So I'm doing my perpetual live food thing and....

Nasty Wendy · 09/08/2007, 06:07 PM

Since I have a refugium in my sump I typically acclimate Guppies and Mollies to keep there. They breed often and the fry get sucked up into my main tank where the inhabitants LOVE the treats. ANYWAY the time comes to restock the breeders and the LFS don't have any Sailfin Mollies (those are my favorite as the fry are quite large compared to Guppy's). I ask the fellow working there if he has any other Mollies or Guppies. They don't have doo doo. I have always wondered if Swordtails or Platies could be acclimated to salt but I had never tried. They had a few Swordtails and Platies so I bought 5 to test with. During the drip acclimation two jumped out and got stiff on the floor. The other three were doing just fine. The two that jumped out must have jumped due to being spooked by something as the three that remained seemed to be quite cozy and made the acclimation seemingly painlessly. I scoup them out the holding pot and I place the net into the main tank to watch them swim in the net. I didn't let them free as I was planning on putting them into the refugium. What happened next was freaking amazing. The little suckers jumped out of the net into the main tank before I could blink. Now I'm not going to tear down the tank to catch them so I took a seat and watched as I called them several choice words that would make any sailor proud. So two Platies and a Swordtail went for the rocks and started picking away at algea and were actively looking for food. I guess they figured they were in heaven. Well when my Niger Trigger saw them they were soon to be there. In a flash the Niger Trigger grabbed the male Swordtail which was the prettiest of the bunch with his brilliant solid red color by the head and bit it clean off. My Domino Damsel grabbed the body and the Niger Trigger returned to play 'Pirahana' with the Domino and the Swordtail was gone. The two Platies had to see that but they just kept picking away at the rocks trying to find something to eat. The Niger Trigger saw them. My Queen Angel swam over to them and screamed "RUN RUN RUN" but it was to late. The Niger finished them off in lickety split time and the Domino Damsel made sure than not even one glittering scale made it to the sand. I then realized how STUPID Swordtails and Platies are and from now on it will be Guppies and Sailfin Mollies for me.

K' Family Reef · 09/08/2007, 07:01 PM

is that why they call you nasty ???

burris · 09/08/2007, 07:15 PM

ha! thanks for the story.

Pea-brain · 09/08/2007, 07:29 PM

Awesome story! I'm wondering, how often do you replcace your mollies/guppies? Also, I urge you to go buy another one and throw it in the tank and record it with a digital camcorder. Then put it on youtube. It would be awesome

Dan

Nasty Wendy · 09/08/2007, 08:01 PM

Sailfin Mollies usually last a LONG time. They are to big to go over the wall into the pump section of the sump and they really have no desire to escape as they love eating algae......and they ARE in the refugium.

Guppies well they don't like eating algae nearly as much as Mollies and they are a lot smaller so they will go over the wall quite often and need replacement about 3 fish per month. I'm thinking about drilling holes in the wall so the flow won't have to go over the top of it to reach the pump and that should keep the Guppies put. The only reason I haven't done that yet is because it will also do a better job of keeping the fry in the refugium. I might just go exclusively Sailfin Mollies and then there won't be any issues. Guppies breed so fast tho its hard to not put them in there.

AND thats not even close to why my name is NASTY Wendy.

K' Family Reef · 09/09/2007, 01:43 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Nasty Wendy

AND thats not even close to why my name is NASTY Wendy.

hey you are a good sport!

nice story... never heard of using the feeder fish like this in the sump... great idea!

regards

09/08/2007, 06:07 PM	#1
Nasty Wendy Moved On Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: South Louisiana Posts: 297	So I'm doing my perpetual live food thing and.... Since I have a refugium in my sump I typically acclimate Guppies and Mollies to keep there. They breed often and the fry get sucked up into my main tank where the inhabitants LOVE the treats. ANYWAY the time comes to restock the breeders and the LFS don't have any Sailfin Mollies (those are my favorite as the fry are quite large compared to Guppy's). I ask the fellow working there if he has any other Mollies or Guppies. They don't have doo doo. I have always wondered if Swordtails or Platies could be acclimated to salt but I had never tried. They had a few Swordtails and Platies so I bought 5 to test with. During the drip acclimation two jumped out and got stiff on the floor. The other three were doing just fine. The two that jumped out must have jumped due to being spooked by something as the three that remained seemed to be quite cozy and made the acclimation seemingly painlessly. I scoup them out the holding pot and I place the net into the main tank to watch them swim in the net. I didn't let them free as I was planning on putting them into the refugium. What happened next was freaking amazing. The little suckers jumped out of the net into the main tank before I could blink. Now I'm not going to tear down the tank to catch them so I took a seat and watched as I called them several choice words that would make any sailor proud. So two Platies and a Swordtail went for the rocks and started picking away at algea and were actively looking for food. I guess they figured they were in heaven. Well when my Niger Trigger saw them they were soon to be there. In a flash the Niger Trigger grabbed the male Swordtail which was the prettiest of the bunch with his brilliant solid red color by the head and bit it clean off. My Domino Damsel grabbed the body and the Niger Trigger returned to play 'Pirahana' with the Domino and the Swordtail was gone. The two Platies had to see that but they just kept picking away at the rocks trying to find something to eat. The Niger Trigger saw them. My Queen Angel swam over to them and screamed "RUN RUN RUN" but it was to late. The Niger finished them off in lickety split time and the Domino Damsel made sure than not even one glittering scale made it to the sand. I then realized how STUPID Swordtails and Platies are and from now on it will be Guppies and Sailfin Mollies for me.

09/08/2007, 07:01 PM	#2
K' Family Reef Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Posts: 1,966	is that why they call you nasty ???

09/08/2007, 07:15 PM	#3
burris Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 257	ha! thanks for the story.

09/08/2007, 07:29 PM	#4
Pea-brain Moved On Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Vassalboro, ME Posts: 1,661	Awesome story! I'm wondering, how often do you replcace your mollies/guppies? Also, I urge you to go buy another one and throw it in the tank and record it with a digital camcorder. Then put it on youtube. It would be awesome Dan

09/08/2007, 08:01 PM	#5
Nasty Wendy Moved On Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: South Louisiana Posts: 297	Sailfin Mollies usually last a LONG time. They are to big to go over the wall into the pump section of the sump and they really have no desire to escape as they love eating algae......and they ARE in the refugium. Guppies well they don't like eating algae nearly as much as Mollies and they are a lot smaller so they will go over the wall quite often and need replacement about 3 fish per month. I'm thinking about drilling holes in the wall so the flow won't have to go over the top of it to reach the pump and that should keep the Guppies put. The only reason I haven't done that yet is because it will also do a better job of keeping the fry in the refugium. I might just go exclusively Sailfin Mollies and then there won't be any issues. Guppies breed so fast tho its hard to not put them in there. AND thats not even close to why my name is NASTY Wendy.