If you have not read my last piece on how to start a livebearer tank for breeding, well you should you can find it here

This is a list of the shortcuts you can take when breeding livebearers.

1. You don't have to cycle the tank for 4 weeks. If you dump enough Najas grass to cover half the tank, you will not need to wait 4 weeks for the bio filter to develop. Najas grass contains all the ingredients for a compleat bio filter.

2. With some fish such as Heterandria formosa or Tiger Limias, you do not need to separate the fry from the adults as well fed adults do not engage in cannibalism PLEASE RESEARCH THE FISH YOU ARE BREEDING TO MAKE SURE THIS IS SAFE.

3. If you live in a warm enough climate (100 + Fahrenheit) you may not need a heater as the water will be warm enough for some species (you might need to have some airflow on the tanks though).

4. If you have a good variety of plants in your tank you may not need to feed your fish at all as some fish (i.e. H. formosa) are perfectly content and happy eating nothing but plants. Other fish such as Gambusia affinis need a source of protein and this will not work.


Now for the list of shortcuts you can't take.

1. You need a sponge filter. A good old, air powered, archaic, sponge filter. While a power filter will clean your tank better, your tank may not be aerated well enough or worse, you will lose fry to the filter's grip.

2. You will need to dechlorinate your water. You CAN leave it chlorinated butt (and I use butt because this is a big butt)you will need to let your tank sit for AT LEAST 24 hours with nothing in it to let it gas off. Otherwise, just get a water conditioner.

3. Don't assume all livebearers are easy to keep. Some are easy and some are not. Just because you see a healthy looking molly in foggy, slimy water does not mean he is healthy. Be competent and don't assume. Just remember what happens when you assume and you'll be fine!

4. [I'll leave this open ended for some more points on both parts. If you come up with one, PM me and I'll add it!]

Thanks for the great post-very concise and informative!

I've recently taken up my freshwater aquarium hobby again, and am clueless when it comes to sponge filters. I've searched some on Google, but mostly all I get is links to where I can buy them.

I currently have a 20 gallon tank with 3 swords and 3 platys (both 2 female to 1 male). I have a power filter but I have no idea where to start with a sponge filter.

Would you mind me picking your brain for any advice/information on this topic? It would be much appreciated!!

I live in a warm climate. The problem is not that I don't need heaters. It's that in reality, I should have a chiller attached to every tank. I don't own a chiller, so I keep fish that can take the heat.

If you have a window in the room where the fish are you can use a window AC unit to chill the room. It works for me and makes the room easier to be in.

I live in Myrtle Beach, SC. and my central air quit on me on Thursday. The system won't be replaced until Tuesday.

Even though we were a few days past our latest heat wave, the tanks hit 86F by the next morning.
I had to go buy a window unit yesterday. The room temps are down to 75F and the tanks are showing 79F this afternoon. Normally the tanks are kept at 74F.

My livebearers are "Xenatoca" eiseni and Xiphophorus couchianus. I guess I'll have to wait and see how they come through this temp fluctuation.

Harry Knaub

Wow. How hot was the outside temp? Are your fish eating? If they are, try to give them some garlic fortified food to help keep them from getting sick from the stress as well as a dosage of salt.

The outside temps were about 90. They were still eating frozen daphnia and bloodworms quite heartily.
The sad thing is I had to leave early Sunday morning for a weeklong Adult Ed Academy at the College of Charleston, so I won't know how the fish are doing until Friday afternoon.

Harry Knaub

Hmm.... how big is the room? I keep my fish in a 10x10 room at 70 degrees with a window unit and most of the time it's over 100 outside during the day.

We left the college early and got back last night. I'm happy to report that all fish seem to be doing well. In fact, two of the goodieds are taking on that ping pong ball shape that they get when they're really gravid. Maybe the temp spike helped initiate breeding activity.

To respond to the previous post, the floor plan is semi open. Kitchen-dining area and living room total about 400 sq ft, plus the stairs to the second floor are open. All I was really trying to do with the window unit was keep the temperature from staying in the 80s, particularly in the vicinity of the tanks. The old HVAC system was replaced while we were away and everything is getting back to normal. But I will have to move those two X eiseni females to another tank.

Harry Knaub