13 Livebearers
Description
This article is from the Aquaria: Good (and Bad) First Fish; Breeding FAQ, by Dean Hougen and Elaine Thompson
13 Livebearers
The family Poeciliidae contains Guppies, Mollies, Platies, and many
other fishes. While these fish are often thought of as beginners' fish
they have been intentionally left off the list until now in order to
make a point. The reasons these fish are often sold to beginners are
that they are cheap, brightly colored, and have a general reputation
among non-aquarists as easy fish. Notably absent from this list is any
real suitability for keeping by beginners. For one thing, many
livebearers need high level of salt in their water to be healthy -
making them incompatible with many other aquarium fish. Many common
livebearers also are overbred, resulting in fish not nearly as healthy
as those kept by aquarists of previous generations (or by the authors
of most books). Some are not even able to reproduce without human
intervention. Finally, due to their low market price, they are
generally not well cared for and may carry diseases.
Poeciliids, as they are also called, come from the Americas, primarily
Central America. They are called "livebearers" (as opposed to
"egg-layers", as all the previously discussed fish have been)
because the eggs are fertilized within the female and the fry do not
appear until the eggs have hatched. There are also livebearers from
other families in which the details of reproduction vary.
The well-known Guppy can be found in a number of colors and with as
many as 12 different artificial tail varieties. Also available is the
closest thing that you may find to the wild Guppy - Poecilia
reticulata: "feeder Guppies" which are not bred for color. The fancy
strains tend to be fragile while common Guppies often carry diseases.
Guppies should be kept in water with at least one teaspoon of salt per
five gallons of water.
Common Mollies are the Black Molly (which was derived from the Marled
Molly - Poecilia sphenops) and the Sail-Fin Molly - Poecilia velifera
(of which there are also several color varieties available). Black
Mollies need at least one teaspoon of salt per five gallons of water
to keep them healthy and prevent the outbreak of "ich"
(Ichthyophthirius multifiliis, a parasite commonly seen in aquaria)
while Sail-Fin Mollies need at least three times this amount.
Sail-Fins grow to 6" while Black Mollies stay less than 3".
Closely related, Swordtails - Xiphophorus helleri and Platies -
Xiphophorus maculatus are also popular fish. A number of color and
finnage varieties are available of each with some of the Platies also
referred to as "Moons". These fish need at least a teaspoon of salt
per 5 gallons of water to be healthy. Some varieties are susceptible
to various maladies (Tuxedo Swords often get tumors, for instance) and
as with so many other fish the naturally colored fish are probably
your best bets. "Green Swords" (which are really multi-colored) are
naturally colored X. helleri, but unfortunately wild morphs of Platies
are not often seen. The Variegated Platy - Xiphophorus variatus is
sometimes seen, however, and fills this role nicely.
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