# Livebearers For a 10g



## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

So far I have four very small Panda cories in there, with plans on getting another two. The cories will never get more than 1.75" and have a small bioload so no worries there. I may put one of my girls or one of my boys in there, but never more than one betta if I do put one in (so I wouldn't try to do a sorority or anything like that). I'd love some livebearers so I can get some fry but I'm torn between guppies and platies. I'm worried the platies might get too big but some people have had bad experiences with guppies. Opinions, advice anyone?


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## bettaloverforever16 (Jan 14, 2011)

I would say guppies


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

Hehe, they're so pretty, aren't they? But I also like wagtail platies. Grr, too many choices!


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

Anyone know how often danios breed? And how easily?


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## fightergirl2710 (Jun 9, 2011)

Danios aren't live bearers, I have no idea how they breed.. Livebearers just need food and they'll breed.. lol! I gave away the mollies because, tooo many babies! I have 25 babies now X(


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## Pitluvs (Jun 22, 2011)

Ya, Danios are egg layers. And savages in the tank lol They do need more than 3-4 to keep them from pestering other fish. Mine are very territorial.

Personally, my favorite and easiest small group (in a 10gal) is my Swordtails. I just love love love them! I'm thinking of having my full 29g just for them! Platies and Mollies tend to be the same? Mine are so full of personality, such a calm fish. I have 4 females (2 red wags, 1 marigold, 1 orange) and a male (black with blue shimmer) and I adore them


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## fightergirl2710 (Jun 9, 2011)

I think swordtails are a type of platy.. Platies are cute but personally, I'm never keeping live bearers again, unless its for turtle food, my tank went haywire with the babies! The mollies ate half their fry and I still have 25 left! Lol! They need some sex ed! 
I like danios but I don't think I'd keep them with bettas.. They're total spazzes! I had some with my turtle, she grew up and ate all except one .. Tried getting it some friends but she just ate them again and I still have the same one left! Grr..


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## Pitluvs (Jun 22, 2011)

The Swords are my only live bearers, all the females are holding now. I'm just letting nature take it's course! The other fish will snack on them, I hope a few make it. But I'm not going to actually save the batch lol


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

I knew danios weren't livebearers but I had heard they bred like crazy. But I also had heard they were super hyper so I wasn't sure. Mollies and swordtails both get too big. Hmmmmm. Hehe, I can't believe your mollies multiplied faster than Handsome could eat them, Fighter.  And the poor lonely danio. 

I was thinking if the livebearers produced too much I'd chuck the adults over the fence into the neighbor's koi pond. Just kidding, not really but I do know guppies are hardy and can live outdoors in cooler temps. I had planned to raise some on the patio this year but never got around to setting a tub up.


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## Pitluvs (Jun 22, 2011)

My swords are the same size as my danios


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

They haven't grown? I thought swords got up to 4".


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## Pitluvs (Jun 22, 2011)

Mine are about 2".... not growing at all lol Here's a video of the big babies soaking up some love. You'll see the Golden Danio swim by in the back. This is my holding tank 

Pitluvs' Swordtails


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

I love the black swordtail, he looks so mysterious. Well, they do say UP TO 4" so I guess they might not necessarily get too big for what I want. But it's that possibility that they will. :/


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## Pitluvs (Jun 22, 2011)

Usually 'up to' means the largest they have been known to get in perfect conditions. I know Plecos can get to 24" but most hover at 14". I know a certain cichlid I LOVE grows to 10" but most have never seen them over 7". 

BUT I had my 5 in a 10gal with a Common pleco and 2 Danios and they and the tank did well  I'm seriously thinking of having a whole tank full, but the ones here at my LPS are sickly looking, dropping like flies.

That black male... when I brought him home he was dull and had no fins. I figured he would come here to die since he couldn't even swim to the top of the tank. 2 months later, he's vibrant and has a blue shine on his sides, and his tails are perfect  He's my fav... along with my marigold girl. My red wags are shy.


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

Well, your platies are definitely gorgeous.


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## Littlebittyfish (Jan 5, 2011)

You could go for a whole panda tank and get panda platys. haha


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

Now there's an idea, too.  Or tuxedo guppies and just pretend they're panda guppies instead.


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## fightergirl2710 (Jun 9, 2011)

Yup, Handsome is losing his skills, although I'm pretty sure I'm missing a tetra somewhere.. Guppies are pretty hardy outside.. Here, there is a campaign every monsoon to have guppies in every out door tank, well or pond.. Since they eat mosquito larvae and all that. They thrive out in the cold too and I'm sure Bombay temperatures are similar to Cali..


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

I've become a fish addict. I'm resorting to keeping fish outside because I have no room inside. Next year, anyway. I'll set up a nice big tub.


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## fightergirl2710 (Jun 9, 2011)

Hehehe you need help XD


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

No, I need more fish, hehehe. :-D


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## Tisia (Mar 15, 2011)

if you get too many you can always throw some into other betta tanks, they'll probably enjoy the live food >_>


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

Yeah, that's pretty much what I was thinking. I'll feel like a cruel person but it's nature's vicious cycle, I'm only helping. And I think the guppies will eat their own fry anyway.


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## fightergirl2710 (Jun 9, 2011)

Do guppies eat their own fry as well? I must be a very evil person then, letting Handsome nom like that XD


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## Tisia (Mar 15, 2011)

I know OFL has mentioned she keeps guppies basically as a source of live food, lol. that way you don't have to worry about parasites and such since you know they're healthy


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

Yeah, a lot of people keep them for that reason, especially if they have big cichlids.


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## TheBlueBettaFish (Jun 30, 2011)

I say guppies. Because the basically multiply, and you feed the fry to Bettas. Which they love. And keep a few to have more guppies!

MWAHAHAH! >3


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

I think I'm definitely leaning toward guppies at this point.  I'm hopefully going to the pet store to check out their selection tonight.


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## thePWNISHER (Jun 18, 2011)

guppies since live bearers for fry to feed my bettas is my next experiment then you can keep me updated before I waste my efforts :-D


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

Okay, I'm back with four guppies and two more pandas. They're all in a 3 gallon kritter keeper for QT, so hopefully only a week and I plan on doing daily water changes because I know that's kind of overloaded. I'm a little worried about the guppies and their need for extra oxygen, though. Should I put a sponge filter in or an airstone? I have an airpump and sponge filter but no airstone, easy to go get though. Wish I had a bigger tank for QT but nowhere to put it.

PWNISHER - Will do. Looks like two of the females are pregnant already. Hope they don't give birth in the kritter keeper!


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## NCPanthersgurl (Jul 13, 2011)

Guppies are relatively cheap but still very pretty. Originally I had thought of breeding them instead of Betta's. But I ended up picking Jazz and it kind of confirmed which species I'd be trying. >.<


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

I love bettas because they bond with you so much. Schooling fish like guppies don't bond really but I wanted some for color and for some fry. I figure if I practice rearing a few guppy fry, I'll be ready when I do breed bettas.


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## NCPanthersgurl (Jul 13, 2011)

Yeah, I mean, the concept is the same.

The closest pet shop to me is a local, they had 3 guppies in a tank the other day...and two little itty bitty fry. It took me a couple minutes to realize they were fry they were so tiny! But they made me even more excited for my own potential spawn. ^.^


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## thePWNISHER (Jun 18, 2011)

When you QT basically you just watch the fish for a week to see if it dies off or deteriorates for some unseen reason? I mean how do you watch all those fish at once? Did you AQ salt them or any other treatment or just basic water changes during the time frame?


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## Pitluvs (Jun 22, 2011)

Ok, I'm officially calling you guys out on this!! SHAME ON YOU!!!

Guess who's now planning a 29g Guppy tank? ME! Here I was stressing over all these types of fish and who goes where and what... when all along I should just go with the fish I have been wanting from day 1 (my 2 wag tail swords were "guppies" according to their old owner). Anyways, my friend 4 hours away is sending up new Guppies to my local friend and she breeds them. So down the road, I hope to get some from her and some from the local pet store  Time to do research!

Sakura... pictures or it didnt happen! lol


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## fightergirl2710 (Jun 9, 2011)

You uncontrollable addict, you!


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

Here they are. Sorry about the quality, they're all hanging out at the back. I'm a little worried they don't have enough oxygen but is there an airstone small enough for a 3 gallon kritter keeper? I have the air pump but no airhose.


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

Found some airhose, hooked it up, put it in. Sounds like a pot boiling. Guppies and their airpump may be sleeping in the bathroom tonight.


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## NCPanthersgurl (Jul 13, 2011)

I have a small airstone I'll be using for cleaning out my fry tank. Did you find one small enough?


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

Nope, no airstone. Just the end of the airhose in the tank. But the guppies seem to like it, they're circling around it. Panda cories might freak, though. I'll look for an airstone tomorrow.


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## NCPanthersgurl (Jul 13, 2011)

You can get ones like: http://www.amazon.com/Blue-Ribbon-B...BS9I/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1311223726&sr=8-4

I have a green one, cost me $.99 at my local. Decent enough that there'll be enough air, small enough for your tank.


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

Cute, they're so tiny! I'm going to pick some up tomorrow. Dang airpump was so noisy, I borrowed Sherman's filter - he wasn't using it anyway - and hung that on there. Had to cover the whole top with clingwrap because the lid wouldn't fit. Looks so ugly now, haha. Think I'll take the cories out tomorrow so they don't get stressed by the movement.


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## Pitluvs (Jun 22, 2011)

I love your little tuxedo one (all black mostly)!! I want pandas now too 

I'm not an addict, addicts have a problem. Sakura and I have no problem getting new fish lol


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

Haha, you said it, Pitluvs! *high five* And I love my pandas, they're so cute when they go scuttling around and shoot up to the surface to breathe.


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## Pitluvs (Jun 22, 2011)

Are they Panda Corys? I have never seen a cory in person so forgive the silly question lol

We're going with pelcos, but I may put some corys in there as well since they seem to eat different stuff.


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

Yup, panda corys. I like them because they're smaller than bronze/albino corys.


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

thePWNISHER said:


> When you QT basically you just watch the fish for a week to see if it dies off or deteriorates for some unseen reason? I mean how do you watch all those fish at once? Did you AQ salt them or any other treatment or just basic water changes during the time frame?


I usually just watch and wait and not treat them. I've put them all in one tank and I'll watch to see if any of them get sick or show signs of parasites etc. They're in a pretty small tank so it's easy to see them all, except for the cories because they hide a lot. I'll have to do daily water changes because of the small tank, though.


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## thePWNISHER (Jun 18, 2011)

Well keep watching and you have to let me know how the female betta w/ guppies experiment works next week when they all share the big pool.


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

Yup, will do.


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