Epic fishkeeping skills or gross incompetency?

[Tiber]

I added 10 baby live bearers to my tank last week. These were the first fish I have added to this tank, I hoped the water was fine but you never really know how a new tank is going to go so we have been counting the fish regularly.

We counted the fish in the bag when we got home from the fish store to make sure we had 10 and have counted them in the tank every day since, there has always been 10. I was very pleased that they had all survived for a week with no issues.

Expect...we now have 11. I don't mean 10 and a new baby guppy, 11 half grown fish. This blew my mind and my partner and I are both questioning our sanity.

Either my fishkeeping skills are so legendary that when I wasn't looking my fish went out to a LFS and purchased a friend, or my partner and I have somehow been incapable of counting to 10 for the past week and a half.

 

[Deleted member 149562]

The cat did it

 

[Slaphppy7]

The cat did it

That would be my guess, as well...what type of livebearers?...what size tank is this?...is it cycled?

 

[Deleted member 149562]

Seriously...are you absolutely 100% certain that you haven't counted a reflection...very easily done with curvy aquariums that distort everything...either that or its a case of get down to Specsavers

 

[Tiber]

That would be my guess, as well...what type of livebearers?...what size tank is this?...is it cycled?

It is cycled. But I'm not sure that is why I now have an extra fish lol

 

[Tiber]

Seriously...are you absolutely 100% certain that you haven't counted a reflection...very easily done with curvy aquariums that distort everything...either that or its a case of get down to Specsavers

That's what we thought, but we have now counted 11 multiple times. At some point you have to just give in and accept you both have failed to count past 10 for a week lol

.

 

[Deleted member 149562]

That's what we thought, but we have now counted 11 multiple times. At some point you have to just give in and accept you both have failed to count past 10 for a week lol

.

There might have been a bun in the oven....you never know with livebearers...they can whip out a baby at any given time just to completely confuzzle their keepers

 

[Tiber]

There might have been a bun in the oven....you never know with livebearers...they can whip out a baby at any given time just to completely confuzzle their keepers

Yea but there isn't one that looks significantly smaller than the rest! And none are fully grown.

On the brightside, I only paid for 10 so the LFS can't count either lol

 

[outofwater]

That cat there seems pleased with your epic fishkeeping abilities and what the future holds

 

[Deleted member 149562]

Yea but there isn't one that looks significantly smaller than the rest! And none are fully grown.

On the brightside, I only paid for 10 so the LFS can't count either lol

Well yes the extra one is a bonus...unless it is a male with 10 females or a female with 10 males cos then you'll be multiplying constantly and will need another aquarium to put them in

The start of the dreaded human fishkeeping disease with no known cure...MTS....aka Multiple Tank Syndrome

 

[Tiber]

That cat there seems pleased with your epic fishkeeping abilities and what the future holds

I have 3 cats, it's fair to say that the lid will be staying on! They absolutely love the tank, they sit on the window watching the fish all day.

 

[Tiber]

Well yes the extra one is a bonus...unless it is a male with 10 females or a female with 10 males cos then you'll be multiplying constantly and will need another aquarium to put them in

The start of the dreaded human fishkeeping disease with no known cure...MTS....aka Multiple Tank Syndrome

Nah no MTS in this house, my Mrs took some convincing just to get this one, but it's a decent size.

To be 100% honest I hadn't really thought through the logistics of lots of live bearer babies. I like small fish so thought a few molly, plattys and guppies would be a good way to start the tank off (I'm only really intending to add some tetras and small catfish) but I don't know their genders and hadn't considered the whole 'lots of fry' side of live bearers! Surely it won't be that bad

They are lovely fish though. Always out and about at the front of the tank and come straight up for food anytime I walk near the tank.

 

[outofwater]

I have 3 cats, it's fair to say that the lid will be staying on! They absolutely love the tank, they sit on the window watching the fish all day.

Nice tank you got there, and how cool to have the cats too, I'm sure the curiosity is mesmerizing. As for the fish, I haven't kept livebearers but from what I've read, it would not be that rare you had a juvie or full grown one sneak by you and the lfs people, so enjoy the extra

 

[Deleted member 149562]

Nah no MTS in this house, my Mrs took some convincing just to get this one, but it's a decent size.

To be 100% honest I hadn't really thought through the logistics of lots of live bearer babies. I like small fish so thought a few molly, plattys and guppies would be a good way to start the tank off (I'm only really intending to add some tetras and small catfish) but I don't know their genders and hadn't considered the whole 'lots of fry' side of live bearers! Surely it won't be that bad

They are lovely fish though. Always out and about at the front of the tank and come straight up for food anytime I walk near the tank.

Start sweet talking the other half

Livebearers have this highly annoying habit of multiplying at the drop of a hat....and if there are females amongst your hooligans and they happen to have been with a male or males, they are quite happy to store sperm and babies for several weeks before letting go

One night you'll turn off the lights....next morning...you'll think your eyesight is playing games with you...little wrigglers that weren't there last night

Livebearers are gorgeous fish but they can be little tiny population exploders sometimes

 

[Tiber]

Nice tank you got there, and how cool to have the cats too, I'm sure the curiosity is mesmerizing. As for the fish, I haven't kept livebearers but from what I've read, it would not be that rare you had a juvie or full grown one sneak by you and the lfs people, so enjoy the extra

Thanks, found the tank for a decent price on Facebook. Had some issues with the glass behind an old 3d background, but I think it not only is a nice, decently sized tank, but really sits nicely in the corner of my living room