Really confused

[azn dreamer]

I have recently bought a swordtail that is pregnant and when i took it home...it looked like my platy apart from the colour. HOw do i tell the difference? and the 'pregnant' swordtail has a really fat belly and unlike a swordtail it is really short. Also the swordtail usually lies on the bottom of my tank with its fin moving rapidly...any ideas why?

TIA

 

[Allivymar]

Just a thought, but I wonder if your sword is a mixed breed? I believe platties and swords can interbreed (they're the same species: "Xiphophorus") which I have read can cause lots of confusion sometimes when trying to identify *grin*

As for why your sword lays on the bottom, I can't say. I dunno if its related to the pregnancy; I've never bred platties or swords. Are your water parameters ok?

 

[tkos]

Female platies and female swordtails do look very similar to each other. And yes they can interbreed so who knows but it could be a mixed breed.

When my female platy was pregnant she swam around the whole time. Perhaps yours is stressed from its recent move. A bought a pregnant guppy once and she got super stressed from being moved and she spent a lot of time on the bottom. But she ended up dieing before ever giving birth.

I think the best you can do is make sure no one is bothering her and keep the water super clean and clear. Perhaps also buy her one of those breeder boxes to stick her in.