Mobs of Mollies and a couple Angels

[Jonna]

I was washing off some of the algae on the waterfall - it's not really a fall, more like a slide over rocks - and the Mollies just went nuts.  I couldn't believe they could pack in there as tight as they did, some of them were on top of others and out of the water. 









I have this ongoing quest to take a good picture of the Angel Fish, I swear they know when I am focusing on them and they just glide away.  Actually, they probably can see me better because they are predators and their eyes are closer together in the front of their face.  Anyway, these are my latest and greatest - still not very good.

This is one of the small ones I just bought, he's black and tan and a different coloring than the larger ones.  This is what I usually get for a picture though, as I snap the picture they turn just enough to put the thin side towards me.  Either that or all I get is their butt and the lily pad they swam under. 




This is one of the big ones looking at me.








A few Mollies inside a lily pad, I'm thinking of blowing this one up and printing it on canvas.  I need to wash those aphids off into the pond though. 

[tranquility]

what a mob...you have beautiful mollies and angelfish....
Lawanna

[miguynmkoi]

   Wow!  The mob of Mollies looks crazy!!!  The angels are nice!  Your lilies are loving your pond!

[Kittyzee]

What great pics Jonna, I never see Angel Fish unless I'm in an aquarium store, so to see them in a pond is very unusual for me.

My goldfish go nuts when I rinse the moss off the rocks.  Do you think you mollies are like that too?

[KatFish]

Great pics!  They were playing sardines.  Or maybe it's a fish version of 'how many people can fit into a phone booth'?   

[Jonna]

They are funny fish.  They flip themselves up and onto things to see if there is food.  I found one that couldn't flip back off a lily pad in time the other day  :'(   Usually though, just as I try and "save" them they flip right back into the water.  When the algae was coming off they were all trying to get some, and they are like puppies just crowding up on each other.  I have started feeding them a little twice a day because since the pond cleared I'm afraid there isn't enough for them to eat.  I know, they would eat more of their young but I'm afraid it would be the older, larger ones that starved and the young ones that stayed alive on less.  Anyway, I can't look at them and think they are hungry it makes me sad.  So... hopefully the additional Angel Fish will keep the fry down.  I don't know what else to do that I feel good about.   I worry about the plecos too, there just isn't any algae in the pond.  Now I'm thinking that the fish are eating it all, that's good but then what do they eat when that is gone?  It's a dilemma. 

The canna and banana in the filter are very yellow and not greening up at all.  So yesterday I put some osmocote in a piece of stocking and stuck it in the bag the pump is in.  My hope is that the pump will suck it up and send it to the bottom of the filter and the plants will get greener.  We'll see.

[Ky Kim]

They have something called spirlina (disc/tab, flakes, etc)  We use to put them in our tank when the algae was low.  Our pleco was pusing 18 inches.  Ya might check into hit.

[jw]

Wow that's a lot of Mollies all bunched up in a group  . You need to be more patient when trying to take pics of the Angel fish..............like the Great Blue Heron that stands stiff as a board for hours on end waiting for the right time to snap up a fish  . Sometimes when the pleco's get large they will need the Spirlina discs as they get lazy and won't eat so much of the algae. If you don't have any algae they will need some now. I have one that is about 12" and he gets 3 tabs every morning. You are so kind to your little fishies to feel sorry for them not getting enough to eat. My goldfish get plenty to eat tho and they always think they are starving to death if they see me come out to the pond. Fish are great con-artists ya know  .

[HOWELL]

Sounds like a riot and they are begggin you to give them more food....

I love molly there so cool and never make a mess like kois...darn kois...

[barb]

Wow, you are so lucky to be able to keep tropical fish outdoors!  I have four indoor tanks, and my biggest is only 29 gallons.  I can only dream of being able to permanently keep anything besides my goldfish outdoors.  Ohhhh, the ponds I would have if it were warm enough here, my dh would be horrified.  He thinks I'm obsessed enough as it is.   

[robie]

jonna your molys are  maravillosos ¡¡¡

the molys from your pond are doing great ¡¡ may be they have  babys soon ¡¡¡

 

[CT]

Jonna,
  Can you get some squash?Slice it and microwave it or cook it slightly so it's soft. Hold it down in the pond with a rock. My bristlenose plecos love it. Algae wafers work too. I also make sure I have wood in my aquarium for them. They will feed off of it as well as use it as a cave.
Great pics
Kay

[Jonna]

Oh Kay! Great info.  I've been looking for algae wafers and I haven't found any yet. There is a log halfway in the water that is slowly decomposing, it's a hardwood of some sort so it isn't rotting quickly.  I put it there to lower the PH hopefully.   I'll try the squash and hope the Mollies don't eat it all before the pleco gets to it.  Also I'll put some in the indoor pond because the pleco in there is looking very golden in color, I don't think he was that color when I got him so I'm a little worried that it is a deficiency. 

It is fun to have tropical fish outside, they are a lot easier here than koi or goldfish although I haven't really tried them and they are available here.  I just assumed that since they are more a cold water fish they could have more problems here.  Plus, tropicals are fun.