livebearer mania

**Scrup** · 10-27-2009, 11:12 PM

So does anyone know, if you mix lievbearers, say..guppies, mollies, platys, and endlers, and the m/f ratios add up, what are the chances of hybrids?

Is it kind of an orgy that I just never see, since I can see the guppies chasing guppies, mollies chasing mollies, etc..

Wanting to get some endlers but wouldn't want the ladies to get harassed to death...being so small and all. Honestly never had them before, and think they would make a great addition.

**rich311k** · 10-27-2009, 11:14 PM

Guppys and endlers are the same species so they will interbreed. Mollys and guppys can but it is not likely.

**Scrup** · 10-27-2009, 11:21 PM

forgot...swordtails are in the mix as well.

As it is, the male guppies only seem to chase around the big female guppies, the ones that are 2x the size of them...

from what I understood they all CAN interbreed, with varying degrees of success, but I am just wondering what the chances are that a guppy would take an endler female over a guppy female.

it did just occur to me that based on my guppy logic, the endler males are going to LOVE the guppy ladies...

so I could in effect be doubling the amount of males competing for the guppy females, which could be a problem for the ladies.

bored endlers and exhausted guppies..

**Deleted User** · 10-27-2009, 11:24 PM

I had read that sword tails and platies can interbreed... but don't know if that is true? I have both, but not in the same aquariums.

**Gramazing** · 10-28-2009, 12:00 AM

Yes they can. They are the same genus, Xiphophorus. Apparently lots of aquarium platies have some swordtail genes in them and visa versa.

**Scrup** · 10-28-2009, 04:41 AM

so if hybridization is not an active concern of mine...introducing them is not a problem?

**Jaster** · 10-28-2009, 12:52 PM

I have a just 'livebearer' tank (at a 2:1 FM to M) and I've never noticed any issues. They are all tramps and everyone chases everyone. They don't seem to be very picky and no one seems to get bored. We actually call it the "swingers" tank. Lots of loving going on in that tank... lol

**VoidParadigm** · 10-28-2009, 01:50 PM

If you don't care about the slim chance of a few hybrid babies here and there go for it. Whenever I keep livebearers I honestly don't control their mating at all.

Just throw them in, sometimes a few different species (never got any hybrids as far as I could tell myself) and let them "go at it."

Mm. I'd love to do what my Uncle has set up. His livebearer tank is so well balanced right now that he has fish of all ages in there all the time. Just as a new batch of babies pops out one of the older generations starts dying off... Ack! What am I saying?! Must... control... multiple... tank... syndrome!

But yeah, anyways, as long as you're not going to purposefully try to breed them so you can sell some "rare new species" to unknowing aqua-newbs I say go ahead. =P