Swordtails do tend to have shorter life spans than other tropical community fish, with the average life span of 2 to 4 years. During mating the males will continuously swim next to and nip the females. You also need to Sometimes they have lived longer and grown bigger. The most popular is the solid orange variety and can usually be found in most fish stores. Swordtail Fish Tank Mates, FishTankWeb.Com – Swordtail fish¹ is a kind of decoration fish that has beautiful caudal fin like sword. On the days leading up to birth the Swordtail will become lethargic, may not eat, may hide toward the rear of the aquarium and very territorial. Sie können Ihre Einstellungen jederzeit ändern. The swordtail is a very popular species of aquarium fish and it’s a great choice for the beginner aquarist. Daten über Ihr Gerät und Ihre Internetverbindung, darunter Ihre IP-Adresse, Such- und Browsingaktivität bei Ihrer Nutzung der Websites und Apps von Verizon Media. Can Platys And Swordtails Cross Breed? Yes. Technically speaking, yes, guppies can breed with other fish. Read on to find why Mollies and Platies cannot breed. It is important to house a larger number of females than males to reduce stress on individual females. The best male to female ratio is one male and three or four females… The swordtail fish rarely have some speckles on its fins. Have a peaceful nature. Swordtails, platys and variatus have been crossed and recrossed for 80 years. Male guppies will always be inclined to think that they should only breed with female guppies. Recommended pH of water: 7.0 - 8.0 Water hardness (dGH): dGH 12.0 - 18.0 °N (214 to 321 ppm, or 4.29 to 6.43 mEq) There are two species of platy commonly found for sale, Xiphophorus maculatus, the common Platy, and Xiphophorus variatus, the Variatus Platy. Swordtails and platy fish come from the warm waters of Central America. Swordtails in general are quite peaceful fish, well suited for general aquariums. By Gregg L. Friedman MD. Male Swordtail with lighter body coloration and orange with black tail. Therefore, you can gather the decoration fish together with other small decoration fishes. Swordtails are livebearers and will give birth to live young. Black Ghost Knifefish – Care, Diet & Breeding, Java Moss – Care, Tips, Moss Carpets & Moss Trees, Best Planted Tank Substrates – 2020 Review and Comparison, Double Full Red Cockatoo Cichlid – Care, Diet & Breeding, 11 Home Aquariums guaranteed to amaze you, How long to wait until you put a fish in a new tank | Guide, The Best Nano Reef Tanks | 2019 Comparison (Updated), The Top 5 Betta Fish Food | 2018 Comparison. They will be healthy IF the pregnancy and birthing go well (generally speaking, swordtail/platy crosses are healthy, though). They are hardy, compatible with other fish, and are extremely easy to breed. The great thing about Swordtails is that they don’t give you much of a headache when you need to choose tank mates. The adults will also reach different sizes, with females being the larger sex; in Platies males will reach around 3-4cm, whilst females can reach 6cm, male Swordtails will grow to 10cm, and females to 12-13cm. To further illustrate, the following fish can crossbreed with guppies: Guppies are Poecilia reticulata If you want to crossbreed these two species, you can breed Mollies with Guppies and Platies with Swordtails. Swordtail fish are a peaceful and active species. Aug 24, 2007 #1 I have always heard that platys and swordtails were closly related, I was just wondering if they could cross breed. Of these species, both Platy and Swordtail there are a myriad of line-bred colour forms, in virtually any colour and pattern variation. To get the best growth rate possible, try to change the tank water frequently, about once a week. The male’s sword is yellow, the bottom edge is black. I have had three generations of Swordtails and the adults seem to never bother the fry. Swordtails require that large numbers are bred so that customers only receive the best examples, and of all those raised, easily a third will never be sold due to the … No community aquarium is complete without one or the other, or both. Swordtails and platies are quite rightly among the most popular aquarium fish in the world. Just like other species, captive breeding of Swordtails has produced many colour varieties including black, red, and lots of body patterns. In the wild, swordtail are found in the warm waters of Mexico and span much of Central America. The cost of male swordtail is higher than that of the female due to the decorative nature of the fish. When purchasing a tank with the intention of spawning, make sure you purchase a large aquarium, one that holds approximately 20-30 gallons of water. Basic care of the swordtail is easy to provide if the aquarium is sufficiently large. Vegetables such as cucumber medallions, zucchini medallions, broccoli and shelled peas can be lightly blanched in boiling water (to ensure they will sink in the aquarium) and fed to the Swordtails. The pregnant female shows a swollen belly and dark gravid spot when pregnant. It is important to have only a few males and lots of swimming space. I run a small pet shop and recently had someone come in (willing to argue their point) and inform me that "lyre-tail mollies are a hybrid of swordtails and mollies". I was not aware that this was even possible. I hope it all worked out great! The Hi-Fin Lyretail Swordtail receives it's name due to the feathery, lyre-shaped tail and flowing fins, combined with an extension on the lower part of its tail which resembles a sword. They have a gestation period of 28 days, meaning in a year, with healthy and sexually mature females, you can be sure of five hundred plus fry. Swordtails readily breed when kept in an aquarium of mixed sex, requiring little intervention. Livebearers are an excellent fish to practice breeding because they will often breed with minimal intervention from the owners. This includes non–GM varieties of the same crop and wild relatives of the crop. Aquarists should keep this diet in the aquarium by feeding a variety of processed and natural foods. In the wild Swordtails are omnivores. Breeding can start from the 3rd month of age, so it is advised that swordtails be separated after determining sex. Feed your swordtails 2-3 times a day . The green swordtail (Xiphophorus hellerii) is a species of freshwater/brackish fish in family Poeciliidae of order Cyprinodontiformes. Thus a guppy can crossbreed with a molly and a swordtail can crossbreed with a platy. They can be seen moving in the bottom , middle and upper layers of the tank ). In my tank I have 3 female guppies, 2 swordtail females, 2 tettras, and one major pimp my green male guppy. You Algae wafers can be a good way to do this, but you can also add in some green vegetables that you might already have at home. As has been seen … Breeding the Swordtail . The sword caudal fin only can be found on the male species. Can they cross breed? It’s important to have larger tank if you’re planning to keep swordtails due to the possibility of them growing to this size. Click here to go on to another page in this website with Customer Comments and our Replies about Sword Tail Fish. Although the swordtail will live in a small aquarium of 10 gallons, it is not particularly suited to the cramped quarters and will seldom breed in this confined space. Sometimes they have lived longer and grown bigger. Swordtails are best kept in … Female Swordtails, in common with most or all of the species in the family Poeciliiidae, can deliver multiple broods of young after just one mating with a male (a male Swordtail or Platy, that is). Never overstock the breeding tank as this will only further increase stress in the fish. Set up your tank for swordtail breeding. The belly will be much larger than usual and the female Swordtail often struggles to move around the aquarium. The Best LED Lights for Growing Coral in the Marine Aquarium, Curing Ich – Best 3 Ways to Remove Aquarium Ich. Spawning with this fish can be considered intersexual, where males vie for the ladies’ interests, rather than intrasexual And guppies can provoke barbs, thorns, angelfish, some gourams with their bright long tails. [2] A live-bearer, it is closely related to the southern platyfish or 'platy' (X. maculatus) and can crossbreed with it. The male swordtail can grow up to 6 inches while the female grows about 5 ½” however this is rare in captivity. One male to three females is usually recommended for the highest chance of success. For GM crops approved by regulators the consequences of cross breeding have been assessed and judged not to be a risk to health or the environment. This can be stressful for the female and the continuing advances from the male can wear them out. However, Platies can breed with Swordtails and Mollies can breed with Guppies as they share same families. Swordtails are very active and lively in the aquarium and unlike other fish, move around all levels of the aquarium ( i.e. Swordtails get their name from the distinctive sword-like extension on the male’s tail fin, which can sometimes grow almost as long as their bodies. It will become blatantly obvious the female is carrying young close to birth. They are also found in small ponds and even in drainage pipes and vents. They also come in a variety of attractive colors and forms. Joined Apr 30, 2007 Messages 161 Reaction score 0 Location St. Louis. 5 Stars. They also come in a variety of attractive colors and forms. aus oder wählen Sie 'Einstellungen verwalten', um weitere Informationen zu erhalten und eine Auswahl zu treffen. Swordtails are livebearers, meaning they will give birth to live fry instead of eggs. After that, they will leave the work of caring for the young ones to the owner because the mother fish … Für nähere Informationen zur Nutzung Ihrer Daten lesen Sie bitte unsere Datenschutzerklärung und Cookie-Richtlinie. You would have a batch of weak, flawed fish that would likely have shortened lifespans and be more likely to grow ill. The young are very easy to rear and can be raised in the same aquarium as the adults. Damit Verizon Media und unsere Partner Ihre personenbezogenen Daten verarbeiten können, wählen Sie bitte 'Ich stimme zu.' Swordtails can give birth to around 10-100 fry at once. Yahoo ist Teil von Verizon Media. This is because it is tolerant to a range of conditions and has a very peaceful temperament. Dies geschieht in Ihren Datenschutzeinstellungen. They don't exist in their aquarium forms in nature. Feed them with “Hikari First bites” or ground up flake food, 4-6 times a day for the first 2 weeks, then you can decrease to 2-4 feedings for 2 weeks, and then to 2 feedings a day. The platy is found in around a dozen breath-taking colors and have passed on a few of those to the swordtails as well. Swordtails are livebearers, meaning they will give birth to live fry instead of eggs. With ugly fish, you can't breed them and make more ugly fish, so you could give them away or cull them. This species can be fed flakes, live-frozen worms and … They can easily adjust to different conditions when in captivity and for this reason Swordtails are a great beginner fish. Swordtails readily breed when kept in an aquarium of mixed sex, requiring little intervention. Swordtails are also the largest growing species among livebearers and adult swordtails can reach up to six inches in length. You'll most likely get swordtails (I believe the swordtail is a dominant gene) with some platies mixed in. They don’t need much food, just what they will finish within a couple of minutes. She may flock to a male, or reject his advances. The minimum tank size for one adult swordtail fish should be at least 15-gallons. The Molly and Platy are not closely related. They will opportunistically feed on plants, insects and invertebrates. It’s been my experience that as long as they won’t fit in the mouths of the other tank mates and the match is right for housing together keep in mind the difference with the 2 tanks (nursery, community…) make sure the parameters are good and go for it I usually feed the home tank kids before I introduce any small fry so they don’t see it automatically as food as well as maybe even move a few decorations add a few hides and watch like any other time you’d add… Good luck sorry so late to answer! The fish can be categorized by attractive and peaceful fish. Especially males can be aggressive towards each other. Platies and swordtails are species of another genus, Xiphophorus, and can interbreed. He has seem to be doing the same way he mates with my female guppies the same way he does with my swordtails female and my golden female swordtail seems to have a very big lump is she pregnant? Aquarium Info is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Swordtails are quite tolerant when it comes to water temperatures, and can live in temperatures from 18 to 27 degrees C. In the wild, the Swordtail live in brackish waters and your Swordtail will therefore appreciate a brackish These two genera belong to the same family of livebearers, Poecilidae. Is it a good idea to put the tiny swordtail fish in with our other fish, Is it a good idea to put baby swordtail fish with our other fish .or should they be kept separate, Can we leave baby swordtail fish in the tank with our other fish. Swordtails have a life span of 3 to 5 years and can grow to 5". how to know if a swordtail is pregnant? A female swordtail can produce offspring as often as every four weeks. Crossbreeding in fish can be really fascinating as it results in the creation of something new and totally different. Unlike other tropical fish species, swordtail fish are hardy and usually breed easily. Your platy's already a hybrid, as is your sword. Many beginners are not aware of the swordtail's livebearing abilities and are suddenly surprised by a swarm of swordtails. The fry will seem to disappear sometimes because they will hide behind things like plants and rocks. Ultimately, the decision on who to breed with is the female’s. Male Swordtails will also fight if kept in larger numbers in the breeding tank. A diversified diet should include frozen or live foods, blanched vegetables and flake or granular food. In this episode I'm learning you How To Get Swordtail Fish To Breed! This is because they belong to the same genus or family of fish. A relatively hardy and easy to care for livebearer, the swordtail is one of the most popular aquarium fish species among beginner aquarists. Thanks! K. Kevinator Fish Fanatic. Feeding Swordtails. Swordtails purchased in the store usually range from 1-2” in length. It is famous that swordtails can breed with platy fish which are a close relative of theirs. NOTE: If you intend to breed swordtails, there should be more females in the tank than males. Livebearer fish, such as swordtails, can easily overwhelm a system. Small ray-finned fish of the carp family, small size. The swordtail belongs to the group of livebearer fishes – scientifically classified as Poecillidae – to which the mosquito fish, the guppies, the mollies and the platies belong.