What is the difference between platies and swordtails

The only thing I know was that mollies do eat algae and they have unique jaws. I don't know much about the rest. If anyone can teach me that would be much appreciated. Mollies do best with salt in the water. Swords are more aggressive with each other than platies.

Platies are fairly easy going fish. With all live bearers you want at least two females for each male. Click to expand Swords only really get aggressive with each other when there's more then 1 male and not enough females, or the tank is to small.

My swordtail is pregnant but a total dink to my two platies! Sorry for bumping 4 days old thread up. I don't know which Swordtail you are mentioning, but mine are they call them Panda Swordtails. I have them Platies, Mollies, Swordtails, and Guppies exactly in the same tank, and it has been running for 11 months.

They are doing good so far. My Swordtails came in pair, they are the largest and they dominate the food. But I always make sure everyone eats and is fed well. Mollies do eat algae, but when there's regular fish food , they won't eat algae as much as before. And Mollies are not so effective to demolish algae, especially with the size of your tank. My Platties are cool, no threats given or taken. Good luck. PS: Mine has no special requirements.

Just some thick plants if you wish for their fries. I just want to clear something up, Mollies do not require salt in their water. They can and will survive in fresh water. Platies are pretty peaceful but some males will be very attached to the females. I have one tank with one male and 5 females and he pesters every single one of them.

Male Swords will be aggressive to eachother. I had 2 in a 55 gallon and it still wasn't big enough, I had to re home one of them. Also Swords will impregnate female platies, so if you don't want fry make sure you pick your fish carefully! PS: If you have a tank that size and have a decent amount of cover and have male and females you will have ALOT of fry. Mollies get big, and have a high bioload, so make sure you have GOOD filtration on the tank.

I personally wouldn't mix the sexes unless you want lots of fry. NoRp said:. OldMan47 Livebearer fanatic Retired Moderator. Guppies and mollies have been bred and do produce viable fry. I am not a fan of them but it can be done. There are very few livebearers that you will find in the LFS because the less common livebearers do not have the selling appeal of the guppies, platies, mollies and swords.

There are lots of other very nice wild type livebearers, including the group called goodeids and lots of platy, molly, limias and swordtail wild types that are almost never seen in the local shops. I would say they are never seen except that there is an exception to every rule. In the case of my local fish shops, there may be a few goodeids, or Heterandria formosa or even wild type swordtails in the shops in the next few months because it is time for me to share some of my fish with the non-specialist fish keepers.

If you join your local club and attend the club auctions and similar functions, you will soon find that less common fish are available locally. Those fish are often in excellent condition and can be easily made comfortable in your tank because they came from water that is quite similar to your own. If you take the time to consider the fish's needs and try to adapt your tank to their needs, you may well find yourself with a surplus of "rare" fish that you would like to share with other fish keepers who have similar interests.

In my case, I have fish that are "extinct in the wild" and "endangered or threatened" species. These are delightful fish that are easy to keep and breed but have the distinct disadvantage of coming from an environment that is being destroyed by human actions. I find a certain satisfaction in helping these very nice fish species survive by giving them my artificial environment where they can thrive.

I am not a beginner fish keeper so I have some confidence when I take in one of these needy species and give them a home to breed and expand in. You must log in or register to reply here. Most reactions Latest Discussions K.

Kirsty90 27 minutes ago New to the Hobby Questions and Answers. Replies 2 Views I either saw the scariest thing, or the most satisfying thing Today at AM Rocky Gourami sex? Replies 0 Views Today at AM Kirsty Can someone help? Kirsty90 Today at AM Livebearers. Replies 7 Views Good afternoon. Replies 4 Views Today at AM JennySolano.

How to transport a lot of fish? Fish Forums - Photos and Videos. The preferred PH levels for nonbreeding livebearers is 6. This is a fairly neutral PH. In order to induce breeding in livebearers reducing the PH to 5. Natural sunlight is always ideal for fish. It provides indirect sunlight. Otherwise, this will not only overheat the tank but also cause algae blooms, of both diatoms and green algae.

Both diatoms and green algae reduce the beauty of the tank, are not very easy to clean out and might result in your beloved livebearers to get lower levels of dissolved oxygen in the water. Algae, diatoms, and green varieties are aquatic lifeforms and tend to also deplete the nutrients from the water, which can be detrimental to the well being of your livebearers in the long run.

Xiphophorus breeds take on an average of 6 to 8 weeks to become mature enough to procreate. Poecilia breeds take approximately 12 — 16 weeks to reach the fertilization stage in their life. On average the gestation period for all livebearers is 4 weeks however, this can also depend on the environment, diet, and water conditions as well as stress levels.

An easy way to induce the breeding cycle in livebearers is to introduce cleaned and sterilized cubes of bloodworms to their diet when you wish for them to breed. Keep in mind that tubifex worms should be avoided as they are a major cause of intestinal issues. Since livebearers are fairly hardy fish, it is possible to reduce the PH during a short duration. You can choose between the 2 following methods. The first is a natural method to use the tannins in driftwood to lower the PH of the tank.

To do this, you have to use thoroughly cleaned, semi soaked aquarium bought driftwood and place it in the tank for a few days. The driftwood can remain in the tank as a permanent decoration and hideout, but make sure to monitor the PH levels using a test kit sold online or in aquarium shops.

The second way to lower the PH is to use a PH buffering liquid. Choose a safe brand such as Seachem or API. Ensure that you follow the instructions on the pack, do not overdose the tank with the PH buffer. And keep a steady watch on the PH using a test kit. Many hobbyists choose to alter the PH to breed livebearers.

However, it should be noted that a steady PH is always better than volatile levels. Ideally, you will need a heater if your room temperature is 4 degrees above the desired aquarium temperature. Filtration, as well as aeration, is a must for raising healthy fish, especially platies and mollies.

Remember to feed your guppies, mollies, platies, swordtails and other livebearers in limit twice a day. These crucial steps in helping your fish thrive and not merely survive.