Is this behavior normal?

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DFly

Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Joined
Jun 15, 2017
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I just got 6 female swordtails for my male. They are currently in the q tank. One was heavily pregnant and began dropping fry immediately. Since being added she barely comes our of hiding and has been having long stringy white discharge. She is eating but not flakes. I have seen her grazing on the hair algae with the rest of the females before darting back to cover.
 

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If this is the female that just gave birth give her time to recover. Boil some green leafy lettauce like a quarter of a leaf I boil mine for 5 minutes, put it in the tank where she is. The others will eat it to. only leave it in for 12 hrs.If they eat all the green and leave a skeleton of the lettauce than remove it. my fish go through 3 lg heads of lettauce a week,
 
I don't know where you live but if it's possible to put a 5 gallon bucket outside away from the house and fill it with water, mosquitoes will lay their eggs in there. They start a new colony every 7 days. Get yourself a fine mesh net and a bowl. Go out and check your bucket in about 2 weeks. If you see mosquito larva in there scoop some out quickly before they swim to the bottom. Fill the bowl with tap water before going outside and put the larva in your bowl. Rinse your net off from a hose if you have one. Pour the mosquitoes Bach through the net to strain them. Put more water in your bowl. Maybe an inch deep and put the mosquito larva back in there. Slowly pour the water with the larva into your bowl. Allow only a few at a time and make sure the fish eat them before adding more. Once you feel the fish are full, stop feeding them the larva. If any left over larva, pour them in a zip lock baggy and freeze them. You can drop the ice and all into your tank if it isn't a huge chunk of ice or thaw and pour again when ready! Mosquito larva gives your fish a good hunt, it's very nutritious and they are free! Remember though, don't just dump the larva into your tank all at once. If some are missed, in a few days the larva will turn into biting adults and you don't want them flying in your home. I feed these once a day every day and then feed my fish flake food later in the day. My fish are thriving!! They breed like bunnies, they grow larger and meatier and they are so colorful and healthy! IMG_1601.jpg
 
swordtails,mollies,guppy,mostly vegetarian!

Yup! Peas. Zucchini. Lettuce. Lately I've been keeping seaweed sheets around because my otos love it too and it doesn't foul the water when I miss some. (Zucchini and summer squash can get messy.) But my 40 gallon of mollies, platies, and swordtails (and cories) is perfectly happy with veggies most of the time with the occasional shrimp pellets thrown in. And my girls who have just had fry appreciate being able to nibble when they feel like it, I think. Especially when there are aggressive eaters around.
 
I don't know where you live but if it's possible to put a 5 gallon bucket outside away from the house and fill it with water, mosquitoes will lay their eggs in there. They start a new colony every 7 days. Get yourself a fine mesh net and a bowl. Go out and check your bucket in about 2 weeks. If you see mosquito larva in there scoop some out quickly before they swim to the bottom. Fill the bowl with tap water before going outside and put the larva in your bowl. Rinse your net off from a hose if you have one. Pour the mosquitoes Bach through the net to strain them. Put more water in your bowl. Maybe an inch deep and put the mosquito larva back in there. Slowly pour the water with the larva into your bowl. Allow only a few at a time and make sure the fish eat them before adding more. Once you feel the fish are full, stop feeding them the larva. If any left over larva, pour them in a zip lock baggy and freeze them. You can drop the ice and all into your tank if it isn't a huge chunk of ice or thaw and pour again when ready! Mosquito larva gives your fish a good hunt, it's very nutritious and they are free! Remember though, don't just dump the larva into your tank all at once. If some are missed, in a few days the larva will turn into biting adults and you don't want them flying in your home. I feed these once a day every day and then feed my fish flake food later in the day. My fish are thriving!! They breed like bunnies, they grow larger and meatier and they are so colorful and healthy! View attachment 301543
Be careful with this. Again, depending on where you live. They fog mosquitoes around here and in my old state-Arizona, and I have no idea what that would do to the larvae.
 
Be careful with this. Again, depending on where you live. They fog mosquitoes around here and in my old state-Arizona, and I have no idea what that would do to the larvae.



Been doing this for over 30 years. Never had a problem but would agree your location may cause a problem.
 
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