LIVE – BEARERS
The live bearers are best characterized by their name. They all give birth to live young that are miniature versions of their parents. Interestingly, unlike all other fish, they do not lay eggs.
These fish are members of the family Poeciliidae and come from southern North America, Central America and the Caribbean Islands. Many live near the coast, often in brackish waters. They tend to be small fish, on the order of a few inches in length, with the male often smaller and more colorful than the female. These fish have been bred in captivity for many generations, resulting in a wide variety of color strains with different kinds of finnage. There are also hybrids.
These fish do very well in the harder, more alkaline waters that come from the taps in most parts of this country. They appreciate, and some species require, the addition of a small amount of salt in their water. While they will accept any and all foods that are small enough for them to swallow, these fish are primarily carnivorous, feeding on insect larva in the wild. In fact, members of this family often play important roles in mosquito control programs. They will thrive much better if you give them a little "meat" in their diet. The popular mollies are an exception and do best with the addition of vegetable matter to the diet. They do best on a ph level of 7 - 8.
The outstanding feature of these fish is their production of live young. The fry are large and can eat within minutes of birth. They will reproduce in a community tank. However, the parents will quickly eat any young they can find. If you wish to save more than a few of the fry, steps need to be taken almost immediately after birth to separate the parents from the young. Examples : - Guppies, Mollies, Platies, Sword Tails, Endlers.
These fish are members of the family Poeciliidae and come from southern North America, Central America and the Caribbean Islands. Many live near the coast, often in brackish waters. They tend to be small fish, on the order of a few inches in length, with the male often smaller and more colorful than the female. These fish have been bred in captivity for many generations, resulting in a wide variety of color strains with different kinds of finnage. There are also hybrids.
These fish do very well in the harder, more alkaline waters that come from the taps in most parts of this country. They appreciate, and some species require, the addition of a small amount of salt in their water. While they will accept any and all foods that are small enough for them to swallow, these fish are primarily carnivorous, feeding on insect larva in the wild. In fact, members of this family often play important roles in mosquito control programs. They will thrive much better if you give them a little "meat" in their diet. The popular mollies are an exception and do best with the addition of vegetable matter to the diet. They do best on a ph level of 7 - 8.
The outstanding feature of these fish is their production of live young. The fry are large and can eat within minutes of birth. They will reproduce in a community tank. However, the parents will quickly eat any young they can find. If you wish to save more than a few of the fry, steps need to be taken almost immediately after birth to separate the parents from the young. Examples : - Guppies, Mollies, Platies, Sword Tails, Endlers.