Mollies and aquarium salt.

Swords and Mollies

I was told by some people on one of the other boards that mollies don't need aquarium salt. I just wanted to double check it here on the livebearer board. Not trying offend anyone. Thank you.

adiumroot

It's true. They do fine with or without it.

Countless generations of mollies have been bred and raised in freshwater aquariums with no salt. I've done the same too. HTH.

Lupin

You do not need to add salt. I prefer to recommend this for ich cases only.

Oldman47

My mollies in my salt free tank.



Mollies do require a high mineral content in their water and do much better at a high pH.

Aquarium salt is the same stuff that is on the kitchen table except without the iodine added. It is never suitable for any fish, including brackish fish, for the long term. The only useful thing that I know it does is treat ich.

If you choose to dose a molly or any other fish to brackish or even to salt water concentrations, use the mix they make for saltwater fish keepers. It has a mix of salts that make the water brackish and not just salty. Plain sodium chloride is not appropriate for that use.

Chicklet

Mollies should be kept in Salt water and at a higher ratio then other fish..

Mollies are prone to ick, you'd be far better off using salt then not!

Lupin

Where did you get this information? Mollies can adapt in freshwater, brackish and saltwater however a majority in the trade are bred and reared in freshwater (provided the KH and GH are not very low and pH acidic). There is not a single issue that will happen provided you quarantine your new arrivals and maintain your tanks consistently. Ich does not appear until introduced which from the sound of your post, the ich would magically appear when in reality, it does not. Even brackish to marine conditions are not spared by the existence of another strain of ich. Whether you put salt in your tank or not, nothing will prevent ich from infesting all your fish.

Key points here are proper tank maintenance and stricit quarantine regimen. Violate either of two basic rules and you learn things the hard way.

Chicklet

I believe People I know and can see with the proof that salt is far superior then not and far better then not to use,
and I believe it after seeing that not use effects long term over using it, I'll never go back to no salt use,

I believe veterans in the field any day over internet txt and words of folks that can be any body they want to be..

Find a local person that has been in the Fish business for at least 20 yrs in a large way and get their advice,
It will shock you what you may find out V/s what you get on the internet..

I use to ask and read for advice on forums etc, Not anymore, You can't tell who's the veteran and who's the pretend veteran.

I have a hugh amount of fish and I have had ZERO troubles with any of my fish since turning over to aquarium salt,.. I've seen it and will never go back, without it your just inviting troubles down the road that will eventually find you, and mollies will be among the first without salt!

Chicklet

Humm,

Ick does not have to be introduced to a tank,
Many things can cause Ick, Stress alone being one.

Mollies are also prone to the shimmies, Aquarium salt prevents this,

Lupin

This is your experience and opinion, Chicklet. Do what you will. While salt does help in some cases such as nitrite toxicity, the long term use is quite unnecessary but that's really up to you if you are willing to spend a few bucks towards those fancy aquarium salt boxes. You do not see salt in Amazon basins, do you? How about mollies in oceans, if not just the estuarines? Like I said before, mollies can thrive in FW, BW and SW just fine. I never had issues with mine kept in FW. With that said, I do not see why you are recommending mollies SHOULD be put in SW which is basically your own experience. I've kept mollies in SW before with no issues similarly with FW based ones.

Nobody is an expert, not even veterans on or off the internet field. It's your choice whom to believe, on or off the internet field.

I know stress can cause ich but that doesn't mean ich for one would magically appear out of nowhere without being introduced via new arrivals not quarantined effectively for four weeks and over. If your mollies are prone to shimmies without aquarium salt, check the water parameters. That's the first thing to watch out for, not the lack of salt and aquarium salt is basically sodium chloride that does not replicate the brackish and marine conditions that you alleged mollies should be kept in.

Oldman47

Chicklet, you are free to believe what you wish. If you keep mollies and insist on using salt, please make sure that it is marine salt, not the crap aquarium salt.