I screwed up

[connor31556]

Hi guys I recently got a male swordtail to go with my 2 female swordtails. I got antsy since my first male swordtail was with those females for 6 months and even with prestiene water conditions they didnt breed. That swordtail died a while ago and I decided to try again after about a week of seeing no breeding I did barely any research and decided to put the male and the smaller female in a breeding box together. I leave the room and come back an hour later to see the female almost eating the living male. He isnt that badly hurt in the fins but he is on his side and breathing heavy any tips on what I should do to help him like a salt bath mabye (that's my only medication and I dont have a qt tank) I really messed up and I guess this was a good learning experience but any ideas would be appreciated if I skipped around alot I'm sorry really was typing quick and please ask for specification if needed

 

[connor31556]

Here are some pictures he is hyperventilating alot too

 

[m.j.gomez]

Hello, if he was attacked & has no open wounds he may be in shock. The best thing to do now is darken room & leave him helps. Try not to stress him futher. Check on him in morning. Just be warned he may not make it. Hope this helps!

 

[Autumnsky]

That is a little surprising. Maybe he was a sneaker male, one which didn't develop his Sword yet.

Or the female was was actually carrying fry and wanted the male to stay away...

Give the male some time to try and recover away from the other fish, or he might get picked on.

Not any other specific advice at the moment. Not sure if salt will help or just give him more stress.

 

[m.j.gomez]

Update?????

 

[Autumnsky]

No news has me fearing the worst...

 

[connor31556]

Sorry I haven't replied yet I was clearing my notifications without reading them. I woke up this morning after seeing him heavily breathing and I think I saw a little blood last night I saw him dead. After thinking about what happened I have another question do you think this was a Freak accident that he was attacked or was this to be expected seeing what i did?

 

[Autumnsky]

How about water parameters, and is the tank really got a good colony of beneficial bacteria?

What are the water parameters???
Ammonia, Nitrite and Nitrate?

As I mentioned before, my guess, and only a guess was that the F is actually pregnant and doesn't want a M harassing her, or could be 2 males.

I have had one Swordtail which was, for a long time looking like a female, didn't develope a sword. The male died, and low and behold, he grew a tail, so made me think of a sneaker male.

He could have been ill and, ill fish tends to spur some fish to bully the ill one.

 

[connor31556]

Well I'll give you the run down I've had this tank up since December 2017 it had a, for lack of a better word, rough cycle as it was my first tank and before it I didnt even know about the nitrogen cycle. After 3 months i was comfortable saying it was cycled that was when i bought the 2 orange female swordtails i had fish before this but since then they all died. Since then the females grew a **** ton and never grew any tail so it could be but I'm pretty sure they are F. Now I have 2 F swordtails 2 M guppies 4 F guppies 1 unknown Corydora dont even get me started on why I only have one. 2 nerite zebra snails and 1 male dwarf gourami I recently lost a M guppy and a M swordtail which I had since last summer they both died on the same day and everyone else was and still is fine so I got a M swordtail and a M guppy to replace them the guppy is doing fine and is chasing one female around but goes after others occasionally. And the swordtail as I said died. I do not currently know my parameters but last week they were great so not too worried about that it's a plantedish tank with 1 anubias barteri and I cant name the other plant they are Italian grass or something like that I think. Just looked at all i typed sorry i kept on going on. Need anything I missed just point it out thanks for the help