Livebearers

Most profiles on this page list a pH around 7 to 8 and hard water. The guppy, Endler's livebearer and least killifish top out at pH 7.5 to 7.8. The blackbelly limia, the scarlet livebearer and the giant sailfin and liberty mollies start at 7.5. A livebearer in soft, acidic water fades and sickens. Males chase females all day, so the usual ratio is one male to two or three females, or all males and no fry. Fry arrive every four to six weeks and a tank of guppies or platies fills itself, which is either the point or the problem. Most mollies take brackish water and list it, and so do the guppy, Endler's livebearer, least killifish, scarlet livebearer and melanzona guppy. The Pacific, Amazon, southern and dwarf mollies list freshwater only. Salt is optional, since none of the fish here needs it.

1. 01

   Hard, alkaline water

   A pH around 7 to 8 on most profiles

2. 02

   More females than males

   One male to two or three females, or all males

3. 03

   Fry every month

   A tank of livebearers fills itself

4. 04

   Salt is optional

   Most mollies, the guppies and a few others list brackish water, none needs it

The guppy forms in the catalog are one species with the same care: the cobra guppy carries a snakeskin pattern, the Moscow guppy is a solid metallic color, the tuxedo guppy is dark behind and pale in front. All list 13 gallons (50 liters). The endlers are smaller and wilder. The black bar endler is the classic form at 1.6 inches (4 cm) for 10 gallons (38 liters). The blue star endler descends from a separate wild population, caught at Campoma in Venezuela. The tiger endler is a line bred from a cross between endlers and guppies, so it counts as a hybrid. Guppies and endlers are close enough to interbreed, so a mixed tank produces hybrids.

The variable platy and the southern platy are the two species behind every platy in the shops. Both reach 2.8 inches (7 cm) and are marked beginner and peaceful. The southern platy lists 10 gallons (38 liters) and the variable platy 15 gallons (55 liters). The Mickey Mouse platy and the wagtail platy are pattern forms of the southern platy. The Mickey Mouse platy carries a mark at the tail base, and the wagtail platy has black fins. The swordtails are the same genus, and most are a size up. The red swordtail and the koi swordtail reach 5.9 inches (15 cm) for 20 gallons (76 liters), marked beginner. The pygmy swordtail is smaller than a platy at 1.6 inches (4 cm). The Montezuma swordtail is one of several wild swordtails here, marked medium at 5.5 inches (14 cm) for 32 gallons (120 liters). It has the longest sword of any.

The black molly and the dalmatian molly are 4.7 inches (12 cm) for 24 gallons (90 liters), marked easy and mostly peaceful, and both list brackish water as well as fresh. The giant sailfin molly is the big one at 5.9 inches (15 cm) for 30 gallons (113 liters), marked medium, and it wants a pH from 7.5 to 8.5 and a male with room to show the fin. The lyretail molly is a fin form of the black molly. The balloon molly is bred with a shortened body and swims like it. Most trade mollies come from Poecilia sphenops, the black molly's species, crossed with the sailfin molly. The shortfin molly here is Poecilia mexicana, a separate wild species. It reaches 4.3 inches (11 cm) for 32 gallons (120 liters) and is marked easy and peaceful.

The blackbelly limia is 2.4 inches (6 cm) for 16 gallons (60 liters), marked easy and peaceful, for hard water at a pH from 7.5 to 8.5. The merry widow livebearer is 2.5 inches (6.4 cm) for the same tank, marked easy, with a black-edged dorsal on the male. The porthole livebearer is marked beginner at 3.5 inches (9 cm) for 11 gallons (40 liters). The dwarf livebearer is 1 inch (2.5 cm) for 5 gallons (20 liters), marked easy. The blue-eyed livebearer is 2.8 inches (7 cm) for 24 gallons (90 liters), marked medium. The pike topminnow is the predator of the family, 7.9 inches (20 cm) for 44 gallons (165 liters). It eats any fish that fits its mouth, up to about half its own length. Keep it alone or with robust fish close to its size.