# How Big Will They Get



## Buggy (Oct 17, 2006)

Can anyone give me an estimation on how big my fish will be when full grown?

I have:
3 fml gold dust mollies
1 ml black sailfin molly
1 ml silver molly
2 red velvet swordtails (ml/fml pair)
1 ml sunset platy
1 fml common platy
2 fml red glass barbs
1 ml black widow tetra
2 spotted corydoras (don't know sex)
2 red tailed black sharks (don't know sex)
Right now the biggest fish is the Sailfin Molly and he is about 2-2 1/2 in.

The tank is 29 gal. I think it might be a bit overstocked but I plan to move some when they get a bit bigger.
The water conditions are fine and all fish are healthy.....so far. Tank is still cycling. I've had it up and running about 4 weeks adding only a few fish at a time over the last 2 weeks. As I have been reading on this forum I realize I have made some mistakes but it's too late to do anthing about that now. I will just keep a check on the water and hope all turns out ok.

I know these are not all livebearers and I hope I won't get in trouble for posting here but I am trying to keep the community tank primarily livebearers. I'm sure the redtails and the corys will have to be moved eventually.

Anything you can tell me would be greatly appreciated. Thanks


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## Zoe (Feb 26, 2006)

Hi Buggy,

In the future, if you're posting about something not strictly livebearer-related, just post in General Freshwater 


Your livebearers (mollies, swordtails and platys) will get 3 to 4 inches long.

I am not certain about the barbs. A couple inches I would guess?

Your black tertas, about 2 inches.

*Barbs and black widow tetras are notoriously nippy. You ought to look into perhaps bringing these back to your LFS. It would downsize your bioload, also, which is a little high.

The spotted corys, about 2 inches.

Your red tailed back sharks, 4 to 5 inches. The RTBS will get more aggressive and territorial as it gets older, and will require a good fifty gallons.


I'm glad to hear your fishies are doing well. However, your tank is over stocked. We all make mistakes at the start, though  I suggest that you do some inidivual research on your fish on google.com, and determine which fish you want to / should keep, and what tank size, temperature, etc you will need to accomodate your fish.

We'll be happy to help


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## Buggy (Oct 17, 2006)

thanks for the info Zoe. The tetras and the barbs were my daughter and husbands idea. I tried to tell them it wouldn't work but you know how kids and men can be. lol j/k
I hope to get a 55 gal in the near future and move the "nippers" into it and use the 30 gal for just livebearers. My swordtail just had 30-35 fry yesterday and I'm still trying to decide what to do with them. I now have a gold dust molly in isolation about to give birth so I will really be up a (fish) creek without a paddle. lol

Are platies, mollies, and guppies the only livebearers that can be kept in a community tank?


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## Zoe (Feb 26, 2006)

There are other livebeares... Endler's Livebeares come to mind. And Swordtails. And Balloon mollies and other molly variations.

But please don't forget that except for the endlers and guppies, livebearers can grow to 3 to 4 inches long. A 30 gallon tank could comfortably accomodate 10 such fish, but not more.

As for the fry, your LFS may take them in exchange for store credit. I personally give them away on freecycle sites


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## Buggy (Oct 17, 2006)

I don't have many lfs in my area (very small community) but I will call around and see if any will take the fry. I didn't know about the freecycle sites. Do you have any sites in mind you could point me too?


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## Puffer Pita (Jun 16, 2006)

Even in a 55, you're likely to have issues with the sharks. They do get extremely aggressive and territorial, especially with others of their own kind or same body shape. Also, make sure there are at least two cave-type structures for them, more is better.

With a mix of male and female livebearers, you are going to have quite a few mixed breeds there. Those particular types can and do cross-breed. In general, with livebearers, as with most other types, its best to have a 2f/1m ratio. The more females the better, as it will keep the males' harassment spread out.


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## Zoe (Feb 26, 2006)

I use kijiji.com - there may be a section for your area. Also, newspaper classifieds, ads on power poles.

But as BoxerMom stated, you may end up with hybrids. You may want to consider using them as feeders for your other fish?


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## Buggy (Oct 17, 2006)

I found out about the 3:1 thing the hard way. My two male mollies ran my poor little female golddust like crazy til I got two more females. I put my first two mommas in a trap tank to have the babies just so I could observe. I think from now on I will just let them have them in the main tank so nature will keep down the overgrowth. The ones that survive maybe I can give them away.
thanks for the site info Zoe. I'll check it out and also be on the lookout for other sources.


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