As a rule, beginners prefer to have livebearers aquarium fish. They are unpretentious, hardy, and ideal for those who are just diving into the world of aquariums.

Interesting: Among viviparous aquarium fish, Guppies are considered the hardest.

What is the difference?

The main difference between viviparous fish is in the process of the emergence of new life. In this case, the eggs are not deposited in the water, and remain inside the female. There, inside the eggs, they are fertilized, remaining until the embryo completes development. After that, the fry comes out of the caviar and the birth process takes place. Usually, such fish are called oviparous.

There is also a different development of the embryo, which receives the necessary nutrients not from caviar, but through a system similar to the placenta. They are called placental livebearers.

Caring for livebearing fish

In most cases, viviparous fish are gregarious. For them, it is necessary to provide spacious conditions, counting 0,44-1,1 gallon (2-5 liters) per adult. It is necessary to have dense vegetation so that the female can sometimes hide from suitors. For the beauty of the underwater world, it does not hurt to get high-quality lighting.

In nature, animals live in stagnant reservoirs or with a very weak current. Therefore, it is recommended to provide pets with aeration and filtration. Be sure to make sure that the filter does not interfere with the fry.
The optimal water temperature for livebearers aquarium fish is 68-82,4 F or 20-28 degrees Celsius. To provide the animals with warm water, you will have to get a heater with automatic start.

As for feeding, there must be vegetation in the diet. For proper growth and development, you need a balanced diet consisting of all types of feed. It is useful to add scalded vegetables. Grown-up individuals are fed 1 time a day, the young ones require enhanced nutrition at least 5 times.

Otherwise, such fish are very hardy. The main thing is to populate the optimal number of males and females (1 male + several females) to eliminate rivalry and fights. Water is replaced once a week, a quarter of the volume is replaced. However, if the owner leaves, or for some other reason cannot make care, the fish perfectly tolerate the cold water.

Reproduction of viviparous fish

How to distinguish male from female:

• Males have gonopodium. This is the anal fin, which acts as a sexual organ, inseminating the female;
• They are smaller in size;
• Their color is bright and colorful.

These fish are very prolific. At one time, the female gives birth to up to two hundred babies. At three months, puberty occurs, and the fish is ready for fertilization. The peculiarity is that after bearing eggs, not all fry are born, but only a part of the eggs. The rest remains in the abdomen, and over the next six months it can produce young again without repeated fertilization. A sign that the female will soon give birth is a darkening near the anus.

First of all, the fry tend to the surface to fill the swim bladder with air. They are growing very actively, and are able to eat ordinary food, ground into powder, for the next day.

In order to protect the newly born young from the aggressive behavior of adults, there must be dense vegetation in the aquarium so that they have somewhere to hide. You should also feed your pets abundantly to prevent eating fry.

Popular livebearers

Peciliaceae and Gambusiaceae. In nature, fish live in the south and north of America. The main diet is larvae of flies, mosquitoes and other live food. They have an uneven color, which shimmers from olive to blue and silver with black specks. The body size is 1.57-2.76 inches (4-7 cm), and the life expectancy is about two years.

Swordtails. They can be easily recognized by the elongated arrow on the tail fin in the form of a sword. Its natural habitat is the reservoirs of Central America. Xiphophorus can be crossed with pecilia, getting hybrids with an unpredictable color, and possibly two swords on the tail.

Mollies. Very popular with beginners. They immediately attract the eye with their bright color, since the colors can be from black, burgundy, silver and golden to leopard.

Guppy. Well-known fish with a gorgeous fan tail and bright coloring. They are very unpretentious and hardy, multiply quickly, without requiring special conditions. In many cases, the first fish for beginners are precisely guppies, which at first glance attract with their luxurious tail fin, mesmerizing with its smooth movements.

Ameka Glossy. It has a silver color with a dark yellow edging of the tail and dark spots on the body in females. In adult males, a metallic green tint appears near the tail, and the abdomen acquires an orange hue.