Alessa

Ok.. since my 28 gal tank is FINALLY cycled with 2 fishes and 2 snails I was thinking of getting some guppies.

I think it does not matter anymore since the tank is cycled, but when I first went to the store to get my very first fishes, after reading a lot online about guppies being hardy, I asked the store employee for a guppy and she said: "since it is a new tank, it should be very unstable... guppies arent hardy at all and their water needs to be nearly perfect for them to survive"

just for curiosity... are they hardy or not?

TFA101

I'd (for once) have to agree with the employee. Their tails (especially males') are very sensitive to water conditions. Plus, you should only have one genus of the live bearer family in your tank. According to your info, you have a platy. This is because live bearers have a habit of interbreeding.

Alessa

and if they are only guys? will they fight? (male platies and male guppies?)

joy613

Guppys have been interbred so much that they aren't as hardy as they once was. I have thought about getting guppies, but have decided if I was going to go with livebearer in my new 40 I would go with endlers. They do interbreed with guppies readily but aren't that easy to get my hands on locally. I have one big angel in there that would take care of any over population problems I might have.

ninilie

Get some pregnant females and keep the fry. I found if the guppies are raised in my tank they are very hardy. Its those petstore fish that are stressed.

Bindel2303

Feeder guppies I have noticed to be pretty hardy, and cheaper. Only thing is they do not have quite as fancy colors. However I got two feeder males and they are Endler highbreeds and have fantastic color. The one looked gray when I got him but they can change their colors and he has brightened up a lot, but he's different everyday.

Also with a couple feeders if you wanted to grow your own, like someone suggested, this would be easy because pretty much any you female you buy will be pregnant. Although the one thing you have to be careful about is illness. Feeder tanks are notorious for illness so if you do go this rout you definitely want to make sure and quarantine them first.

Alessa

thanks for the advice guys one more question though: how many babies do they ussually have?

TFA101

for me, the average was about twelve per spawning. But I've read up to 200 fry can be born in a few days.

Fish Addict

I think they can be pretty hardy. My friend's brother got two when he was in fifth grade, and now it has a tankfull when he's in college, all from that one pair...

Bindel2303

I've heard avrages of 20-40 but since I've recently come in to guppies I've only had them have around 10-15, however there may have been some hiding in the gravel or eaten by the other fish.

Fishies-for-me

There are a few different factors that determine how many fry. The age and size of the female. I have some very large females that have about 50 ...when I was a kid I had large older females that would have 100...smaller babies come in bigger litters too. Larger babies are usually smaller litters. ..Feeder guppies have small litters...I had them and would find 2 -5 babies every few days from a dozen or so guppies...Good Luck.