Hybrids questions

[Farmdude]

I just set up a 30 gallon tank that i want to be a community tank of live bearers. I already have about a dozen guppies. I'd like to get platys, swordtails, 7 mollies too. I was warned that they will hybridize. Is that bad? Are the hybrids fertile or sterile?

 

[Mumma.of.two]

I think if you have males and females from each species they will mate with their own kind over another. If they do infact breed with each other, most think it's ok to keep them for yourself but no sell them on. The chances of it happening are fairly small.

 

[TheCrazyFishLady]

Hybridizing isn't "bad". Some feel it is unethical, but that's the only way I could see it as being "bad".

There are particular combinations of live bearers that will commonly cross and sometimes the lesser known combinations occur. I don't know the exact crosses, but I'm sure someone will say or you could Google it.

You have to keep in mind that these fish breed rather quickly and have lots of babies. So, you should under-stock or have homes for everyone. Or you could just do one sex for the entire tank.

 

[abrahamavelar]

Or keep the fry there n let some become food also u could sell them as live food

 

[Farmdude]

Thank you for your replies. I don't want to use the fry as food. I think i'll just keep guppies and 1 other breed.Maybe platys and not to many.

 

[Aron]

Platys will cross with swords readily as they are both xiphophorus. Guppies can cross with mollys as they are both poecilidae, though this is rarer.

If you are wanting to make sure they don't hybridise try guppy+platy or guppy+swordtails.

 

[Farmdude]

Thanks Aron! I never knew & that is great to know. Guppies and Platys it is!!