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superbsite
09-01-2010, 07:40 AM
A couple of days back I got two female swordtails which I wanted to add in my tank as company for the male.

I quarantined them in a seperate tank. One of the females was a bit plump and was very quite resting at the bottom under the filter. I was worried that the plumpyness could be dropsy but thankgoodness it was not. I did not realise it was pregnant as her belly was not that big.

At 4 am today I had a power cut and all my filters stopped working. All was quiet in the tanks. I got up to do my usual top up water change and poo siphoning at 630am only to see that there were 4 frys at the bottom. In the meanwhile the other female gobbled 2 frys. So I quickly took this female out and let the pregnant one remain alone. Till 830am she delivered around 45 frys. I realised it was the end of the delivery only when the last two were plain eggs/embryos. Ive seperated the mother now and have only my frys in the tank.

Ive read about the frequent feeding and water changes that has to be done.

I have some questions

Do the frys need their mother as protection or will the mother gobble them up?

Im ready with egg yolk and powdered fish flakes. Can Spinach/Corainder leaves be given them ?

Ive got plastic plants inside the frys have taken cover in them. Can I add a live plant inside ?

Will a filter affect the frys ?

How long before then can be put in with the others ?

Should I expect that very few of them will survive because its tought to rear frys ?

Thanks

Michael Milligan
09-01-2010, 08:54 AM
All good questions.

The mothers will eat them. For survival either separate them or give lots of hiding places for the babies.

Just use flake food to feed for now.

Also see: [Only Registered Users Can See Links.]

superbsite
09-01-2010, 09:35 AM
Thanks Michael

Ive read all about Live Bearers via that link

My LFS has given me Daphnia for them

Does any one know how to continue growing Daphnia from what I have ?

Cheers

Michael Milligan
09-01-2010, 09:54 AM
Try googling "growing Daphnia"... ;)

superbsite
09-01-2010, 03:45 PM
Found that on Google

Have one important question

Will a small filter be too strong for the frys ?

Tks

rich311k
09-01-2010, 03:49 PM
They will be fine with it. They are born well developed and are good little swimmers.

Little Embers
09-02-2010, 01:20 AM
Frankly, from all your posts superbsite, I think most of your fish are going to die anyway, because you only seem prepared to want and fit as many fish in a 5 or 10 gallon tank as possible. Your Swordtails keep dieing, yet you just keep adding more (one of which I believe brought in anchorworm with it..referring to another thread of yours) when a 5 gall. will not accommodate those fish. That is one reason why your fish keep dieing!