Introducing Batman!

I would like you all to meet the newest addition to the tank. This is Batman, our very pretty male Molly




I just love the red bits on his top fin and tail. He's gorgeous and settling in well (only been about an hour and a half).

He cruising around the top of the tank at the moment, near the surface. Is this normal? I've only had balloon molly before and I wasn't very good with my fish at the time so I can't remember whether she did this.

 

Beautiful fish!

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Batman??? Lol

 

My husband named him, and insisted we get him. He wanted a Batman to go with the Harlequin Rasbora. I don't think men ever grow up haha. We almost ended up with a Sailfin Molly because of their long fin (like a cape) but I persuaded him that a normal Molly was a better idea as it doesn't impact as much on the bioload. I'm also hoping the Molly will be happier with Platy than the Sailfin would have been.

We actually went to the LFS to get some Platy but ended up getting Batman instead, and we'll get 3 or 4 platies next time (all males of course).

 

That is an exceptional male for a "short fin" type, I had to look twice to make sure it wasn't a sailfin! The orange on the dorsal and caudal are a bit unusual, suggesting a bit of Liberty Molly mixed with the black sphenops. That also might explain the nice dorsal that he has.

Mollies at the surface usually are an indication of salinity adjustment. The fish probably was in a salted tank at the store (they rarely mention this), as they are usually shipped that way from Florida. If you place it in an unsalted tank, it needs to adjust. The need for additional oxygen is part of this, it helps the fish flush the salt from their systems. Often this can take a week; sometimes it can even kill the fish if the store tank was heavily salted. I would add some aeration to circulate the water better, at least temporarily, and see if that brings him down from the surface.

 

I'm glad you like him He is absolutely stunning, the picture doesn't really do him justice. It almost seems a shame not to let him breed! I just looked up the liberty molly and I see what you mean. Liberty Mollys look pretty similar to guppies to me, like a pretty female molly but stockier.

He was in a tank with a black ghost knifefish at the LFS, are they brackish as well? I think I've read that they are freshwater, so I don't know whether this could be the reason. But thanks for the suggestion. I haven't got an airstone, but there is a lot of surface agitation, just not where he is hovering. Should I just keep an eye on him? He does go down every now and then, but he has mostly stayed at the top all day. The lights are off at the moment so I can't see him all that well right now.

I hope he wasn't shipped from Florida, it seems an awful long way for a livebearing fish that could be bred very easily in the UK. I was thinking he was perhaps a sailfin molly cross because of his fin but I don't know. If he is, can I expect that he will get a bit bigger than the average molly?

 

I did not notice your location. I would not know where your fish are bred, as I am unfamiliar with commercial distribution in Europe/UK. I know a few wholesalers, but not commercial breeders. However, I still would not be surprised to learn that these fish are mostly shipped from Florida or Asia (even farther!).

You need something to bring water from the bottom of the tank to the surface. Usually that's the intake of the filter. Some people shorten the tube because they don't want it too close to the substrate, but the closer to the bottom, the more effective it is for surface to bottom circulation. CO2 is greatest at the bottom of the water column, and has to be moved to the surface for the exchange to take place.

If he was with a Black Ghost Knife, he may have been in softer or more acid water than your tank. This adjustment usually goes faster than the other way, with less trouble. I'd just be patient for a week or so and see if he adjusts.

 

I wouldn't be surprised if they did import from Florida or Asia, I'm pretty sure they do because it is cheaper than paying UK based breeders.

I see what you mean about the filtration, my filter intake is about half way up my tank (it comes through the base from the canister) so I guess it may not be taking that much water from the very bottom. I'm planning on putting an internal filter in to help with filtration as I add more fish so if I put this close to the bottom (but not close enough to pick up sand) will this help to distribute the water more if the output is around the same height as the intake for the other filter? Does that make sense?

Batman is still at the top mostly but he is coming down to the bottom to try and find food in the sand. He keeps picking it up and spitting it out again. He stays down for a few minutes before going back up to the top. Is it possible it's a stress thing because he is on his own or is the most likely explanation that he is adjusting to the new water chemistry?

Does anyone have any advice on this?

 

Maybe your fish is sick. Have you quarantined your fish before adding him to the tank? If not then try quarantine him and observe if there's any signs of developing diseases or maybe your water lacks oxygen for the fish.

Ive had a Dalmatian molly that I bought last month. She used to gasp for air in the surface so I transferred her to a quarantine tank and gave her medicine. Now, she is healthy and swimming fast.

Good Luck!

 

Thanks for the advice

But it's been almost a month and a half now since my post and Batman is absolutely fine. I think he was just getting used to the tank.