# cold water livebearers?



## grendel9

Hi all,

I just joined the forum, and I'm in the process of setting up a tank for a couple of dojo loaches. This will be my first tank in a few years. In the past, I've kept various species of livebearers - guppies, mollies, platies, swordtails. I recently read that dojo loaches prefer colder water, so I'm going to set them up that way, but I'd like to give them some livebearer tank mates if I can. I also read that guppies can do well in cold water. Can anyone verify this? Or possibly suggest a different type of livebearer for the situation? Or tell me to forget them altogether? 

Thanks,
S.


----------



## Fishy Freak

I've kept guppys without heaters but on really cold nights, can be deaths, I wouldn't say they do well but can tolerate lower temps, if you had a heater set to low setting so tank wont get too cold it could work with them.


----------



## hXcChic22

We've always kept our dojos in tropically-heated tanks. According to loaches.com, they can be in water from 50-77 degrees. Our tanks are in the high 70s and they seem to thrive. We have a big brown dojo and two small goldens right now.


----------



## Fishy Freak

Another thought with guppys is would they be small enought to be eaten? Also would the tank have fast moving water for the loaches, Male Gyppys would find it hard to swim in that, prehaps a heater and platys or swords would be better.


----------



## fish1

Gyppys can be kept as low as 68f. / 20c.degrees


----------



## grendel9

Thanks everyone for the responses.

I know that the dojos can live at the higher temps, but it seems that they really thrive at the lower ones. I'll have a heater for safety, but if the guppies can do well at the cooler temp, I think I'll go that route. I'll try it out with just a few to start, of course.

This is such a great forum!!

S.


----------



## hXcChic22

Fishy Freak said:


> Another thought with guppys is would they be small enought to be eaten? Also would the tank have fast moving water for the loaches, Male Gyppys would find it hard to swim in that, prehaps a heater and platys or swords would be better.


Most loaches don't need fast moving water, they just like high oxygenation. There's a difference. There ARE some loaches that prefer fast moving water, like hillstreams, but that's beside the point. 

And unless you starve the poor things, I could see no reason why guppies (other than fry, possibly) would be in danger. Dojos take a long time to grow large, and even then, they're not hunters. They're bottom foragers.


----------



## Fishy Freak

Ok thanks I wasn't sure how predtory they would be.


----------



## toddnbecka

Wild-type (feeder if you can find healthy stock) guppies or endler's livebearers would be a better bet than the "fancy" guppies. There are also a number of less common livebearers that would work even better, but I have no idea what's available in Oz.


----------



## grendel9

It's interesting you mentioned wild-type guppies. My dad is a geneticist, and he has a line of wild-type in his lab and home tanks. I hadn't even thought of hitting him up for some. I'll have to do that. I think they're very cool looking; it just had not even occurred to me. And they'd be free!! Thanks for the idea! 

S.


----------

