How do I know if my swordtail is mating?
How do I know if my swordtail is mating?
Ultimately, you’ll be able to tell if your swordtail has been mating when babies, called fry, appear. The female swells as fry grow inside of her, and the dark-colored gravid spot by her anal fin becomes obvious as the young develop.
How long are swordtail fish pregnant for?
28 days
Like other livebearing aquarium fish, swordtails (Xiphophorus hellerii) give birth to live young, or fry, rather than laying eggs. Although the swordtail’s gestation period is 28 days, it may be difficult to determine when she became pregnant.
Can female swordtails turn into males?
Swordtails commonly breed in community tanks. The urge to reproduce is so strong in this species that the females are hermaphroditic. In populations consisting entirely of females one will frequently transform into a male to insure the propagation of the species.
Can Swordtails breed with other fish?
A female swordtail can be interbred with a male member from the platy family of fishes, so one of the options for achieving variety is mixing these two groups in one aquarium.
How do male guppies fertilize females?
Guppies are ovoviviparous, meaning they mate internally, as opposed to some fish who lay eggs and then the male fertilizes them. The male guppy’s anal fin develops into a gonopodium, their sexual organ, to transfer sperm into the female’s cloaca.
How long are guppies pregnant?
The gestation period of a guppy is typically 21–30 days, but can vary considerably. The area where a pregnant guppy’s abdomen meets the tail is sometimes called the “gravid patch”, or “gravid spot”. When pregnant, there is a slight discoloration that slowly darkens as the guppy progresses through pregnancy.
How do you know when a female swordtail is about to give birth?
The Eyes of the Fry and Signs of Impending Birth To accommodate the developing eggs, the mother’s body expands, becoming deeper and broader. A few days before delivery, she develops a bulge below the gills, her outline becoming fairly square in this region, while the gravid spot has enlarged its area.
Can swordtails breed with Mollies?
1- Molly And Swordtail Can’t Interbreed The first reason why it is impossible for them to interbreed is that they belong to different families. Even though they are both livebearer fish mollies are part of the Poecilia family and swordtails originate from the Xiphophorus family.
Can Swordtails live with guppies?
Like Guppies and Platies, Swordtails are a livebearing species and will breed often if both males and females are present. For aquarium owners looking for easy-to-keep guppy tank mates, Swordtails are a great choice.
How does a pregnant guppy look?
Identifying Your Pregnant Guppy It will become darker and larger as the babies grow. Your guppy will grow in girth considerably and may appear “boxy” shaped. Her color may fade. Once she is fairly close to giving birth, her gravid spot will appear black.
How do I know when my fish is about to give birth?
Look for the gravid spot on the fish’s abdomen near the rear tail. The spot should appear large and dark when her eggs are fertilized. You will know your fish is close to giving birth when the spot becomes nearly black. Some fish may show white spots instead of black.
What is the ratio of male to female swordtails?
male live bearers including swordtails keep trying to mate with Females.. this is why it is advised to keep more females than males to avoid such a situation in which males keep chasing the females, at times to such an extent that the females die out of stress. advised male female ratio for swordtails is 1 male to 3 females.
Why won’t my swordtails get along with each other?
Because male swordtails are kinda hard wired not to tolerate each other unless they are in a big tank and lots of cover. Else the dominant male keeps chasing the submissive one. I know by far that she is not a late developer. But if I were to put her in a separate tank til she gives birth, what plants are best for fry cover?
What should I do if my swordtail is chasing other fish?
Try taking out the female that is being chased for sometime, if you have a spare tank to keep her & reintroduce her after a week or few days. if you cant do that see if you can get another male and return the one you have. i have swordtails myself but i haven’t kept any male with them.