I'm Starting Livebearers Again!

[afireinside]

Well, as very few of you know, I'm re-doing my tank. I'm get sick of the blue gravel and how it looks. Plus, one of the fish has gotten to aggressive for her own good. She'll actually lock jaws with my angel! So I'm obviously giving her away, if you want her and your in the St.Paul MN area, PM me. Then i'm getting rid of a few other fish and then I'll be left with my Angel, 2 Ghost Glass Catfish. So, then I'm thinking of some corries and swordtails (or platies, I can't decide yet). I'm hoping to get some green swordtails, but if I can't, I'll get normal swordies, or if I just don't like how they look, I'm getting some platies. Any care tips for Sword tails and Platies? Thank you!

-OA

 

[guppymommy]

I have both swortails and platties. At the moment, I have a 29 gallon planted tank (sand substrate) with only swordtails in it. They range from hifin lyretail to normal fins and I just adore them (especially the hifin lyretail ones ). My platties are in the 55 gallon with various other fish. I think they're both great, but if I had to choose one, I'd chose the swordtails.

 

[chibi]

Depends on your tank size. I'm guessing it's big, since you have angels, so it wouldn't matter. Swords get bigger than platies, so you would have less of them. I have both and personally like platies because of the many colors and types to choose from. But it depends on what you're into. If you like a more natural looking fish, go for pineapple or 'wild' swordtails. If not, go with the platy!

 

[donna123]

hi,
im a fan of both, i have a soft spot for platys because of the many colours you can get, swords need lots more swimming space. and dont forget the greens, peas cucumber and spinach. i dont know if you want fry, but you dont have to worry about being over run, the angel will see to that. all the best with the new fish, donna .

 

[afireinside]

Yeah. I don't really want a load of fry, what I'd mainly want is a few survivors. I think I'm gonna go with swordies, but I'm buying the new fish for the tank gradually over time.

 

[nmonks]

Problem with this approach is males grow faster, so you end up with a preponderance of males. Aquarium shops prefer to buy in batches of both, so they can sell them on to other people wanting to breed them.

Cheers,

Neale

Yeah. I don't really want a load of fry, what I'd mainly want is a few survivors.

 

[afireinside]

That doesn't matter to me. I have oscars if I can't sell them... lol, jk. There's an LFS near me that really doesn't get to many fish, so I think they'd gladly take them, even if it is just for free.

 

[nmonks]

If you aren't after tonnes of fry, then why not get something unusual? There are some nice rare swordtails about (e.g. X. alvarezi) as well as oddball "guppies" like the swamp guppy, Micropoecilia picta. Goodeids are an option, too, as are halfbeaks. All of these are fun to keep and there's a market for the fry because they're unusual. Local fishkeeping clubs are usually the best place to track them down. The Minnesota Aquarium Society would be the one nearest you, I imagine. They're having an auction next month, in Bloomington, MN.

http/www.mn-aquarium.org/index.html

Cheers,

Neale

 

[afireinside]

Don't get me wrong, I already knew about that and I'm going. But I got my swordies today! I got me some black ones! One isn't doing well and I may have to return her for a new one tomorrow though. Just found out she died.

Link to pictures: http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=156586

 

[magafish18]

if you cat decied get both

 

[Captain Retardo]

Died already OA? Well I guess that's what you get for buying fish from Petsmart! I have had terrible expirences from them also!

nmonks- How do you know about MAS, especially considering that you live in the UK?! It is a great society, with great auctions, though! I go on their forums, but I'll check out that link that you posted, just because I didn't know they had another site!

 

[afireinside]

...random and off topic...

I'm going back tomorrow. I might get a different type of swordie, but these are sooo cool. Maybe I'll get that same kind and another... hehehe.

 

[Captain Retardo]

Its a nice comment, let it be!!!!!

Just get one more OA, they multiply like bacteria anyway...

 

[afireinside]

I know, but the temptation is hard to resist! I haven't had this much attraction to livebearers in a long time!

 

[Captain Retardo]

I know what could fix that...CORYDORAS STERBAI!!!!! Sorry, I have too much tempatation towards them also...