Livebearers In Community Tanks

[kmur]

I see a lot of people keeping live bearers in their community tanks; And I was thinking to myself, "I don't understand how they do this and keep their stocking levels under control!" I know that, even at my very well-maintained LFS, there's always little babies all over the live bearers' tanks, especially the guppies.

Then in occurred to me, like a sack of bricks being thrown off a train - Most fish EAT other fish, if they're small enough.

I'm curious what opinions are of a pair of live breeders in a community; Whether it's helpful, harmful, or just unfruitful. Will only some other community fish eat small fry? Anyone think that's immoral? I'm all about natural diets; I occasionally buy crickets or mealworms for my rats and they have a BALL. Was wondering of a pair of guppies would have the same effect for a community, or if that's just a terrible idea and I'm missing the puzzle piece that explains why. Thanks!

 

[fluttermoth]

It's actually a quite interesting topic, this.

Some people (especially newbies, I've noticed; no offence meant to newbs ) get quite upset about fry being eaten and spend an awful lot of time catching each one and keeping it safe!

I think as you spend more years in the hobby, you get a bit...tougher, maybe? Lots of people like livebearers; they're a very popular, colourful, mostly hardy family of fish; of course people want them in their communities. Not everyone has space to grow fry on, so it's 'for the best' that most fry get eaten, really.

I don't think it's immoral; fish have evolved to have loads of babies precisly because so many of them get eaten in the wild. With the best will in the world, no-one can keep all of them; better to raise and keep just a few good fish than hundreds of runts...

I'll admit to having fed a few female guppies of my mums that never coloured up to my oscars a few times over the years But they were well fed and looked after while they were alive, and had a swift end, so it's not so bad, I don't think.