Hello xltjb (wow, suffered just typing that)
Welcome to Fishlore
Loads of us are having the same issue with our livebearers being slightly too prolific. I have the problem with my mollies in a 30G tank. For me, it's a problem for 3 reasons:
- Cant' look after all these fish
- Risk of inbreeding when a fry generation reaches adulthood
- Playing havoc with my water quality
I assume you mind for the same reasons sooooo, here's some thoughts:
- Since I leave my fry in the tank with the adults when I spot them (I used to scoop them in a nursery tank), the survival rate is way down (the parents eat them). As it seems this hasn't helped for you, perhaps you have some plants or hiding places that only the fry can get to, which is helping them survive? It may be an idea to remove these, so they're easier for the adults to catch
- I have a couple of tanks with carnivorous fish in them. If my numbers really get crazy, I'll consider dropping a few fry in these tanks to give the carnivores a good chase for their prey for once. It would mean I have a lean, closed-loop system at home, which I would find an elegant concept. I am yet to have the guts to do that, though.
- I have an arrangement with a couple of my petstores. One will take them off my hands for free, but I fear they'll all end up as feeder fish, so I hesitate. The other one will take them off me against store credit if I have about 40 of them at a time. Perhaps you could start enquiring at your store? Of course the store won't like inbred fish so the urgent thing for you now is to find a way to get rid of your oldest one, before they get a chance to mate with their parents
Ultimately, the only answer is to split the males and the females, with a minimum of 3 to 4 fish of the same gender per aquarium to avoid fights.
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