Livebearers are fish that give birth to live young. This has made them desirable as aquarium pets, as has their adaptability to a variety of environments and their generally complex, vibrant color patterns.
The Livebearers species includes many well-known trade fish, including mollies, guppies, and swordtails. Most Livebearers prefer slightly hard and slightly alkaline water and can adapt to a pretty wide range of temperatures ranging from the high 60s to low 80s.
They’re peaceful fish that make excellent tankmates, provided that the other fish in the aquarium share their temperament and temperature preferences.
Livebearer fish need plentiful plant coverings, especially dense floating plants, if you want any of their young to survive to adulthood. This is due to the fact that while Livebearers species are easy to breed, they will consume their young if there aren’t enough ambient food sources available.
