Keeping Mollies in aquariums

[Carlrs]

http://www.aquarium-pond-answers.com/2007/10/mollies-in-aquariums.html

What many hobbyists do not understand about mollies and their natural habitat is that although salt is very useful for disease prevention, it is the other ingredients in Marine Salt that really make a difference in Molly health, and that is Calcium, Magnesium and the many other major/trace elements along with electrolytes available there in.

What ALL Molly habitats have in common is hardness/high mineral water, NOT salt!

Understanding this will go a long ways in keeping healthy, happy mollies.
WITHOUT adequate calcium, magnesium and other essential elements in the water as well as a healthy Redox Balance (in other words, a constant supply of mineral Cations), you will most likely have trouble maintaining a healthy Molly population in your aquarium.
With the right parameters, Mollies can be one of the easier fish to breed and keep and be very enjoyable fishy pets.

If salt is kept with mollies, I often use marine salt and then I will use the best possible to provide natural bio available salts & pharmaceutical ingredients to insure high purity.
For this I recommend Tropic Marin Reef Salt from Germany (which is sold by the pound to make it more readily available for smaller uses).

Further Reading/Reference: Aquarium Redox

Maintaining correct Calcium and other necessary element levels will aid in healthy osmoregulation which will in turn result in healthier more disease resistant fish.
Further Reference: “How do Fish Drink; Proper Osmotic Function”

You can maintain Mollies in a community tank with many but only the most sensitive South American Fish.
Other livebearers that do not have as high of mineral requirements will also do well in an aquarium that is at least kept to minimum Molly requirements.

If you intend to keep Mollies in a community aquarium with other fish such as Platties, Gouramis, etc; here are the minimum requirements I would suggest:

• pH – 7.5 - 8.0
• KH -100 – 150+ ppm
• GH – 200 -300+ ppm (important!)
• Salt (marine or cichlid salt is best here, NOT cheap "aquarium salt" such as that sold sold by API) – 1 tablespoon per 5 gallons to 1 teaspoon per gallon
  
  Strongly Recommended Product Resource: AAP-Tropic Marine Pro Reef Salt from Germany, Also for Mollies, etc.
  
  

Here are a few products I would suggest for maintaining these levels:

• AAP Premium Wonder Shells;
  These are great for maintenance of GH, Calcium, Magnesium, Positive mineral ions (cations essential for Redox Balance & long term fish health) and other essential elements and are also safe and in fact quite useful for general community tank essential element maintenance.
  Wonder Shells are also available in a Medicated version from high end retailers


• Sea Chem Buffer (Marine OR Malawi);
  This is useful for increasing KH and maintaining a safe AND BALANCED alkalinity/KH level (unlike Baking Soda!).
  Please see this article for more about this subject:
  “Aquarium Chemistry; Basics to Advanced”


• Aragonite, oolitic sand, oyster shell or crushed coral in a filter bag;
  Of these aragonite or oolitic sand is the best, however all are poor at to reacting to rapid changes in water chemistry that can affect GH and KH which is why I recommend the first two more (although in a well maintained, non over crowded aquarium, rapid changes should be uncommon).
  Oolitic sand is even more effective when used in a Fluidized Sand Bed Filter.
  Product Reference: TMC Premium FSB Filters, Including Oolitic Media Option