Cherrry123

I have 1 dalmation molly, 1 black molly, and 1 orange balloon belly molly, two shrimp, and 3 platy fry, I read that mollies like salt, and that some shrimp perfer salt, but what about the platy fry? I am also thinking of gettting a pair of agelfish, there so cool, but would putting aquarium salt in the tank make my other fish die, or poison them? I'm completely new to fish tanks, and yes the tank is cycled, I think that's the mos important step, and would it affect my fish?

swords3711

The platys will be fine i dont know about the angels though

susitna-flower

Don't use salt in a community tank. If you just have mollies it is ok if you use aquarium salt, but overall it is too hard on most tropical fish.....

Cherry, how big is your tank?

Cherrry123

K thanks, I haven't made it offical that I was going to get them yet though, I might get another molly, or wait for mine to have babies.

Cherrry123

Ummmm, not sure, but it's larger then 10 gallons, I didn't really pay attention.

swords3711

oh wait for babies believe me I get millions easily and they don't die ever!

Cherrry123

Ok thanks!

0morrokh

It's important to find out how big your tank is because it may be overstocked already, and if so you don't want to add any more fish. http://www.fishlore.com/ConversionCalculator.htm On the bottom of this page is a calculator to find out volume if you measure the dimensions.

I agree that salt is unnecessary and is stressful for most freshwater fish. The mollies will be fine without it.

Cherrry123

I checked the box its 14 gallons, sorry I forgot. My fish exclouding the babies, are 3" each so 3x3=9

angelfish220

I wouldnt put angels in there then that would overstock the tank.

0morrokh

Angels need at very least 30 gals.

COBettaCouple

I don't recommend aquarium salt as a regular additive to a freshwater tank.

Cherrry123

Ok, thanks it looks a little empty but I wouldn't want to overstock it.

Cherrry123

Is there any other fish that I could add in there? Or just wait for a bigger tank?

COBettaCouple

I'd wait for a bigger tank. The fish that you have in there fill up the bioload of a 14g pretty well and livebearers are little pooping machines so any more fish really risks overloading the biological filter.

Cherrry123

Ok, thanks also with al the snails I have in there...I heard that they really make a mess,I have to many, and I don't want to kill them, it seems just to cruel, is there any other way around it? And do they do the same thing as regular snails?

0morrokh

What kind of snails are they?

Cherrry123

They came off my plants when I first got them

susitna-flower

Putting snails, plants, or fish from your aquarium in a pond is very irresponsible, and in some cases can be illegal. If you are over run with snails, you have to deal with it. You can get a loach that eats them, Or puffers, or you will have to kill them if you don't want them.

Every one faces this at one time or another, it is really hard to deal with when there are more than just a few. I also got snails on some plants and for over a month every time I saw one I'd squish it.....I've been pond snail free now for 4 months!!! All I have over running my tanks now are MTS snails, and they can also get to be a problem if you over feed your tanks....

Cherrry123

Oh ok, I never knew that! But wouldn't it overstock it if I got a snail or a puffer? Also the only puffers that petsmart sells are the brackish kind. Also I don't think I over feed my tank because if there is any food left over the shrimp are eating it. Is there anyway, not killing them, that I could get rid of the snails?

Cherrry123

Whoops misunderstandng..... well anyway I don't think I overfeed my tank.

Donpa

If you don't want to squish the snails a more humane way to kill them is to freeze them. I'd leave them in the freezer for at least 48 hours.

Cherrry123

But it's so sad! I'm sorry, but I'm really really upset about killing something.

angelfish220

I dont kill them without a purpose, all of my tanks have pond snails and whenever I have to many I put them in my turtle tank. The turtle eats most of them, but they would die from the turtle in the nature anyway because they live together naturaly. It is the same buying a steak from the grocery store.

Cherrry123

Oh that's the best way anyones put it. But would it be best, since I don't have a turtle that I buy a fish that eats pond snails?

angelfish220

Well I think that would overstock your tank. The smallest fish I can think of that would eat the snails is a sumo loach, but they get 4 inches long. You might have to ask around for a smaller snail eating fish.

Cherrry123

What about a skunk loach, I was reading some other posts and they say that skunk loaches are small and eat snails. Should I complain when I go back to Petsmart about having many snails after not buying them? I know it sounds me but I don't like having them in my tank because when it comes to overpopulation of them it's sad to see them go.

COBettaCouple

Unfortunately, those little snails are common on plants from the store. They can do damage to the fish, both in their waste production and in sucking slime coating off.

I think Kuhli loaches would do the least to overloading your bioload in that tank.

Cherrry123

Yes I found my balloon belly dead this morning, it was fine yesterday.... I really want to get rid of those snails before they hurt my mollies, or my platy fry, those are the only fish I have left! Other then the ghost shrimp.

MasterShake2003

Here's a trick I read somewhere else in this forum. Get a chip back clip or something similar and put it on a suction cup. Then, get a big leaf of lettuce and attach it to the clip and stick it to the back of the aquarium overnight. The snails, in the morning, should be all over the lettuce and you can then get them easily out of your tank.

Maybe ( and it's a big maybe) a locally owned LFS would buy your snails off you or at least take them off your hands. Just a thought. I have just one snail in my 55 gal and he does pretty well leaving my fish alone, but he's a blue mystery snail, and I think I read somewhere that the can reproduce asexually and actually need a partner. I still need to get rid of him, thought, because he's destroying the few live plants I actually have in my tank.