adding something that will breed

[frankenfish]

when i move all my fish into the 10 gallon i'd like to add something that will make some babies. that seems like an exciting part of fish keeping that i have yet to experience. so my question is what could i add that will reproduce and not add too much to my bioload?

 

[lauraf]

You could try a trio of platies . . . .

 

[webgeek]

And Mollies too. My fav

 

[lauraf]

And Mollies too. My fav

They'd get too big for a 10g with his other stock, IMO . . . .
But mollies are lovely fish

 

[frankenfish]

so a trio of platys. thats 2 females and a male right? and once/if/when they have babies am i supposed to take them out or just leave them in and let nature run it's course? would any survive to adulthood that way?

 

[IThinkTherefore]

If the tank is planted they have a chance.

Endler's livebearers or fancy guppies (google these - there are some surprisingly cool ones! Even lyretails!) would be great reproducers and pretty as well

 

[aakaakaak]

I would second the guppies. If you have the same kind of platys I have they're almost too big for a 10g. If you're planning on keeping the babies, then absolutely, plant the heck out of your tank. Wisteria, java moss, christmas moss, etc. will do. Anything with a whole bunch of little leaves to hide in helps.

Oh, and if you can, get a breeder net to put the babies in once they are free swimming. They like to burrow and will get trapped in the gravel and die otherwise.

 

[frankenfish]

I would second the guppies. If you have the same kind of platys I have they're almost too big for a 10g. If you're planning on keeping the babies, then absolutely, plant the heck out of your tank. Wisteria, java moss, christmas moss, etc. will do. Anything with a whole bunch of little leaves to hide in helps.

Oh, and if you can, get a breeder net to put the babies in once they are free swimming. They like to burrow and will get trapped in the gravel and die otherwise.

could i take the gravel out of my current goldfish bowl and put a sponge over the filter intake and use that as a fry tank bowl thing? and could i do a mixture of fake and real plants just to make it a little easier? or is there something particular about live plants that they like?

 

[lauraf]

The one concern with guppies is that some people have had issues keeping them with bettas . . . it's a swishy tail thing . . . . .
Yeah, you could put the fry in your bowl, but it would have to be heated or in a room that stays warm enough. You can use a mix of live and fake plants to provide hiding spots for the fry, but live plants have more infusoria on them that the fry eat . . . . .

 

[frankenfish]

thats a good point i would never have thought about the betta. i just did some research and it seems like people have mixed success. should i try it with the guppies? the betta is used to being in a community tank by now and is pretty good about leaving the rest alone (sometimes he'l chase away a neon thats too close and bugs him but nothing ever violent). what do you guys think?

 

[lauraf]

Bettas seem to be really varied in personality. If you are going to try any kind of mixed stocking with a betta, just make sure you have a backup plan in case it doesn't work . . . . .

 

[frankenfish]

i really like the look of those endler's livebearers like ITT said. and it seems harder to stop them from breeding than it is to get them to. how easy is it to sell fish online? or to LFS's? i might have found a way to put some extra cash in my pocket this summer. haha

 

[Thyra]

Just remember it isn't always the betta doing the chasing and fin nipping. They apparently get the bad rap because of being called "Siamese Fighting Fish". They actually defend a rather small territory. I know for sure most tetras (not all) and angels would do the chasing. My success has been with mollies and platies. I am amazed at the colors both mollies and platies can be found.