Bre_B
Fish Fanatic
careful with guppies. they breed like crazy. get all of one gender or else youll be overstocked in a snap hahah.
Shall I Give Up?!
- Thread starter Something Fishy
- Start date
grumpymole
Fishaholic
guppys can change sex though so basicly if you get 2 guppys of any sex then you will end up with roughly 100 by the end of the week
dwarfgourami
Fish Connoisseur
Really? Are you sure? Young male guppy fry do not show their gonopodium until they hit puberty, so may be mistaken for females, but I have never heard a substantiated case of mature guppies changing sex. And they are not usually sold too young to be sexed.
More of a problem is that female guppies can store sperm from previous mating, so if you get females only they may already be pregnant from the shop.
Very important if going for livebearers is to get the gender ratio right for a peaceful tank. Either at least 2-3 females per male or one sex only; otherwise you will have aggression. If you buy males, try to get the strongest-looking ones, with the biggest bodies.
40 ltrs is about 10 US gallons. In a tank that size you should be able to house 7-8 male guppies. Or 5 females. Or a small group of platies which are hardier (same gender ratios apply).
My 40L tank is one of my favourites. I have 3 sparkling gourami and a male dwarf gourami in there and loads of plants. I also had 3 platys in there for a while but I moved them into another tank to give the fry a chance of surviving. (Dwarf gourami fiendish fry eater!)
You could probably get a lot of pleasure out of your 40L if you didn't have the danios in it. Good luck.
You could probably get a lot of pleasure out of your 40L if you didn't have the danios in it. Good luck.
shiftingsands
Fish Fanatic
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How about 3 or 4 male guppies, and 2 or 3 female platies. Get some really pretty ones, both types can have stunning and quite individual colouring, so wait for ones that really knock your eye out. If you get single sex of both species then you wont be over run with fry. These are both really easy fish, get them young and they will all get on fine. You may get one male guppy who bullies the others, if that happens take one back and try another one, but they should be ok. There may be room for a small bottom feeder too, if you get a type thats happy on its own.
Something Fishy
New Member
Many Thanks for all your help ... I think really I should rehome my guppies :0( and get some confidence back with some other fish ... I like the sound of male guppies & female platies. I don't think I'm quite up to dealing with fish fry yet !!!
Hi Something Fishy 
Please don't give up yet. At this point you have just started out on a wonderful hobby that can give you pleasure for the rest of your life.
It would be a shame to get discouraged and end it now! 
A 40 liter tank is about the equivalent of a 10 USG tank, and is great for many things, but while it is often sold as a "starter" tank, it is way to small to house a peaceful community composed of a nice variety of peaceful fish. True, it can do this, but only when the fishkeeper has enough experience and/or guidance to set it up just right. The average beginner, or anyone else who can be sold danios to stock it, does not have the knowledge to make it a success.
That said, if you move up to a larger tank now, you will benefit from all the experience you have gained so far, and also have a head start on the cycling process, from the beneficial bacteria you have been cultivating in your small tank.
A larger tank is usually easier to manage provided it is stocked right. This can mean many things to different people, but if you are looking to set up what is commonly called a "peaceful community tank," you will want to look for an assortment of fish that are, more or less the same size, and do not conflict with each other's territories.
You might want some (always peaceful) corys to add interest to the bottom of the tank. Platys are colorful and peaceful and a few of them swimming all around will add cheer. A nice school of peaceful tetras, such as glowlight tetras, are another good addition for the middle area. There are many kinds of tetras who would be as nice. If the tank is large enough, you might want to think about adding a top dwelling fish or two, such as a pair of small gouramis. Other additions such as otos, snails, kuhlii loaches, etc. can add a variety of shapes, colors and sizes, but are all peaceful and never cause conflict.
With a little research ahead of time, you will surely find that a 3 or 4 foot tank, (30 to 55 USG) will be a joy to set up and it will be no harder to keep up the routine chores involved than a smaller, more crowded tank.
Please don't give up yet. At this point you have just started out on a wonderful hobby that can give you pleasure for the rest of your life.
It would be a shame to get discouraged and end it now! A 40 liter tank is about the equivalent of a 10 USG tank, and is great for many things, but while it is often sold as a "starter" tank, it is way to small to house a peaceful community composed of a nice variety of peaceful fish. True, it can do this, but only when the fishkeeper has enough experience and/or guidance to set it up just right. The average beginner, or anyone else who can be sold danios to stock it, does not have the knowledge to make it a success.
That said, if you move up to a larger tank now, you will benefit from all the experience you have gained so far, and also have a head start on the cycling process, from the beneficial bacteria you have been cultivating in your small tank.
A larger tank is usually easier to manage provided it is stocked right. This can mean many things to different people, but if you are looking to set up what is commonly called a "peaceful community tank," you will want to look for an assortment of fish that are, more or less the same size, and do not conflict with each other's territories.
You might want some (always peaceful) corys to add interest to the bottom of the tank. Platys are colorful and peaceful and a few of them swimming all around will add cheer. A nice school of peaceful tetras, such as glowlight tetras, are another good addition for the middle area. There are many kinds of tetras who would be as nice. If the tank is large enough, you might want to think about adding a top dwelling fish or two, such as a pair of small gouramis. Other additions such as otos, snails, kuhlii loaches, etc. can add a variety of shapes, colors and sizes, but are all peaceful and never cause conflict.
With a little research ahead of time, you will surely find that a 3 or 4 foot tank, (30 to 55 USG) will be a joy to set up and it will be no harder to keep up the routine chores involved than a smaller, more crowded tank.
Bigger tanks are much easier than small tanks. With small tanks you will need to be very careful what you have in the tank. Some fish simply don't belong together. A larger tank will give you the options of variety that a small tank just can't. Investigate the needs and the proper conditions of a species of fish before you buy it.
If you decide to get a bigger tank, you can use the smaller tank to quarantine fish. I have small tanks with fry, quarantined fish from the LFS, and breeding pairs. A smaller tank with a larger tank will give you plenty of options and you won't risk bringing disease to a larger tank if you quarantine new fish for a few weeks.
I also have one 10 US gallon tank with loads of plants. I use the tank to quarantine new fish; and grow plants for my larger aquariums since it is easier to light the small tank (another story, and I digress).
Don't be discouraged, there is untold pleasure waiting for you with fish if you don't give up.
I like Platties and there are a variety of colors and patterns if you decide to only have the 40 litre tank. Guppies are also beautiful but not as hardy as platties. I've heard good things about endlers, although I haven't been able to find any locally. I will certainly get some if I see them.
Remember, with any livebearer, get same sex fish or you will be over run with fry before you know it.
A few small plants like java moss or java fern will also help the fish to be more comfortable.
Bryan
grumpymole
Fishaholic
someone at lfs told me.
at a young age they rapidly change sex until they grow older and establish thier sex.
i questioned this too though....
dwarfgourami
Fish Connoisseur
someone at lfs told me.
at a young age they rapidly change sex until they grow older and establish thier sex.
i questioned this too though....
I doubt that very much. IME by the time guppies are a few months old they will either have developed a gonopodium or a small gravid spot. I've never seen one change and lose a gonopodium once it had it or exchange its gravid spot for a gonopodium. Somebody might have been misled by the fact that young males' anal fins look like those of females until they start turning pointed. But we don't say that young human girls change sex when they develop breasts at puberty.
There has been some talk of female swordtails growing a tail under certain circumstances, but it is not clear to me that this actually means they turn into males (i.e. start producing sperm).
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