Livebearers

Nearly every profile on this page lists a pH from 7 to 8, and most list hard water; 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. Salt is optional: the mollies and the guppy take brackish water and list it, but none of the fish here needs it.

1. 01

   Hard, alkaline water

   A pH from 7 to 8 on nearly every profile

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

   Mollies and guppies take 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 5 gallons (20 liters), the tiger endler and the blue star endler are line-bred colors of the same fish. 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, 2.8 inches (7 cm) for 15 gallons (55 liters), marked beginner and peaceful. The Mickey Mouse platy and the wagtail platy are color forms of the same fish. The swordtails are the same genus a size up: the red swordtail and the koi swordtail reach 5.9 inches (15 cm) for 24 gallons (90 liters), marked beginner. The Montezuma swordtail is the wild one, marked medium at 5.5 inches (14 cm) for 32 gallons (120 liters), with 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 same fish. The balloon molly is bred with a shortened body and swims like it. The shortfin molly is the wild species behind most of them, 4.3 inches (11 cm) for 32 gallons (120 liters), 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), and it eats every other fish on this page.