can you help

[fish_keeper2]

im gonning to be upgradeing one of my tanks soon. i will be adding some of my fish in there along with some new ones possibly. i would like to know the exact possible size of gold mollies, platties(im guessing the most commom ones sold, orangey color), swords, and guppies(i think they are fancies but not sure). also the baby guppies i have been raising are starting to get color. they look like endlers in color and pattern, are there guppies like this or do i have endlers or possibly endler-guppy hybrids.


edit: i forgot to mention that i have heard several sizes so i wasnt sure.

 

[Annastasia]

For the Gold Mollies...Sailfin, regular, Balloon...what?

For Platies, I'm guessing you don't mean the Variatus kind. Maculatus get to 2" max. Swordtails get to 4" max, plus if you add the tail on the male, you can get up to 7". Guppies max out at around 2", males are smaller.

The baby Guppies could just look more like normal wild Guppies, instead of the Fancy kind. They were born from a Guppy, correct? In which case they could not be Endlers, though they could be Endler hybrids. I am betting wilder looking Guppies though. I guess you'll have to see how they grow up.

Also, if you get Livebearers, they are best stocked 2-3 females per male. However, you will have a lot of fry. You'll need to consider this, and have homes ready for the fry, and figure out if you are going to raise them, and how, and what to feed etc. There's a lot of thought needed for Livebearers.

What size tank are you looking at getting?

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

Most of the fancy guppy types have a bit of endler in them and many of the color variations in the species has been acheived by this so its not unlikely that yours have a bit of endler in them.
Standard gold mollys get to about 3 and a half inchs and live for 4-5yrs.
Most platys only get to 2inchs long max and live for 3-4yrs.
Swordtails usualy get to 4inchs although it varys alot, i think they live for about 4-5yrs.
Guppys get to about 1-2inchs and live for 1-2yrs max.

How many gallons does your tank hold?

edit: heh, anna got there first

 

[Annastasia]

edit: heh, anna got there first

[snapback]911289[/snapback]​

Mwahahaha...

But you added in the lifespans, so that makes your post helpful too!

As another note, Toxis is right, there is usually a little Endler in the fancy strains, but that usually isn't enough to give you Endler Looking babies. You never know, though.

 

[fish_keeper2]

i think the mollies is regular. do i need to include the tail for the inch per gall rule?
i got them from a lfs sold as "baby feeder guppies" so i dont know what they are really. probly guppies though. im looking at a 29 gal(US). i also want to add 2 corries, 5 harliquins, and 1 sword(MALE). right now i have 10 guppies(i think 4-5 are male and im not sure on the count of guppies, they are constantly swarming around begging for food when i try to count them), 1 platty(F), and 1 mollie(F), 3 ottos, and 1 corry(albino). im trying to figure out what to add, what to get rid of if i have to etc to make sure i dont overstock it.

 

[Annastasia]

No, but inch per gallon is a guideline, not a rule. So you can't always go by that. Ah, if they are feeder Guppies, that explains it. They are most likely Guppies, not Endlers. They are just regular Guppies, that haven't been inbred to be all fancy and pretty. They look more like wild Guppies.

Okay, so you want to have 3 Cories, 5 Harlequins, 1 Swordie, 1 Platy, 3 Otos, and 9 Guppies.

So what I would do, is have the Cories, Harlequins, Otos and Guppies. Then maybe skip the Swordie, and get a few more Platies, either a couple more females, or a male and a female. Male Swordtails can sometimes be nippy, and that won't be so great with Guppies. However, if you don't have really fancy Guppies, it will be fine.

Either way, I'd pick either Swordtails or Platies, and get a trio, or all females, since they don't like being kept singly.

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

I'd also reduce the amount of male guppys you have as thats too many for the amount of females you have- a much better gender ratio would be 2males and 6females .

 

[fish_keeper2]

thanks.....you guys forgot about my female molly on accident. since it looks like the males i have look pretty much the same i will get rid of 2 i think so that i get the right ratio fro them. this leaves 2 or 3 males and and 6-7 females.....i will try to see exactly how many i have tonite. is there any problem with having 1 female platy, 1 male sword, and 1 female mollie, along with the 3 corrie, 3 ottos, 5 harliquins, and 7 or 8 guppies.

 

[Annastasia]

Hmmm...what kind is your Molly? As some will get pretty big, and your tank is going to be kind of full already. I guess it'll be okay though, as long as you keep up on the water changes.

There isn't really a problem with keeping only one of each, they just sometimes like to be with their own species. And if they are all females, it will be okay, because they tend to stay around with each other.

 

[fish_keeper2]

i do 25% once a weeek. i believe my molly is a regular one.....the lfs sold it as 24k gold molly or something like that, front is gold and back is black speckaled.
i was going for a male sword if that makes much of a difference.

 

[Annastasia]

It does make a difference. If you are going to get a male Sword, I guess you'll have to get rid of the Platy and get a few females to go with him. He'd most likely harrass the Platy, and try to breed with her since they can interbreed. So I'd get him some females, at least 2. The Molly should be okay. Just keep up with your water changes.

 

[fish_keeper2]

oh ok.....thanks for the help. ill have to think about what combo i would prefer but i have some time before i can get the new tank and of course i cant fully stock it right away....im gonna seed it with filter media from the ten gal that they are in incase any1 wondered.