Livebearer Fish Species Profiles - Guppy, Molly, Swordtail

Here we present the livebearing fishes that are so common in the freshwater aquarium hobby. The guppy, platy, swordtail, and mollies are the mainstays of the freshwater world and the ease of breeding them has been implicated as one of the primary causes of a problem amongst fish keepers known as MTS or Multiple Tank Syndrome. This syndrome is not life threatening but it has been known to cause problems in smaller homes. Where do you put all those tanks?

Soon after getting a few of these prolific breeders, assuming you have a male and a female, you will soon have a tank full of small free swimming fry. If you have larger fish in the tank with them, these small fry will soon be eaten, even by the parents.

To successfully raise the young fish you will need a separate tank and/or a breeding trap placed in the tank. Breeding traps or breeding nets can be useful if used correctly. Unfortunately, it can be hard to determine the right time to put the pregnant female in the trap before she releases her babies. Placing her in too soon could cause her to stress. If you're serious about breeding these fish you would really need to have separate, bare bottom tanks set up so you could remove the adult female once she released the babies.

Please be responsible with your fish and keep the males and females separated, only get one gender or be prepared to deal with the large numbers of fish that will be coming your way.

Fish Species Picture Fish Scientific Name /
Common Name

Endlers Livebearer
Poecilia wingei
Endlers Livebearer

Guppy
Poecilia reticulata
Guppy

Molly Fish
Poecilia sphenops
Mollies

Platy Fish
Xiphophorus maculatus
Platy

Swordtail Picture
Xiphophorus helleri
Swordtails

Fish Species Picture	Fish Scientific Name / Common Name
	Poecilia wingei Endlers Livebearer
	Poecilia reticulata Guppy
	Poecilia sphenops Mollies
	Xiphophorus maculatus Platy
	Xiphophorus helleri Swordtails