# Mollies and Goldfish



## Shinigami1980

can i keep mollies with my goldfish??? well the last time i kept them with my goldfish...the mollies would just bother the goldfish and kept chasing them around the tank.....is this normal behavior for mollies? 

I have a community tank :

2 Oranda Goldfish
3 Pearlscale
2 Red Cap Goldfish
1 Black Moore still isn't very black yet... strange one
2 Bubble Eye Goldfish

and these are just the goldfish (i know i have too many..for my 30G tank )

4 Neon Tetras
5 Guppies (male)
2 Red Wag Platy (female)

I have two Yellow Mollies in a seprate tank. but since my female guppies gave birth and died soon after...I want to transfer the fry to my other smaller tank and move the mollies to my bigger tank.


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## JohnnyD44

even without the mollies in your 30G tank, thats way too many goldfish to keep in a 30G tank.....goldfish are messy....very messy....most, I'm not sure if all, but as far as I know, goldfish don't have stomachs, which causing the huge amount of waste that they are notorious for producing....I would be hesitant to add more fish to that 30G tank....what kind of filter set-up do you have??


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## Shinigami1980

ouch...i am new to this ..i still dont have under gravel filter..i only have one filter with oxygen pump... it keeps my water clean...and since my tap water is really bad....i have been using mineral water. its sort of cheap where i live.


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## JohnnyD44

I didn't meanto come off harsh, my apolgies, it was late whe n I replied....again, sorry about that!!  
I'm not a golfish pro, but just my general knowledge of them being waste machines...seems like too much for a 30G tank....have you thought about gettinga bigger tank? It is possible to keep that many golfish, but all that waste will create high nitrates, which will bring problems for your other fish....you can keep those nitrates in check by frequent water changes and gravel cleanings though......what are your water paramets?

Again, please accept my apologies for being quick.....and welcome!!!


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## Byron

To add a comment on the mollies with goldfish, the answer is no. Goldfish are not tropical, mollies are; that is, the mollies need warmer water than goldfish will appreciate. While you may have done this previously, with or without problems, it is only asking for trouble because the temperature will be either correct for one of them or incorrect for both, and that leads to stress for the fish that are not comfortable with the temperature. To be healthy in a community aquarium, all the fish must share approximately the same water parameters, being temperature, pH, hardness, and salinity. Forcing any fish to "adapt" to conditions that are foreign to their natural biology will cause stress and that usually leads to poor health, disease and sometimes death. As you have goldfish, I would stay with them. Although JohnnyD is correct, you need more tank space to keep them healthy, and in the least you must be regular (once a week minimum) with partial water changes.


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## Shinigami1980

first of all thanks for the great input and i have decided that since i can't afford to get a bigger aquarium its best to donate few or all the goldfish to either any willing friend or my pet shop, anyhow i am not that into goldfish anymore. Guppy breeding is what i am planning to get into...since its a no brainer to breed. I am looking forward to watching the guppy fry mature and than cross breed for different colors. It'll be fun. 

Cheers.


P.S: I still don't know my water paramets...i figured they'd be okay since i've been using Mineral water. but i should get a kit for future for the guppy breeding.


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## Byron

Mineral water may not be the best, depending upon what's in it. What's wrong with your tap water? It is cheaper (I'm assuming you buy bottled mineral water) and with a good conditioner (declorinator+) is usually the best way to go. Guppies (like all livebearers) prefer slightly alkaline (basic) water, which may well be what you have in your area. But a test kit is standard equipment for all aquarists. The API combo is good, it has pH, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate; you really don't need anything else for basics except hardness but the ph result will clue you to that.

You'll have your work cut out trying to cross-breed guppies. The males develop the capability to impregnate females quite early, before they get their distinctive colours if memory serves me correctly; in a tank of fry they can impregnate most of the females pretty quick. I recall one breeder's advice that you have to separate the fry almost immediately to be safe. But it's fun work. Good luck.


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## Shinigami1980

well to be honest...two weeks back my petshop which is in the same building as my office. got this big order of all kind of goldfish and guppies both male and female.... I got so tempted that i bought more than what i shold have. Anyhow i bought a couple of female guppies who seemed preg' . Since i had done some reading on guppies i bought a seprate container (Fish Hatchery) i am sure you know what i am talking about. Well the next day my guppy gave birth and thank God i was able to release the guppy back into the tank before it would start eating its babies. The fry are doing fine so far. They are in their second week and only one died so for. now you said they could impregrante very early. should i seprate the female fry from the male fry?? i still can't tell which ones are male or female ( Though i have a slight idea that the ones with longer bodies could be female)...

My tap water is like super HOT almost above 100F. I am scared to keep my fish in such a hot water. I live in Middle East and the temp here are always hot. plus the water is desalinated water since we don't have any lakes or rivers. 

Thanks for the replies brother.


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## Byron

First on the water, I suggest you simply get a bucket and allow the tap water to stand until it is suitable temperature; room temperature whatever it is would be fine since I assume the tank is normally room temperature (unless air conditioned). Add a water conditioner.

It's been a long time since I had livebearers, but I recall that they can mature very early and if not separated (male/female0 early on the males can impregnate the females. If you want to do selective breeder of strains, you will have to separate them. I believe this can occur before they get their distinctive colours (males), but others can correct this if I'm wrong. It's been a while.


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