 20 gallon tank works out and I can transfer them and some more Mollies into it and use the 10 gallon tank for my own tank.
I'm probably going to wait for now and see what is happening with this bigger tank and go from there

 

[Aiken Drum]

Sounds like a plan. 5 or 6 mollys in a 20g will be much better than 2 mollys and 2 guppys in a 10g. And if your daughter likes the mollys keeps her happy. Just be aware livebearers breed like rabbits (or maybe the saying shouldbe rabbits breed like livebearers). If either of those mollys are female expect babies even if they are both female. Mollys store sperm, so if a female has been with a male anytime in the past year it could get pregnant.

10g for you with some guppies, rockwork, driftwood and guppy grass? Try and go for a natural looking set up?

Everyones a winner.

What you are finding with the fish store is pretty typical. Generally the people who work there know no more than you do and are just telling you what corporate has told them in their brief training, which is designed to get you to buy stuff. Your advice wasnt all that bad, guppys and mollys are generally considered good tank mates, but there are always individual exceptions. As you hinted at, some fish are just jerks. The only poor advice you got was on tank size, and even there, most of the time you would get away with it.

 

[spencerharrison]

The only poor advice you got was on tank size, and even there, most of the time you would get away with it.

So the lady with the 20 gallon tank has responded finally and I will be buying it and setting it up. Any advice on how to transfer to the new tank? I don't want to stress the Mollies out. I also want to keep the water cycle that I have started going apposed to starting a brand new cycle.
The issue i have is my daughter picked everything out for her tank including the gravel. Is it possible to transfer this gravel over without damaging everything. I know I am going to have to get more gravel to fill the bottom of the bigger tank. I also don't want to harm the crypt plants. They just started to perk up and not look so droopy and I don't want them to get hurt either.
Basically im saying im over my head and I want to do what is right and humane for my daughters little buddies

 

[Aiken Drum]

Does the tank you are buying come with everything you need? Filter? Heater? Light? If it comes with a filter, has it been running with water up to the point you collect it or has it already been decommissioned?

I would probably start a new thread about your new tank set up etc to keep everything neat.

 

[spencerharrison]

I haven't got my hands on it yet but it is coming with everything included. It is very much dry and looks decommissioned to my eye. I can't imagine it has run for a long time. So I'll make a new thread once I get it and assess what it comes with. Thank you for all your advice I really do appreciate it

 

[Aiken Drum]

Well I'll give you a few pointers here so you can have some idea on what to expect.

If possible fit your 10g filter onto your 20g tank and run it alongside the 20g filter for a few weeks. This will ensure you retain as much of your beneficial bacteria and cycle as you can. If your 10g filter cant go on the 20g tank, try and move the filter media from the old filter to new. Also squeezing out any sponges from the 10g filter into the water on the 20g will help.

Yes, you can move over your substrate from the 10g to 20g, this again will preserve bacteria.

Carefully remove the plants and replant in their new home. IMO crypts are pretty tough plants and this shouldn't be an issue.

You may want to ask how long the tank has been decommisioned before buying. Is it glass or acrylic? A glass tank might need resealing if its been out of action a while. An acrylic tank might be scratched up and foggy. You may want to ask to see it is holding water ok before buying, or you may be up for resealing should the need arise. I dont know how handy you are at things like that. You may want to see the filter running, heater maintaining temperature and light operating. Depends on the price I suppose and how willing you are to purchase equipment if it turns out something doesnt work. Dont commit to anything you arent happy with. I looked at my brothers 2nd hand tank a few weeks ago, and even for free it wasnt worth it.