[DishyFishy]

I was thinking of getting some endlers and crs but have never had livebearers before. Will they eat their own eggs or will I definitely end up with more fish?? Or is there anything I could add in that would eat their eggs?

 

[BBradbury]

Good morning...

I believe someone is "pulling your leg". Livebearers are just that. They give birth to live little ones. The fry come out swimming. There are no eggs.

B

 

[DishyFishy]

Oh wow, the guy at the lfs said "they will eat their eggs" ... I think next time I will talk to someone other than that guy!! lmao..

 

[In2wishin]

Most livebearers will eat their fry. If you don't want a population explosion just let them be. If you do want some fry to survive, either get a breeding box/net or make sure you have plenty of plants. Floating plants or others that reach close to the surface are best.

 

[wendyjo]

They do eat their own fry, but some will survive and eventually your tank could become overstocked. I'd suggest getting only males if you don't want to deal with fry.

 

[BBradbury]

Hello again Dishy...

If you go with Endlers or Fancy Guppies, it would be best to get females only. The females will already be pregnant, so you'll soon have fry in the tank. If you get males too, then they'll constantly harrass the females. Once the fry grow out, you'll have plenty of males to keep your tank well stocked. Get some Water sprite and float this plant in your tank. The fry will swim to the Sprite for cover and the plant is good nutrition for the adult fish too.

I have several large tanks of Fancy Guppies and keep all the fish together. Once you have fry in the tank, just feed all your fish more often. Well fed adults seldom bother the fry.

B

 

[mgamer20o0]

and a side note they will go after the shrimp and at least eat some of the baby shrimp as well. a natural food source right there.

 

[DishyFishy]

Ok thanks, I think I'll just pick all females or all males then. Are you sure they bother shrimp, they were in the same tank as shrimp at the LFS and seemed not to care about the shrimp.

 

[CKJ]

I think endlers are really alot better about not eating their young. And and most fish will go after anything that they can fit in their mouths. Endlers are pretty small but they can pick on a shrimp enough to where it dies and then eat it or eat the babies possibly but then as far as the shrimp and shrimp babies and fish babies go if you have enough cover all can co exist pretty good.

I suggest water sprite and alot of java moss.

 

[wendyjo]

If you get all females and they are already pregnant then you are still gonna end up with males and more babies. If you want to totally avoid fry you need to get all males.

 

[DishyFishy]

I think endlers are really alot better about not eating their young. And and most fish will go after anything that they can fit in their mouths. Endlers are pretty small but they can pick on a shrimp enough to where it dies and then eat it or eat the babies possibly but then as far as the shrimp and shrimp babies and fish babies go if you have enough cover all can co exist pretty good.

I suggest water sprite and alot of java moss.

Ok I already have java moss and plan on having it pretty heavily planted, but if the shrimp are hiding all the time I won't get to enjoy them so I may re-think the endlers.

If you get all females and they are already pregnant then you are still gonna end up with males and more babies. If you want to totally avoid fry you need to get all males.

Thanks, will definitely remember that.

 

[somewhatshocked]

I don't think, and this is just from my experience, you'll lose too many shrimplets if you've definitely got mosses and floaters and such for them to hide in. I've got both Endlers and shrimp in tanks ranging from 5.5 to 350 gallons and don't notice many losses.

If you've got fewer than 20 Endlers, there's no way they could eat more than a shrimplet every day or two. And we all know cherries breed like flies/bunnies/roaches.

 

[DishyFishy]

I guess it'd be a good form of population control then Especially since it's gonna be a nano

 

[CKJ]

Endlers are way smaller than guppies. Endlers if well fed may not go after babies and shrimp where guppies I think might go after babies and shrimpies anyway. lol

Good luck to you!

 

[jasonpatterson]

I guess it'd be a good form of population control then Especially since it's gonna be a nano

Depending on how nano a nano you're talking about, it won't take too many fish, even little endlers, to get overstocked. With shrimp included, you'll have to keep on top of the population to avoid potential problems.

 

[somewhatshocked]

Shrimp bioload = nil. Endler bioload = next to nothing. Unless you're getting into 15-20 in, say, an ADA Mini M. Then you have to start being really careful because I think that's pushing limits.

I've currently got about 10 Endlers and 200ish cherries in a 5.5gal and have zero problems. That's not to say this is the case for everyone.