Mollies to finish off the GHA?

MTF7 · 02/12/2014, 09:11 AM

Hello! As of now I have gotten my nitrates down and there is no possible way that I have a unwanted source of nutrients, and now I just need to kill away or find out a way to remove what is left of the algae that is there, and most of the spots that have algae on them is places where my fingers can't get, I would put more snails but right now my snails are way more interested in my glass. So I have been thinking about getting 2 mollies and converting them to saltwater ( yes it can be done). I'd like to have mollies because I hear that they are food for eating algae and are pretty peaceful, also it would be a benefit/ snack if the had babies and my clowns/ diamond goby could munch on them. Does anyone have experiences with mollies in saltwater? How long should I acclimate them to saltwater? I have heared like a 1/4 of a cup every hour but for how long?

Uncle Salty 05 · 02/12/2014, 09:20 AM

You have not removed all unwanted nutrients or the algae would die of starvation.
If it is still green it is still feeding.
The mollies are fine to try, but they are a band-aid approach.
WCs and light feeding are what will make the GHA go away.

thegrun · 02/12/2014, 09:21 AM

See this article, but if you have truely removed all the nitrates and phosphates the algae will go away on its own:
http://tylerlewellyn.hubpages.com/hu...twater-Mollies

MTF7 · 02/12/2014, 10:23 AM

I'll try cutting back on my feeding it's likely more phosphate from food then nitrates because I get a constant 0 on nitrates

MTF7 · 02/12/2014, 10:24 AM

I feed once a day every day should I cut back to once every two days?

higorc · 02/12/2014, 10:33 AM

+1 on controlling Nitrates and Phosphates. I had a huge battle with HA and Bryopsis which I am finally winning after installing a GFO reactor and a Bio-Pellets reactor.

Good luck
Higor

MTF7 · 02/12/2014, 10:35 AM

Right now my filtration is chemi pure elite should I stick with it or should I change it up I also run purigen I might run phosban

Uncle Salty 05 · 02/12/2014, 10:44 AM

Chemi Pure Elite and/or Poly Filter is about as good as it gets unless you want to run GFO or Bio Pellets in a reactor.
The easiest and best solution is lots of water changes with 0 TDS RO/DI water.

MTF7 · 02/12/2014, 01:03 PM

I probably should check my TDS on my rodi water I could use some new rodi filters, but other than that I change every week with fresh made saltwater.

Reeferz412 · 02/12/2014, 01:12 PM

I had mollies that ate it and a lot that didnt. It is not recommended as a remedy for your HA problem though.

igot2gats · 02/12/2014, 01:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thegrun

See this article, but if you have truely removed all the nitrates and phosphates the algae will go away on its own:
http://tylerlewellyn.hubpages.com/hu...twater-Mollies

I agree with the Grun. There is no 'silver bullet' in this hobby to fix anything. It is always: assess the situation, and slowly, adjust accordingly with multiple 'bullets' if you will...

I think this is one of the biggest misconceptions in this hobby.

Have Mollies worked for some? Yes. But that doesn't mean it's the correct way of doing things.

disc1 · 02/12/2014, 03:20 PM

Thinking you'll get rid of any algae problem by having something to eat it is an illusion. Unless you can potty train the mollies to jump over into another tank when they need to poop you're just recycling the same nutrients through your system.

MTF7 · 02/12/2014, 06:26 PM

Disc1 I may but if I keep up with the weekly water changes it won't be so much and another plus is the fry from the mollies are 100% as live as it gets food for my clowns/ goby/ corals

disc1 · 02/12/2014, 07:45 PM

Oh I'm all for mollies, just don't think they're going to end all your algae woes.

MTF7 · 02/12/2014, 08:46 PM

I can understand that even I will say nothing is better than 2 finger, once I get my ro filters changed it will most deff go away and some alterations to my feedings it should go away, the mollies are for just the spots I can't reach and maybe they will help with my glass!
Btw have gotten the mollies put them straight into fresh ( LFS rodi water and beging the acclimation progress I have had them acclimating for about 3 hours now salinity is at 1.010 and they look great pooping is starting to commence and that's good I hear. Anyone know how much longer? I'd like to be at around 6-10 hours some say 3-4 days but i am going with 6-10 hours because these fish can be found in brackish water and the tides rise and fall constantly on average every 6-8 hours or so ( rough estimate cannot predict Mother Nature!) but in that time that the tides do change the fish do go through a period of lower salinity and higher salinity so that is my theory on why 6-10 hours would be ok

MTF7 · 02/13/2014, 09:44 AM

Alright the mollies are In since of 3:00 am central time ( like Chicago

) it took me a total of 9 hours to get them acclimated, when I checked on them this morning before I left they were still swimming around at the top, I'm sure they are fine they just need to have the lights come on before they are fully acclimated

02/12/2014, 09:11 AM	#1
MTF7 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2013 Location: Illinois Posts: 285	Mollies to finish off the GHA? Hello! As of now I have gotten my nitrates down and there is no possible way that I have a unwanted source of nutrients, and now I just need to kill away or find out a way to remove what is left of the algae that is there, and most of the spots that have algae on them is places where my fingers can't get, I would put more snails but right now my snails are way more interested in my glass. So I have been thinking about getting 2 mollies and converting them to saltwater ( yes it can be done). I'd like to have mollies because I hear that they are food for eating algae and are pretty peaceful, also it would be a benefit/ snack if the had babies and my clowns/ diamond goby could munch on them. Does anyone have experiences with mollies in saltwater? How long should I acclimate them to saltwater? I have heared like a 1/4 of a cup every hour but for how long?

02/12/2014, 09:20 AM	#2
Uncle Salty 05 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: South Florida Posts: 3,799	You have not removed all unwanted nutrients or the algae would die of starvation. If it is still green it is still feeding. The mollies are fine to try, but they are a band-aid approach. WCs and light feeding are what will make the GHA go away. __________________ In all that I endure, of one thing I am sure. Knowledge and reason, change like the season. A jester's promenade. - Kerry Livgren Current Tank Info: 180 gal reef tank with dual attached refugiums 20 long and 10 gallon. Plus 55 gallon True Percula breeding tank.

02/12/2014, 10:33 AM	#6
higorc Higor Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Boston, MA Posts: 341	+1 on controlling Nitrates and Phosphates. I had a huge battle with HA and Bryopsis which I am finally winning after installing a GFO reactor and a Bio-Pellets reactor. Good luck Higor __________________ :.Mixed Reef ~Higor~ • Red Sea Reefer 650 Peninsula • ATI Sunpower 8x54W + 2 Reefbreeders Lumenbar • 2x Tunze 6105 • Skimz SM167 Skimmer • Apex• Current Tank Info: Mixed Reef Tank

02/12/2014, 10:44 AM	#8
Uncle Salty 05 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: South Florida Posts: 3,799	Chemi Pure Elite and/or Poly Filter is about as good as it gets unless you want to run GFO or Bio Pellets in a reactor. The easiest and best solution is lots of water changes with 0 TDS RO/DI water. __________________ In all that I endure, of one thing I am sure. Knowledge and reason, change like the season. A jester's promenade. - Kerry Livgren Current Tank Info: 180 gal reef tank with dual attached refugiums 20 long and 10 gallon. Plus 55 gallon True Percula breeding tank.

02/12/2014, 01:12 PM	#10
Reeferz412 Coral Hoarder Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Miami, FL Posts: 2,247	I had mollies that ate it and a lot that didnt. It is not recommended as a remedy for your HA problem though. __________________ Alex FMAS Member Current Tank Info: 400 Gallons of frags... 30 gallon Deep Blue mixed reef ... 70 other tanks throughout south FL

02/12/2014, 09:21 AM	#3
thegrun Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Garden Grove, Ca Posts: 17,023	See this article, but if you have truely removed all the nitrates and phosphates the algae will go away on its own: http://tylerlewellyn.hubpages.com/hu...twater-Mollies

02/12/2014, 10:23 AM	#4
MTF7 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2013 Location: Illinois Posts: 285	I'll try cutting back on my feeding it's likely more phosphate from food then nitrates because I get a constant 0 on nitrates

02/12/2014, 10:24 AM	#5
MTF7 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2013 Location: Illinois Posts: 285	I feed once a day every day should I cut back to once every two days?

02/12/2014, 10:35 AM	#7
MTF7 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2013 Location: Illinois Posts: 285	Right now my filtration is chemi pure elite should I stick with it or should I change it up I also run purigen I might run phosban

02/12/2014, 01:03 PM	#9
MTF7 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2013 Location: Illinois Posts: 285	I probably should check my TDS on my rodi water I could use some new rodi filters, but other than that I change every week with fresh made saltwater.

02/12/2014, 03:20 PM	#12
disc1 -RT * ln(k) Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Little Rock Posts: 9,705	Thinking you'll get rid of any algae problem by having something to eat it is an illusion. Unless you can potty train the mollies to jump over into another tank when they need to poop you're just recycling the same nutrients through your system. __________________ David Current Tank: Undergoing reconstruction...

02/12/2014, 06:26 PM	#13
MTF7 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2013 Location: Illinois Posts: 285	Disc1 I may but if I keep up with the weekly water changes it won't be so much and another plus is the fry from the mollies are 100% as live as it gets food for my clowns/ goby/ corals

02/12/2014, 07:45 PM	#14
disc1 -RT * ln(k) Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Little Rock Posts: 9,705	Oh I'm all for mollies, just don't think they're going to end all your algae woes. __________________ David Current Tank: Undergoing reconstruction...

02/12/2014, 08:46 PM	#15
MTF7 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2013 Location: Illinois Posts: 285	I can understand that even I will say nothing is better than 2 finger, once I get my ro filters changed it will most deff go away and some alterations to my feedings it should go away, the mollies are for just the spots I can't reach and maybe they will help with my glass! Btw have gotten the mollies put them straight into fresh ( LFS rodi water and beging the acclimation progress I have had them acclimating for about 3 hours now salinity is at 1.010 and they look great pooping is starting to commence and that's good I hear. Anyone know how much longer? I'd like to be at around 6-10 hours some say 3-4 days but i am going with 6-10 hours because these fish can be found in brackish water and the tides rise and fall constantly on average every 6-8 hours or so ( rough estimate cannot predict Mother Nature!) but in that time that the tides do change the fish do go through a period of lower salinity and higher salinity so that is my theory on why 6-10 hours would be ok Last edited by MTF7; 02/12/2014 at 09:00 PM.

02/13/2014, 09:44 AM	#16
MTF7 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2013 Location: Illinois Posts: 285	Alright the mollies are In since of 3:00 am central time ( like Chicago ) it took me a total of 9 hours to get them acclimated, when I checked on them this morning before I left they were still swimming around at the top, I'm sure they are fine they just need to have the lights come on before they are fully acclimated