Just as their name suggests, livebearers are fish that give birth to live, free swimming young. Platy fish is a common name that refers to three species. This group of freshwater fish includes perennial aquarium favorites such as mollies, guppies, and platies. Pdf growth and reproductive performance of female guppy.
Pdf the effects of different dose rates of synthetic androgen 17alpha methyltestosterone mt i. Guppies are similar to tetras and betta fish in appearance. The molly is part of the poecilia family, this also includes guppies, endlers, and other mollies. Platies being a part of xiphophorus family cannot breed with guppies due to their incompatible nature and different families. I fished them all out and i am going to put them into a 5 gallon tank. Livebearers have the common trait that they give birth to free swimming young. Guppies and mollies are the easiest to acclimate to saltwater and can move over quicker, but platys can to given plenty of time. This group is known as livebearers because unusually for fish the females give birth to free swimming live fry ovoviviparous rather than laying eggs. The other alternative is to put the gold mollies into the 6g tank along with the red platy and take the 4 fancy guppies back to my home 10g tank. How many baby guppies, platys, mollies can a 5 gallon tank. Submersible heaters are more expensive but also more efficient and usually more durable. While the wild species are colorful enough poecilia means manycolored, hobbyists and breeders have taken advantage of their. Livebearers are aquarium fish that retain the eggs inside the body and give birth to live, freeswimming young.
All of those fish can tolerate anything from pure freshwater to brackish to full marine. May 19, 20 can i put platy s and guppies togeather. The babies can hide in them very well and this stops the parents from eating them. Aug 21, 2008 i should think that the mollie, guppies and platys should do fine just as long as each species has more females than males as for example if there were no female mollies the males would try and mate with the female guppies and platys which will kill them as they are not the same type, its the same with all live bearers. Now how many fishes can we have in that tank without overwhelming.
Their water requirements are very similar, they both enjoy a planted aquarium, plus theyre both livebearing fish. I know i might have had some survive if i didnt disturb but we have had our tank for awhile with no babies. Popular live or freezedried foods suitable for guppies include brine shrimp, daphnia, mosquito larvae, and bloodworms. If only mollies are kept then the addition of aquarium salts is advisable, this is not required with swordtails, guppies or platies. They can also be kept with other peaceful community fish such as mollies, platies, gouramis, corydoras and peaceful tetras. Thirtyfive striking color photos and 30 black and white line drawings included.
These fishs organs and body systems work well in the wild. As they are all live bearers, and can reproduce fast, as in 100150 fry every couple months, it is advised you dont get males and females of each, if you dont have the time, effort, space, and money to keep thousands of fish in your house. Despite still being recommended as good beginners fish, there are health issues that have become apparent in recent years, which have resulted in a necessary change in correct advice regarding the care of these fish. Guppies, mollies, platies, and swordtails the most popular and widely kept of livebearing fishes in the aquarium hobby. Check with your oata retailer as to how much salt should be added to your aquarium. Everything about purchase, care, nutrition, and behavior complete pet owners manual. Platy fish belong to xiphophorus genus and along with mollies, guppies and swordfish are a member of the poeciliidae family. Feb 02, 2008 you can generally mix platys, mollies and guppies together and have no problems. They are in the same livebearer group you already own and are a great addition to any tank. Guppies and mollies make a gorgeous addition to your tropical fish tank adding colour, beauty and elegance.
Dec 10, 2014 the two genera that make up most of the aquarium species are poecilia, which include the guppies and mollies. Platies and guppies get along well if kept in the same aquarium. Im just not sure fancy guppies are as much fun as mollies, the latter seem to have real personality. Perhaps its just my two fish or maybe they arent as mobile, but in my tank it seems like the platy is a little prettier but much less intelligent than the molly. Guppies and mollies are livebearers and similar to tetra are brilliant community fish making them easy to add to any tropical fish tank. Will they probably try, yes, but success is not going to happen. One of my guppies, a female, is hanging out at the top of the tank and avoiding all of the other fish. Livebearers are generally troublefree as far as healthcare goes. The aquarium handbook is our premium ebook that contains everything.
The platys seem to be somewhat active but act sometimes like that beautiful dumb blonde type. Guppies and mollies belong mostly to the genus poecilia while the swordtails and. Get in the habit of doing weekly partial water changes. Also i have one guppie fry that is a month old and is only 1 cm if i feed him small brine shrimp will he. Mollies like 80 degrees f, fancy guppies 7780 and platys a little lower.
Everything you wanted to know about guppies but were afraid to ask a novices guide to breeding and raising guppies frank schulterbrandt 12152015 topics are in no particular order for presentation article under construction. You can generally mix platys, mollies and guppies together and have no problems. For guppies, have about 2gallons of water per fish. Sep 09, 2011 mollies like 80 degrees f, fancy guppies 7780 and platys a little lower.
The two genera that make up most of the aquarium species are poecilia, which include the guppies and mollies. Except for platies, all of them will eat their young. All of them are livebearers though, be prepared for babies if you have males and females of the same species. Each one of us wanted fancy guppies, mollies and platys and swordtails. Generally speaking, they can get along in the same tank, but your success at keeping them together may depend on the specific breeds and individuals involved, and on your tank set up. Everything you wanted to know about guppies but were afraid to ask a novices guide to breeding and raising guppies frank schulterbrandt 12152015 topics are in no particular order for presentation article under construction i setup. Within a few months they can easily over populate a 25 gal tank, not to mention a 2. Understanding guppies, mollies, swordtails and others fish keeping made easy david alderton on.
Yes i said 20 baby guppies, platys, and mollies in my 75 gallon tank. Books on livebearers,books on livebearing fishes, platies. Everything you wanted to know about guppies but were. They are generally hardy, colorful, and easy to maintain. We bought a 55 gallon fishtank for the entire family. Just to add on to the other two, if you have a mix of either male and female guppies or male and female platys then you are going to have a problem on your hands in a 2. The betta is very happy with the platy and mollies but the one in the 6g is not happy with 2 of the fancy.
Best of all, they readily breed in the home aquarium with little effort on the part of the aquarist. Livebearers guppies mollies platy swordtails endlers. Guppies, platys and mollies, bullhead city, arizona. Also my mollies and betta too affected from that unknown thing.
I know it is 1 inch size per fish would require one gallon. Breeding livebearers mollies, platies, and guppies youtube. Guppies and mollies are closely related and very easy to breed. Guppies, mollies and platies are each very beautiful fish, and are unique in everyway. How many baby guppies, platys, mollies can a 5 gallon tank hold. One thing about these though, they will reproduce fast so have a big tank for them. Mollies and guppies are very similar fish with comparable behavior and needs. In a 5 gallon i wouldnt add any more fish its a bit small for your guppies too, if you can id suggest you upgrade to at least a 10 gallon.
Now how many fishes can we have in that tank without overwhelming the balance of the water enivornment. However, if you want the fry to survive until adulthood, you have to take several steps to care for them, including protecting them from other fish in the tank that may eat them. D i have two ten gallons, one 75 gallon, and i have a 2. Also i have one guppie fry that is a month old and is only 1 cm if i feed him small brine shrimp will he grow faster. Guppies, mollies and swordtails can be kept in brackish low salinity water, however they are best kept in freshwater. Among aquarium fish, livebearers are nearly all members of the family poeciliidae and include guppies, mollies, platies and swordtails the advantages of livebearing to the aquarist are that the newborn juvenile fish are larger than newlyhatched fry, have a lower.
While the wild species are colorful enough poecilia means manycolored, hobbyists and breeders have taken advantage of their easy breeding habits to create dozens of vibrantly. Pdf sex reversal, mortality and growth of guppy poecilia. Health care, proper equipment, breeding, and maintaining a healthful environment are among many topics the experienced hobbyist and beginner can learn about free. Guppies are more impressive in their physical traits they display strikingly beautiful colors, flowing fins, and they grow a bit smaller compared to platy fish. Livebearers are aquarium fish that retain the eggs inside the body and give birth to live, free swimming young. Guppies, mollies and platys backyard chickens learn how.
Nov 03, 2008 guppies, mollies and platies are each very beautiful fish, and are unique in everyway. The second tank is a 20 gallon hexagon with 1 pleco, 4 fancy guppies, 4 glofish tetras, 4 silverbluered tetras, about 20 guppy frye, a number of baby snails and eight ghost shrimp. Guppies have wonderful colors, cute faces, and best of all, easy to take care of. Boruchowitz mar 15, 2009 the everything tropical fish book by carlo devito, gregory skomal. Guppies, platies, mollies, endlers livebearer, and swordtails are all livebearers, giving birth to live young. I have a 36 gallon tank with a variety of guppies, platys, and danios. Hieronimus oct 1, 2007 the simple guide to freshwater aquariums second edition by david e. I just put them in there today and they are the only ones in the tank. Are they all peaceful among each other we also are getting some neon tetras and danios. Fish mix mollies, platys, guppies archive aquarium forum. Both are friendly fish that do well in community tanks or in single breed tanks. Additionally, guppies are partial to vegetables such as lettuce, peas, and cucumbers. Among aquarium fish, livebearers are nearly all members of the family poeciliidae and include guppies, mollies, platies and swordtails. In this guide, we dive into 12 of our favorite molly fish tank mates and some of their care needs.
You must change them over slowly though, over the course of several days. Everything you wanted to know about guppies but were afraid. Can i keep guppies, mollies and platies in same tank. Guppies, mollies, and platys barrons complete pet owners manuals by h.
Guppies, mollies, platies, and swordtails the most popular and widely kept of livebearing. Sep, 2018 i have a 36 gallon tank with a variety of guppies, platys, and danios. They are compatible in terms of water parameters such as water temp, ph levels, and foods that they eat, and will interact. We sell guppies, platys and mollies in bullhead city, az. I should think that the mollie, guppies and platys should do fine just as long as each species has more females than males as for example if there were no female mollies the males would try and mate with the female guppies and platys which will kill them as they are not the same type, its the same with all live bearers.
However, in the aquarium hobby, the term livebearer is commonly used to refer to a specific group of fish belonging to the family poeciliidae. Mollies are capable of tolerating high salinities however the increase of salinity should be gradual to avoid shocking the fish. How do i breed platys and do i need to separate the fry from the adult. While there i saw these platys that range from all black to all white and everything in between.
I intend to take a currently pregnant guppy mother and all of its recent frye to a pet store to bring down a possible overstock. These fish can thrive in a home aquarium in the which the water quality is well maintained and live for 3 to 5 years. Feed your guppies only one or two times a day in small amounts at a time. These species belong to the live bearing tooth carp family or poeciliidae. They will work and add a little bit of spark to your tank. However, sometimes it just depends on the personality of the fish. As they are not even in the same family, they will not mate. I will add a fish or two and was wondering whether to add another. A mature female will give live birth about once a month or so in an aquarium. Mar 02, 2010 each one of us wanted fancy guppies, mollies and platys and swordtails. I wasnt sure what i wanted to get and use in the tank and i liked the guppies so i got two of them. Guppies, mollies and platys backyard chickens learn. Just like mollies, guppies also belong to the genus poecilia.
Xiphophorus come from the greek work xiphos meaning sword and pherein meaning carry. Both of those fish are live bearers and will give birth about every month. Including guppies, mollies, platys and swordtails scientific names popular livebearers kept in the hobby include guppies poecilia reticulata, mollies poecilia latipinna, p. For swordtails, guppies, mollies and platies, fry can be raised slightly warmer. If you are hoping to keep your aquarium filled with these little beauties, you will need to learn. Mollies are from the same scientific genus as guppies and endlers livebearers poecilia, with generally similar temperaments although i have seen some more aggressive sail fin mollies that i would compare more to s swordtail in temperament. The first is a 10 gallon with 2 platys, 1 molly, 1 big ass scuse my french mystery snail and dozens of baby mystery snails the amount of snails dont bother me and they help keep the tank clean. Registering is free, quick, and means you can join in the discussion, watch threads, get. Thirtyfive striking color photos and 30 blackandwhite line drawings included. Everything about purchase, care, nutrition, and behavior complete pet owners manual harro hieronimus on.
Right now i have one red platy female who is beautiful and two 24k gold mollies. Registering is free, quick, and means you can join in the discussion. Guppies can also enjoy live or freezedried food in their diet. The mollies explore, are curious and generally seem more active. Compatible tank mates for my platys, mollies, and guppies. Guppies, platies, mollies, swordtails, and endlers. Platys are small, fast, and colorful fish that are friendly and fun to watch. In the wild, these species are found in northern, central and southern america. Pdf three feeds used in guppy poecilia reticulata farming in south asia were evaluated for their. You still couldnt have goldfish or mollies but a platy with a few guppies would be ok in a 10. Gravel vacuum part of the bottom, removing a lot of dirt and feces.