Getting Wild Colored Livebearers?

[onidrase]

I don't know much about livebearers, but I've been particularly attracted to swordtails, and am willing to give them a go.

However, I'm not too fond of the pastelly, overly bright plastic livebearers I commonly find in trade.

I've heard some swordtails are large and can sometimes be kept with bigger cichlids while popping out delicious fry once in a while. This is my primary reason for looking into them, but if the green terror will rip any livebearer into smithereens, I think I'll just wait til I consider restocking my 37 gallon.

I highly doubt that they look like play toys in the wild (though I suppose everything is possible. I just can't imagine any fish like a domesticated platy or swordtail originating anywhere but lego land) and I was wondering if there's any place where you can buy swordtails that are close relatives to wild ones and haven't been childized.

Or, at least, you know, look more like this than this

I spare no apologies for those offended by my lack of compassion for plastic colored fish

Thanks for anyone who helps

I promise I won't cross into this section again for a while after this thread to bug you livebearer folks

 

[ZephyrStarPlaties]

What do you think of these? http/selectaquatics.com/X._mayae.htm

They aren't wild, but they have that sort of coloration and get to be well over 5 inches. They shouldn't be easy to eat!

 

[onidrase]

What do you think of these? http/selectaquatics.com/X._mayae.htm

They aren't wild, but they have that sort of coloration and get to be well over 5 inches. They shouldn't be easy to eat!

Those look great

I don't want any fish directly out of a stream in god knows where swordtail land, more or less something that at least somewhat resembles what it would in the wild despite heavy domestication, like tetras and such

 

[helterskelter]

What do you think of these? http/selectaquatics.com/X._mayae.htm

They aren't wild, but they have that sort of coloration and get to be well over 5 inches. They shouldn't be easy to eat!

Sorry ZephyrStarPlaties.

Xiphophorus mayae are a wild swordtail, there are 20-25 species of wild swords, from a pygmy that gets 50mm (2 inches) and then the X. montezumae which including the sword can get to 200mm (8 inches)

Many of these are from central Mexico and can be found with many cichlids naturally, as long as the aquarium is quite deep, 15 inches or so to allow them to happily keep out of the cichlids way.

 

[onidrase]

What do you think of these? http/selectaquatics.com/X._mayae.htm

They aren't wild, but they have that sort of coloration and get to be well over 5 inches. They shouldn't be easy to eat!

Sorry ZephyrStarPlaties.

Xiphophorus mayae are a wild swordtail, there are 20-25 species of wild swords, from a pygmy that gets 50mm (2 inches) and then the X. montezumae which including the sword can get to 200mm (8 inches)

Many of these are from central Mexico and can be found with many cichlids naturally, as long as the aquarium is quite deep, 15 inches or so to allow them to happily keep out of the cichlids way.

the tank is 48 inches long, 18 inches wide, and 21 inches tall. Would the swordtails above not become bait? The severum and green terror are both juveniles, the GT wouldn't hurt a fly at this very moment.

 

[helterskelter]

Sev's should be ok but the GT may be trouble

 

[onidrase]

Sev's should be ok but the GT may be trouble

Yeah, I'm a little worried about him. At the moment the severum even picks on the GT, though they're the same size, but they're both only 3 inches, and I've heard GT's only stay little angels until they hit about 6 inches.

I've seen pictures of adult GT's being kept with sailfin mollies and stuff, but you never know what's going on behind the pictures, really.

 

[OldMan47]

Severums also grow to about 8 inches SL. At least my daughter's breeding female was about that size. Green terrors are also well named. They are a hazard to any but the largest of fish.

 

[onidrase]

Severums also grow to about 8 inches SL. At least my daughter's breeding female was about that size. Green terrors are also well named. They are a hazard to any but the largest of fish.

Yeah, I'm a little worried the tetras won't cut it in size. Might get some silver dollars as backup.

A lot of people on the cichlid forums say that GT's kinda get the shaft when kept with other aggressive fish, and can be rather push over-y.

It's really hard to say when it comes to cichlids, though.