2 replies to this topic

[L Link]

Hey everyone,

I've been thinking about mosquitofish as a low maintenance species that I could keep at room temperature during the summer. If I did get some, though, I wouldn't want them to breed, as I don't particularly want to care for fry and don't want to have the them for more than a year or so, max. Any web source I look at tells me that I should have a mix of some males and mostly females. I was wondering whether it would be alright to keep a group of only one gender? I know that they are a decently social fish, and so would definitely keep them in a group, but would it be detrimental for the fish to keep a group of only males or females? Which gender would be better?

 

[centrarchid]

Successful reproduction not likely, regardless of sex ratio, unless the tank is heavily planted to point where you have hard time seeing fish. They will eat fry in a bid way.

[UncleWillie]

In my experience, the sex ratio of Gambusia (and Heterandria formosa) I encounter are heavily weighed towards females.  I rarely catch males.  So an all-male tank may be tough.  And all-female tank would be fine, but they can still produce offspring months after being separated from males.  But like Centrarchid said, successful recruitment may be limited.  I've seen Gambusia slurp down offspring of other Gambusia in the tank as soon as they are birthed.