Mating Swordtails

[ChurchofAdam]

I've noticed that neither of my male swords (a big marigold (the alpha) and a smaller mixed heritage (but similar colouring)) wants to mate with my black female. what gives?

[ChurchofAdam]

they just fight each other all the time, and pay her no attention at all

[nanaglen2001]

Maybe your "female" isnt a female at all.

With Swordtails it occurs pretty often that fish which look like females are males, they just need more time to develope correctly.

[ChurchofAdam]

even if it has no gonopodium? it's also a decent sized fish, about 1 to 1.5 inches

[gm72]

Interesting that you posted this, because on Aquariphiles.com I just read this:

"Swordtails are perhaps one of my favorite out of the common livebearers. The males sport a long extension of their tail that gives these fish their common name. Females are usually rounder and do not have the "sword". Swordtails can get up to 5 inches and come in a variety of colors. It is best to keep these fish in tanks of 20 gallons and up. They do best in the standard male to female ratio of 1 male for every 2 to 3 females. Something that is very interesting about swordtails is that they do change gender with some frequency. When born, all swordtails are female. If at a young age a fish develops into a male, it will stay small in size. If a fish grows as a female and later turns into a male, he will be a large male."

[alison1967]

i was told to day that a femail swordtail can change it's sex to make up with the others in the tank ho new that then and so can other tropical fish

[troy]

This thread is almost a year old alison1967.