Holy Swordtail Babies!

[Talvari]

Last night, I noticed that the larger of my two female swords was acting odd. She was hanging out in the corner of the tank, wouldnt eat, and kept twitching, like having spasms. I immediately transferred her over to the breeder net and turned the light off early. I kept an eye on her until late last night, but I didnt see any babies.

Fast forward to about 9 am. I turn all the lights on and do a once over of all the fish like I usually do. Still no babies.

Around 10, I go to start feeding, and I see this tiny little dot go racing into the plants that I had placed in the breeder for cover.

So it started! I immediately step away and give her a little time... Within half an hour, she popped out half a dozen.

I notice that my other female is being pestered, hard core, by the male. He wont let her eat, or rest, without bumping her and bothering her. After nearly twenty minutes of this, shes exhausted... Shes hanging at the bottom of the tank, gasping for air. So I put her in the breeder as well. No babies from her, yet, though. I think she has another couple of days...

But anyways. I decide to make a makeshift baby tank for the newborn fry so they dont get eaten with two females in there.

Every hour or so, I take out any babies that I have seen and put them in there.

About 1130: 22 Fry

By 130: Between 40-45 fry.

She hasnt had any more, she is thinned out, and her gravid spot disappeared... So I let her go back in the main tank. There just isnt enough room in that breeder for two full grown female swordtails... Im thinking Im going to invest in a two way breeder.

Anyways... The other female is still VERY huge, and there have been no more births... So I am going to assume that all 40+ babies (including three still born) belonged to the larger female.

Heres the proud daddy.

 

[Starka]

Congrats! Welcome to grandparent hood!

I only have guppies and a couple of platies from my moms.
What you could do is use a milk carton, punch a few small holes- small enough for fry to not get thru- and clip it to the side of the tank. Getto looking but works wonderfully.
I found out with the three way breeders is that the fry can go right thru them since they are so small. Are you going to put them in the same tank or do have a fry tank for them?

 

[ocminpin]

Congrats!
No need to feed them till tomorrow night... They don't start eating until a full 48 hrs..:

 

[haen]

Congrats on the babies.
My two female swordtails are being pestered by their male also, to the event that one of the two is constantly hiding, UNDER the shadow of one of the filter units. the other one seems to like the attention, and is being chased most of the time. I got too many fish in there already, all of them 1/2 or 3/4 size neons, except for the barbs and cories.
none of them will eat anymore. Go berserk when I put food in there, but after some nibbles, leave everything alone.
The Cories (three albino cats and one blackspotted cat, love it and are growing by leaps and bounds. Water finally cleared up, and I am changing two gallons a day with a water pitcher. Food ? : Pinch of Tetra flakes and half a cube of tubifex (crumbled) a day.
Oh well. I think I need more cories to keep the bottom clean.
Haen