When will those swordtails have some fry????

[f8fan]

I have two red velvet swordtails in my 55 gallon brackish tank (along with four figure 8 puffers).

I've had them for a couple months and I keep waiting for them to breed. Waiting, waiting, waiting!

I bought them not only because they would add some color to the tank, but also because I knew that livebearers would have babies all the time and that this would be good food for the puffers. Does the fact that they are in brackish conditions affect their ability to breed? I thought that livebearers liked having some salinity. They are certainly very healthy and active, they just aren't having any babies

(and, yup, I know I have a male and a female)

 

[Helena21]

is the male actually attempting to mate with the female? for some weird reason sometimes the males just dont wanna mate. I've had several livebearers like that.

If hes not, then i suggest going to the store and buying a few more. Watch the males to see which ones are trying to mate the females

 

[f8fan]

They swim together, and he circles around her a lot, and sometimes she circles around him. Her belly is plump, but it's been plump for a few weeks No gravid spot. Sometimes he nips at her like he's trying to get her attention. Maybe they just aren't that "into" each other. I just didn't know if the salinity affected their fertility.

 

[Helena21]

I dont think it has anything to do with the salinity. Just some dont mate with eachother. Are you sure she doesnt have a gravid spot? its very hard to see on platies, swordtails etc

 

[f8fan]

I dont think it has anything to do with the salinity. Just some dont mate with eachother. Are you sure she doesnt have a gravid spot? its very hard to see on platies, swordtails etc

Well, here she is, as of a few minutes ago.

 

[Helena21]

very hard to tell, but i bet she has one

 

[MOsborne05]

She could have already had babies but the puffs got to them all before you noticed. I had that happen with my mollies. By the time I saw any fry there weren't many left The salinity shouldn't be a problem though, at least not for the mollies. Maybe get a few more?

 

[f8fan]

She could have already had babies but the puffs got to them all before you noticed. I had that happen with my mollies. By the time I saw any fry there weren't many left The salinity shouldn't be a problem though, at least not for the mollies. Maybe get a few more?

I hope the puffers got them. Not to be macabre, but that's what I want!! *laughingc

I dunno, I'd get more, but wouldn't that risk being overstocked? I already feel a little overstocked just having four puffers in a 55 gallon, but ya think if I got another female swordtail I'd still be ok?

 

[Lotus]

A second female would probably help by taking some stress away from the other one. Male swordtails tend to be pretty pesky towards females, and it might be stressing her.

 

[f8fan]

Well, tonight I bought him two more little girlie friends, so now it's 1 male vs 3 females! I needed more fish like a hole in the head but, eh. They all seem happy. I love the red velvet swordtails - their color is so vibrant! And they earn their keep around the tank cleaning up crumbs after the puffers.*thumbsup2

 

[MOsborne05]

Yeah, they are the best cleanup crew you can have in a puffer tank! My mollies used to pick at the algae on the rocks too, so it worked out good.

 

[Dan Steveo]

sweet. i have had about 5 batches of swordtails and never once have i noticed a gravid spot... do they get them???

 

[Helena21]

all livebearers get gravid spots, its just on some species you cant see them. I think its because of there color?

 

[straitjacket]

Swords and platies might be able to tolerate lower salinities but they're really not brackish fish in general. They naturally occur in neutral to hard water while only some populations of X. helleri (that's the true X. helleri, not the popular hobby hybrids) may occur in areas that are actually saline. Some people confuse mineral rich hard water with "salt" or brackish water.
That could be effecting the egg's or fry's ability to form or develop properly.
You could trade them in for mollies. Not all mollies are naturally brackich either but most will tolerate harder conditions, including saline ones. Some strains/species do better than others.
P. velifera (which I've often found in feeder ghost shrimp tanks) are good candidates for the brackich aquarium as they are often found in coastal central U.S.

And just so I don't completely rain on your sword parade your newly upped group could do just fine . Considering you only had 1M and 1F before they might be more comfortable now. They're very hardy fish. There have been instances where a "female" is actually just a late-blooming male. That's been known to happen in other common livebearers as well.

 

[f8fan]

Heh heh. Well, the male is really happy with all the new females. And I wont ever get mollies again - I've had bad experiences with them in the past nipping and slurping off the puffers.

I'm not all that concerned with the fry now, they all seem happy and they certainly add some color to the tank If they have some fry then it's all a bonus. If not, oh well, I'm happy with the swordtails They are a good clean-up crew.

 

[Unexpected]

Make sure you have a 1male:2+female with all live bearers and there will be fry. It just takes patients. Don't worry the salt shouldn't affect the eggs or fry. Good Luck!!! Oh, and if you have any unanswered question from here please join guppylog.com. It is a place full of live bearer experts. They don't just focus on guppies. It may seem that way, but that is just what a most people have there. But don't worry there are plenty that have swordtails too.

 

[trav_19]

yeah that was the best bet ...i told my mateing woos to the lady at the lps and she told me a 3:1 ratio really helps the chances since the females are not stressed so i im in your boat now too hoping for some babies

 

[f8fan]

Well, good luck, Trav
Mine still haven't produced any visible fry, but I don't know if they are just really good hiders or the puffers got their way with them....heh heh. But the four sword tails in there are happy & healthy.

 

[drake53]

technicaly they look like red swords to me but who knows the might just be missing some color.

 

[f8fan]

technicaly they look like red swords to me but who knows the might just be missing some color.

Technically speaking, is there a difference? The only other "red swordtail" I know of is the red wag swordtail or painted swordtails and neither of them have the unblemished red color....?