Livebearer and predator tank.

[Daan281]

Dear MFKers,

I am currently building and scaping a Red Sea Reefer 425xl and was thinking of keeping livebearers with a species that lightly predates said livebearer.

I am contemplating JDs and variatus platies for this purpose and was wondering if a pair of JDs and 20-30 variatus platies is too much for the 4x2ft footprint at around 90 gallons.

Please share your thoughts on this and experience with JDs it would help a lot.

Also i have been thinking of wild type guppies (poecilia reticulata) as alternative base for the tank with maybe c. Frenata as predator? I do not want to overstock.

I have a built refugium with full spectrum lights built in the sump of about 60 liters for housing the livebearer colony breeding stock.

Kind regards and thanks in advance,

An amateur biologist and avid fish keeper.

Daan

 

[tlindsey]

pair of JDs and 20-30 variatus platies is too much for the 4x2ft footprint at around 90 gallons.

Welcome aboard!
I personally would add no more than ten variatus platies but that's me.

 

[tlindsey]

Dear MFKers,

I am currently building and scaping a Red Sea Reefer 425xl and was thinking of keeping livebearers with a species that lightly predates said livebearer.

I am contemplating JDs and variatus platies for this purpose and was wondering if a pair of JDs and 20-30 variatus platies is too much for the 4x2ft footprint at around 90 gallons.

Please share your thoughts on this and experience with JDs it would help a lot.

Also i have been thinking of wild type guppies (poecilia reticulata) as alternative base for the tank with maybe c. Frenata as predator? I do not want to overstock.

I have a built refugium with full spectrum lights built in the sump of about 60 liters for housing the livebearer colony breeding stock.

Kind regards and thanks in advance,

An amateur biologist and avid fish keeper.

Daan

View attachment 1566674

View attachment 1566675

Nice aquascape.

 

[Deadeye]

I would go with mollies if it were me. The babies will be eaten but adults are big enough where a Dempsey won’t pay them much attention. Mine doesn’t mess with Buenos Aires tetras at all, but I haven’t tried livebearers.