Swordtail

[fishlover25]

How long does it take for a sword to matures. i have 3 of them. they are about 4months old and i dont see a sword for any. how do i know when they will be able to be put with the bigger fish. How can i make a sword to be a male? century gothic]How long does it take for a sword to matures. i have 3 of them. they are about 4months old and i dont see a sword for any. how do i know when they will be able to be put with the bigger fish. How can i make a sword to be a male?[/

 

[Coyote]

My male swordtails started developing gonopodiums around 3 month old. The "swords" started growing after gonopodiums developed.
As nonamethefish said in the previous thread, those swordtails that you can't tell their gender now may be late bloomers.

When your little fish is bigger than a mouth of your big fish, it should be ok to release the little fish to the community tank.

 

[colesea]

You cannot make a swordtail be male, that is only for genetics to decide.

Only dominate swordtail males of breeding size grow the long sword on their tails. 4 months may not be old enough. If there already is a large, dominate male in the tank, the young ones may not develop the swordtail.
~~Colesea

 

[fishlover25]

What is a gonopodiums????

 

[Hazzamaya]

Gonopodiums are a livebearers penis

 

[fishlover25]

how do i know when it is developed?

 

[Coyote]

Gonopodium is a stick-like anal fin. For a male livebearer, the anal fin is in fan-shape when it's young. When it grows, the anal fin turns into gonopodium.

 

[fishlover25]

do all male fiah have a Gonopodium

 

[nonamethefish]

No ,that what makes many of the livebearers unique. They have a gonopodium(which looks like a rolled up anal fin) for depositing sperm that aloows the femlaes ot bear live young. Most livebearers in the hobby have them, but some, like the goodeids, don't.

Most other fish lay eggs, whihc are then fertilized outside in the water.