Livebearer Behavior Differences?

[DiddleBug]

I was wonder if how the different livebearer kinds are different in behavior.  (Like mollies, platys, guppies, swordtails.) Are some shyer or more active?  Do they have different characteristics in personality?  I'm just curious.  I have noticed it seems molly males don't show off much-compared to guppies for instance. What do you think? 

 

[KieranBoyne]

I just asked my uncle about this, who now has a tropical tank just under 500 litres devoted to livebearers of all types and genders, except swordtails. So, this is what he said:
Mollies:
Male- More sort of out-there, a bit more active, see more of them, fly around the tank occasionally.
Female- The more laid back of the genders, just chills out a bit more.
Platys:
Male- Irritating to females I have found, the same with my uncle. Just constantly chase them around. Fights with other males sometimes aswell, more aggressive if provoked it will go for it.
Female- Just seems to look at the males like "the hell you doin"? Far more laid back.
Guppys:
Male and female- Tend to stay at the top of the tank more than the others, die off easier, less aggressive, more prone to diseases and bullying.
 
And he hasn't ever had swordtails and neither have I.
 
Hope this helped.

 

[bluesword23516]

I have noticed my male mollies are less aggressive than my male guppies.  However my females mollies seemed to have run the place, it was all about them, if anyone was a bully it was them. 

 

[DiddleBug]

Good advice.  Yes, I have noticed guppies seem to be way overbred or something nowadays.  They die very easily-or at least the ones I had did.  Thanks for your input!

 

[bluesword23516]

Mine lived for a fairly long amount of time, about 3 1/2 years. Not too bad for a guppy

 

[DiddleBug]

No, not at all.  I think it just depends on where you buy them and if the breeders are careful or not.  

 

[daizeUK]

The SeriouslyFish definition of platies says:
 
"Very peaceful and can be kept with most community species. They exhibit none of the aggression of some swordtails and mollies, and even males tolerate one another."
 
Personally I'd agree more with Kieran's description, I've got one male that constantly bullies the other.

 

[snazy]

It very much depends how and with whom they are kept.

Successful tanks: Female guppy only or female platy only. Mixed gender obviously works too but when there are a lot less males. However, I've noticed the female guppies can stand their ground from male attacks and get a bit pushy themselves around males. Female platies are always very peaceful.

Male guppy only tank is also very successful despite them showing off and chasing each other around, never had a problem with them hurting each other. They actually liked swimming in a bunch and stayed together.

Unssuccesful: Platy male only tank. One or two were the bullies, the rest the targets, to the point of the bullied ones getting sick and I had to move them out to give them a chance to recover. And this happened in a 80G tank with plenty of space to run away. Seems mine might have had some swordtail blood in them as that's typical for swordtails. Two male platies though were inseparable for years, they were like shadows for each other but when I introduced females one of the males turned against his "ex" brother and nearly bullied him to death too.

I had a very aggressive female swordtail, the first and the last.

I too have two guppies which are nearly 3 years old from my last bunch of babies. The rest 10-ish just disappeared one by one over the years. I've got platies around 4 years of age.