need help identify ?? fish

[bear78]

just got these at lfs today i think some r mollies supposed to be feeder guppies but i really cant tell whats what in this mess of fish. i seen what i think is a sword tail and a couple of red mollies but really unsure what they r. i got these to feed my common snapping turtle i am hoping that they will breed so i dont have to buy anymore for awhile. thanks in advance for any help.

[Toirtis]

Its a mess of different colour swordtails (male and female), and I can see some other fish in the upper right-hand corner of the second picture, but am not sure what it is, as I can see only the head.

Your snapper must be pretty small if he bothers with fish that small.

[Rach101]

Swotdail.. maybe a platy or two.. they'll breed like rabbits

[Rach101]

swordtail*

[bear78]

ya he is really small considering how big he will get. lol. hes only bout 3 1/2 inch. shell wise that is. for now hes comfy in a 10 gal. but plan on buyin a 20 long before to long. and then eventually a 55. and maybe bigger one later. im really hopin that they will breed like rabits cuz thats why i got them. the lfs suggested that i buy common goldfish for him to eat but hes in a warmer tank than i think the goldfish would like. besides i know nothing bout breeding goldfish. and its pretty easy to breed most livebearers i have seen one swordtale in the bunch. but i really that that they were mollies. some of the really tiny ones look like a funky cross between a guppy and a neon, not sure if thats possible.

[Toirtis]

Originally Posted by bear78

ya he is really small considering how big he will get. lol. hes only bout 3 1/2 inch. shell wise that is.

That is small...the one I have in my rescue currently is 12", and the last one I had in the rescue is now apparently 18" and still growing. My snapper is eating large smelts right now.

[RoK]

Yeah, they're platies and swordtails.

[bear78]

i saved my snapper from my job he was covered in coolant some how he had climbed in some. took him and washed him off an took him home and hes been very healthy ever since. kids really love him dont know what im gonna do if he gets to big. ive heard they can get as big as 3 ft. top shell to bottom. any idea if this is true?
platies and swordtails is the decision is it. my lfs has their platies and swords for alot more than what i paid for these guys. 29 cents apiece. not to bad.

[Toirtis]

Common snappers typically max-out at 18"-22", which, with a possible mass of 60lbs, is no small turtle....it is their cousin, the alligator snapping turtle, that can exceed 3' carapace length.

[Rach101]

Do you have any turtle reserves near your place?
We had a turtle that was getting to big so we gave it to, basicly, a turtle zoo. We could come see him as much as we wanted etc.

[bear78]

there r no turtle rescue around here im not too worried about that cuz me and him r doin just fine and i do realize how big he will eventually get and that is not a problem. im not the type of person to bite off more then i can chew. here r some pics of him.

[JohnPaul]

Originally Posted by bear78

some of the really tiny ones look like a funky cross between a guppy and a neon, not sure if thats possible.

Very close! Probably a cross between a guppy and an Endler's Livebearer. Endler's are fascinating fish, bright like neons but typically different colors (often see mixes of orange, turquoise, black, etc.), and very tiny...1" length would be HUGE for an Endler, and males often remain smaller than that.

There is a lot of debate in aquarium circles as to whether the Endler is its own species or actaully a really bizarre variant of the guppy. They certainly can crossbreed, and when they do the fish that result are often very beautiful looking but themselves are sterile (thus arguing they are two different species). A crossbreed between the two also "kills" the bloodlines which would then result in the fish being relegated to the status of feeder fish.

There's a nice little article on Endler's here. And some great shots in the gallery at http://www.endlerslivebearer.com

[bear78]

i wish i would have gottin a pic of them before they went into the turtle tank. im sure that ill wind up gettin some more of them. they all looked like fry thats how small they were. i put 15 in the tank and only 1 remains but he looks like a plain ole guppy.