Mollies...better alone or with other different fish?

[Jenn521]

Hi, I've never posted on a forum before so I hope I am doing this the right way!

We have two tanks, One is the 30 gallon and one is a 10 gallon. The 30 gallon has zebra danios, neon tetras, a few snails, and two African dwarf frogs, it has all life plants and sand on the bottom. The 10 gallon had several mollies, but a family member kept overfeeding that tank and the nitrate level ended up killing all but one.

I have read that mollies are social fish and prefer to be with other mollies. However, the tank we have is an older aqueon model, and the lid has built in LED lights which no longer work. It's also extremely loud, regardless of the water level. I've spent so much time online trying to find a replacement top, to no avail. I don't want to add more mollies to the tank, so I'm wondering at this point if it makes more sense to leave that one in there alone, or to move it to the 30 gallon.

Thank you for any help you might have!

 

[Andy Sager]

The Molly is an algae eater so if you add it to a planted tank, it may eat, or at least nibble, on your plants so you need to keep this in mind. Mollies also do better in high pH water with some moderate hardness to it. If your 30 gal has those parameters and you are willing to risk the plants, the Molly is compatible with your fish selection. Depending on what type of molly you have, the 10 Gal may have been the wrong tank to have them in in the first place. Some varieties of Mollies get 4"-5" + and are definitely not 10 gallon tank fish. If you have one of the smaller varieties and the fish has been living well for some time in the 10, I wouldn't move him/her. Hope this helps: thumb:

 

[Jenn521]

Thank you for this information. The Molly is currently in a tank with live plants which are doing well, so I think if I moved it it would be fine for the other plants. The Molly is a white Molly I believe, a common Molly?

I have water testing strips, and the water in the 30 gallon does meet those parameters.

Based on your response I'm leaving towards moving the Molly. Do you have any advice on the least stressful way to do this?

 

[Andy Sager]

Thank you for this information. The Molly is currently in a tank with live plants which are doing well, so I think if I moved it it would be fine for the other plants. The Molly is a white Molly I believe, a common Molly?

I have water testing strips, and the water in the 30 gallon does meet those parameters.

Based on your response I'm leaving towards moving the Molly. Do you have any advice on the least stressful way to do this?

Bucket acclimation is the slowest, least stressful method to move fish from one tank to another. If the water parameters are the same in both tanks, including temperature, a quick acclimation in a container should be fine.

 

[Jenn521]

Thank you!

 

[Andy Sager]

Thank you!

 

[Jenn521]

And wanted to let you know that so far the Molly is doing really well in the 30 gallon. Definitely shy when it originally went in the tank, but it seems to enjoy hanging out with the zebra danios. It has no trouble competing with them for food, and sometimes just hangs out with the neon tetras. No signs of it being afraid or anything.

Thanks so much for your help with this. I'm really glad I moved it!