# The Perfect Livebearer?



## Fishboydanny1 (Jun 13, 2008)

I've heard an opinion on a website that platies are the 'perfect livebearer': 

"Less aggressive and flighty than swordtails, not as vulnerable as fancy guppies, and less disease prone than mollies, platies have a lot going for them. They are beautiful fish that are available in a wide variety of colors from whites, golds, reds, blacks and even blues and in several color patterns as well. Old-timers often refer to these fish as "moons", as many had that crescent-shaped black pattern at the base of the tail; in more recent years, that pattern is often referred to as "Mickey Mouse", as in the Mousketeer hat."

Quote taken from: the AQuatics blog

what is your opinion? (it doesn't have to be one of the 'big four' as I call them)


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## eaglesfan3711 (Nov 16, 2008)

Okay so...

Guppies...not a big fan...breed too much, quite vulnerable in my opinion, however beautiful and easy for beginners. Price...moderate

Platies...Beautiful fish...Love the hifin and tux platies the best...fry are difficult to keep though Price...cheap

Mollies...Best for fry...fry are very large, grow quickly and come in many colors...adults get large which isn't great...mix colorations are very common. My favorite mollies are balloons. I think that if you get mollies, you have to get sailfins. Price...varies, some lower than other, between cheap and moderate

Swordtails...My personal favorite...however worst livebearers to keep...Adults prone to disease...fry difficult to keep...beautiful colorations...great figure...males fight often...not very prolific breeders...However, still my favorite fish by far! Price...moderate to expensive


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## Fishboydanny1 (Jun 13, 2008)

set up a tank for themselves and the fry of platies should do fine....... I raise them with guppies, without many losses..... then again i am new to platies......


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## eaglesfan3711 (Nov 16, 2008)

Nope. Seperate tank and everything...still lose them.

What I am trying is to borederline overfeed them. This procedure has kept me from losing any and it makes them grow quicker.


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## Fishboydanny1 (Jun 13, 2008)

how often do you do water changes?


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## roc-aquarium (Aug 26, 2008)

I keep A LOT of platys. I raise them as feeder fish and for use in my customers tanks. They breed readily, are hardy and look nice.

To breed the adults I've been using my own prepared food for conditioning. I place about 15-20 nightcrawlers in a blender with romaine leaves and a little water. I blend it into a real fine paste (my wife loves this). Then I mix it with plain gelatin and lay it out on a wax paper lined cookie sheet. After it sets I freeze it, then cut into 2 inch squares. The fish love them. I also feed them regular flakes, baby brine schrimp and frozen blood worms.

When the female is heavily pregnant I put her in a breeding trap in a seperate tank. I cut the bottom out of the trap so that the fry can fall directly into the tank. Many times I'll have three or four traps in a tank if I think the females will drop near the same time. 

I raise the fry in 10 and 29 gallon bare tanks with a sponge filter. 

Lots of newly hatched brine schrimp and finely crushed flakes. I usually pour cichlid flakes into a ziplock bag and rub them between my fingers until it is a powder. I feed about 4 times a day (automatic feeders are cheap and reliable). I also keep a fresh slice of zuchinni or banana in the tank with the fry so they can graze throughout the day.

I do 40-50% water changes 3-4 days a week. The fry grow quickly.


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## eaglesfan3711 (Nov 16, 2008)

Fishboydanny1 said:


> how often do you do water changes?


I did it between once and twice a week. My new way to keep them is to feed them more often. They grow quicker and they stay alive and for me, thats whats important.


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## Melvis (Aug 3, 2008)

I love platies - they were my first fish and still rank amongst my favourites. I love the variety in colour, they are sociable and inquisitive without being a nuisance in the tank. Also they gave me my first experience of raising fry. 

I've also had guppies (a bit more stupid, they don't live as long and it seems the prettier the fins, the more they get bullied in a community tank) and I currently have mollies, which are lovely.

The only problem I had with platies - and it eventually stopped me keeping them because it happened so often - is the way they decline as they get old. Movement stiffens, they get thin and gradually their spines seem to collapse. It always seems to happen to my favourite fish and it's really hard to see it happen.


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## eaglesfan3711 (Nov 16, 2008)

I have noticed that would happen. I don't know why though.


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## Melvis (Aug 3, 2008)

eaglesfan3711 said:


> I have noticed that would happen. I don't know why though.


I thought to begin with it might be a disease, but it's happened so often that I wonder whether it's something to do with the way they've been line-bred.

They're still great little fish though.


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## eaglesfan3711 (Nov 16, 2008)

Oh yes. I love the highfined the best.


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## Fishboydanny1 (Jun 13, 2008)

how about those red-eyed red velvet lyretail hifin swordtails?! Ii wsh I knew where to get one...


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## Ulli Bauer (Nov 10, 2008)

The perfect livebearer for me is one that doesn't eat shrimp as these are the main reason why I have tanks... So platies are really a no-go for me. I like Neoheterandria elegans, they ought to be the tiniest livebearer in the world. Except for the tiniest baby shrimp they are pretty harmless and display a very interesting schooling behavior.

Cheers
Ulli


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## eaglesfan3711 (Nov 16, 2008)

I have several lyretail swords but I've never seen redeyed swords before.


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