finch fry

Hi. I used to keep fish maybe 20 years ago. Had an Oscar for about 8 years in a 45g tall tank. Had a 45g hex tall tank salt water with live rock and a few fish.

I went and got a 5 gallon starter tank and picked up a M betta and an albino cory cat. Wanted to add more fish not many suggested it was a good idea. The pet shop owner said it was no problem so i picked up another albino cory cat, 2 black mollies and 2 balloon mollies.

Yah, got to remind myself that pet shop owners just want to make money, not help me keep happy fish. My better flared and attacked my male black molly instantly and always was aggressive to any fish that came close to him except the cory cats. Picked up another 2 gallon starter kit and put my betta in there and now all is good. A bit of nipping amongst the mollies but I am learning that I probably need a few more females since i have a M/F pair of blacks and a M/F pair of balloons. Again, the guy at the pet shop said i can have up to 12 molies or platies in my little 5 gallon. I dont really believe him any more. I do intend to get 1 more female black and balloon to help stop the aggression of the "excitable" males.

I learned I made quite a few mistakes starting up my tanks with fish and they not having cycled. Anyways, now trying to do the best I can for what I have and learn before I make many more decisions. Hopefully you can help me to provide a reduced stress life for my fish. I have a pile of questions I would like answered if possible

1. Read that balloon mollies and black mollies would like some salt in the water. Will this be a problem for the albino cory cats? I dont mind to get a pinch or 2 of salt to make them happier

2. I have a submersible heater rated for a 5 gallon tank. SAys it will keep it at a constant 76-78. My tank is only 72-74. Will this effect my mollies and cats?

3. I really want to get a test kit to keep track of the basics. When I look online, its a bit overwhelming. Can someone point me to a really good basic kit for fresh water (with only fake plants) at a reasonable price. Priority to getting the right kit... then to price. Prefer getting the right stuff the first time to saving money.

4. how many mollies/platies/cory cats are recommended size for a 5g. I have 6 now (M/F blacks, M/F balloons, 2x cory cats unknown sex) and plan to get 1 more F black molly and 1 more F balloon molly to help reduce stress.

5. Believe it or not, my female black molly had little fries the 3rd day I had her. I had no clue what was going on. I started scooping them out cause the parents were trying to eat them. I have a good assortment of plants in the tank and the fry were safe hiding in them until I could catch them all. Also found a couple in the filter. Poor guys. All survived. Well, all survived that I attempted to save. 6 in all. They are living in a cup right now cause I have nothing else. I am feeding them ground up flakes. Swapping out 50% water daily and keeping the cup warm. What else can I do to make them live?

Ok, i have more but this is a super long first post. Thanks everyone!!!

bolivianbaby

Welcome to Fishlore! Many of us have been where you are now.

To help answer your questions:

1. Mollies do not need salt in their water. Most species have adjusted to zero salt. Salt is not good for corys at all.

2. 72-74 is a little on the low end, but I don't think it will harm your mollies or cats. If I'm misinformed-another member will let us know.

3. API Master Freshwater test kit is the most accurate. It's a little pricier, but provides you with hundreds of tests.

4. What species of corys? The really small ones would be fine in a 5g, but mollies usually do best in at least a 20 gallon tank.

5. I put all my fry in breeder nets and hang them onto the side of the tank. Golden pearl, finely crushed torpical flakes are great for them.

I hope this helps! We're glad you're here.

Shawnie

+2
welcome to fishlore!!!

finch fry

1. Great news.
2. I can return the heater no problem and just buy the one rated for a 10 g tank and that should maintain the proper heat.
3.
4. Its a "Corydoras paleatus" Very small! I dont want to get any more of them, 2 is fine. I just read that they are school fish so I wanted my lone Corydoras paleatus to have a buddy. So how many fish is too many fish in there? Do you think having 2F black molly, 1 M black molly, 2 F balloon and 1 M ballon with the 2 tiny Corydoras paleatus is ok in a 5g tank with 5 fake plants and a large fake castle which provides some hiding spots? Should I get a tiny rock with holes in it for others to hide in?
5. What is golden pearl? The fish net idea is genius. I will get one tonight when I get home from work!

bolivianbaby

Small corys would be fine in a 5 gallon tank, but mollies do best in at least a 20 gallon. They like their swim space. I'd really advise no mollies in a 5g. If you have a Craigslist in your area, you may be able to find a 20 gallon tank cheap.

As far as the hiding places, make sure the holes are big enough for them to swim through and not get stuck. A few members have had that happen and it's heartbreaking.

Golden pearl is a type of fry food. It's virtually a very fine powder that has all the nutrients baby fish need. I believe I've heard other members mention liquid fry food as well, but I'm not familiar with it.

finch fry

ok, thanks. lots of good info here. I am watching CL for a 20g tank. Dont want anything bigger.

What type of numbers should I target for pH, nitrate, nitrite, etc that come with a fresh water master test kit. Which tests do I definitely need to have? I will probably go pick all of this stuff up tonight to monitor things properly.

Shawnie

ph I wouldnt worry about...fish can acclimate to different kinds as long as they are stable...you dont want to use ANY chemicals to mess with it.....as far as the others, you want 0 for ammonia/nitrites and under 20 nitrates.....the api master kit has everything you need.....dont let them talk you into strips as they are unreliable....and see if you can find some prime water conditioner also..that will be your miracle conditioner if you have an uncycled tank or a mini cycle that can sneak up at any time...good luck!

finch fry

How do you know if a tank is cycling?? My water is a bit hazy/cloudy right now. The fish are/seem ok. Should I do a partial water change?

dont worry about me getting strips, I got the API master test kit already. I also bought a little cheapo fry net for my unexpected fries. 6 and still kicking. Its pretty exciting.

So why not alter the ph with any chemicals, back when I kept fish 20 or so years ago I use to add pH up and pH down to keep it around the 7.4-7.6 mark (iirc).

Shawnie

run a test and you will know

the cloudyness is normal and until you run tests, not sure what water changes, if any are needed....post the results here and we can help more!

if you have ANY ammonia/nitrites, you want to do daily water changes with some detoxifier ..heres the 3 easiest to find so far http://www.fishlore.com/fishforum/aq...ling-fish.html