Scarlet Livebearer

General information

These fish have black markings all over their bodies and can have a red or orange coloration, they are usually 1 inch. To keep these fish in captivity, water pH should be between 7.5 and 8.0 and water temperature should range from 64ºF to 82ºF. They prefer brackish water so a teaspoon of aquarium salt per gallon of water is recommended. The tank should have a fine gravel substrate, some algae and open areas for swimming. This species can be kept in a community tank and should be kept in groups of at least 8 with 3 females per male.

This species is omnivorous. It can be fed with dried, live or frozen foods like bloodworms and mosquito larvae.

Females are larger and wider than males.

This species breeds frequently and produces a lot of offspring, hence the name Millions Fish. To breed this species in captivity, there should be several females for each male in a heavily planted, 10 to 20 gallon tank. Pregnant females can be identified by a darkened area behind their anal fin, their gestation period is about 4 weeks. The female gives birth to fry, which means she stores the eggs inside her and they hatch inside her as well. Females are able to preserve excess viable sperm in them which means they can produce young for 6 month even if there are no males present and that mating just one time with one male is enough for her to give birth several times. Each female may produce 5-100 young. Adult should be removed to avoid eating the fry.

This species can be found in South America. It inhabits brackish water marshes, swamps and drainage ditches.