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June 24th, 2008
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Fish Addict
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No Fry?
I have had two females and a male swordtail for months now, and they have never given me any fry. The male is interested in mating, but the females seem to rule the water when it comes to him lol. I don't want to add many more females or get another male, any ideas? THANKS
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June 24th, 2008
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Fish Master
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talk to the girlies nicely 
maybe have him bring them flowers 
LOL
how old are they? and you sure you got a male? usually they breed pretty easily although ive never had them, from all I read they do...so hopefully intime you will have more fry than you need! |
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June 24th, 2008
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Fish Helper
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back when i had swordtails (been years ago) seems like we always has fry. hmm dunno maybe ur male is sterile from inbreeding? got some platy's you can have guarenteed breeders lol.....
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June 24th, 2008
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Moderator ~ King of Curt
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Sterility due to inbreeding would take a minimum of 5 or 6 generations of consecutive inbreeding, but what would be most likely to see from excessive inbreeding is the carrying of lethal recessive genes. The female would carry fry, but would never deliver live fry, because the lethal recessive genes would prevent the fetii (plural of fetus) from developing into normal fish.
Case in point: Royal family of the 1600-1800s were inbred to preserve the royal blood line saw issues arise from inbreeding. Those issues included, most commonly, genetic defaults such as hemophilia, deformalities, weak immune systems, mental stability, etc.
But sterility could be a factor, or it could be that you don't have both genders as you thought you did, or even that they are producing and eatting all the fry before you see them. We have some higher-end swordtails that commonly sell for $70 a trio and they eat their fry to the point that they've cost us probably one or two thousand dollars in the year we've had them.
Could you post a picture of the swordtails, please?
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June 24th, 2008
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Fish Addict
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Chief_waterchanger
Could you post a picture of the swordtails, please?
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Sure |
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June 24th, 2008
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Fish Addict
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Sorry their not the best pics. they didn't want to slow down for me!
Oh and you mentioned them maybe eating them, wouldn't they at least 'look' like they have eggs? The black one is the only one who occasionally looks 'fatter', but then a few days later she's back to normal.
Last edited by kra-z-fishmumm; June 24th, 2008 at 06:54 PM.
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June 24th, 2008
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Fish Helper
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Dude looks like a dude to me! Ladies look like ladies! Hmmm. Interested to see the conclusion of this one.
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June 24th, 2008
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Moderator ~ King of Curt
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.. I bet I found your answer.
You have them listed as in your 55g community tank? Whichever fry the livebearers are not eatting (Mollies, guppies, platies, swordtails) then the Danio will certainly be right there to pick up their slack. They don't view their offspring as sentimentally as most humans do. Fish eat fish.. just how it is.  |
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June 24th, 2008
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Fish Addict
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Chief_waterchanger
.. I bet I found your answer.
You have them listed as in your 55g community tank? Whichever fry the livebearers are not eatting (Mollies, guppies, platies, swordtails) then the Danio will certainly be right there to pick up their slack. They don't view their offspring as sentimentally as most humans do. Fish eat fish.. just how it is. |
But, (I love having ppl. to throw these questions to! ) wouldn't they still look loaded with the eggs? |
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June 24th, 2008
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Fish Helper
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when i got my first platies, one of them was pregnant(cause fry showed up the next day after i got them) and none of them looked any skinnier than the day before.
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June 24th, 2008
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Fish Addict
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They're livebearers, so they don't have eggs, they have fry! But yes, you'd see their stomachs get larger!
Maybe a little mood lighting and romantic music...  |
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June 24th, 2008
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Fish Helper
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they look like different breeds to me, they will breed but since they are different it will take more time, once the female finds out that he is the only male she will be knocked up all the time. do you have a breeding trap or a seperate tank for the fry when they come?
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June 24th, 2008
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Moderator ~ King of Curt
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There is always the possibility that the females are sterile. The black female pictured above looks gravid to me. She may be having smaller batches of fry, which would explain lack of size difference, but there are several possible explainations.
Glad we can be here to have questions bounced on us. |
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June 24th, 2008
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Fish Helper
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Chief_waterchanger
There is always the possibility that the females are sterile. The black female pictured above looks gravid to me. She may be having smaller batches of fry, which would explain lack of size difference, but there are several possible explainations.
Glad we can be here to have questions bounced on us. |
yeah that black one does look pregnant, keep an eye on her and remember that they tend to birth in the night or early hours of the morning.  |
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June 24th, 2008
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Fish Addict
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Quote:
Originally Posted by momo9700
when i got my first platies, one of them was pregnant(cause fry showed up the next day after i got them) and none of them looked any skinnier than the day before.
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yeah, I can never tell if the platy is fat or pregnant lol I find the fry in the grass,,, is the only way I know lol |
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June 24th, 2008
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Moderator ~ King of Curt
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Something else that could be going on..
We (Dino and I) keep species only tanks for breeding stock, but if it weren't for that we couldn't tell the difference in swordtail fry and platy fry until they are atleast 2-3 months of age. So you may be getting what you think to be platy fry and it could actually be swordtail fry, but again, that is just another of the possibilities. |
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June 24th, 2008
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Fish Addict
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Quote:
Originally Posted by goggles
they look like different breeds to me, they will breed but since they are different it will take more time, once the female finds out that he is the only male she will be knocked up all the time. do you have a breeding trap or a seperate tank for the fry when they come?
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Well, I have the sunrise(set?) female and then these other ones, I don't know their name, I get them at my LFS, but don't see any other place usually, not that I look for them though. Have had them for 4 mths. or more.
Last edited by kra-z-fishmumm; June 24th, 2008 at 07:53 PM.
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June 24th, 2008
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Fish Addict
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ShaynaB
They're livebearers, so they don't have eggs, they have fry! But yes, you'd see their stomachs get larger!
Maybe a little mood lighting and romantic music... |
Hmm, they don't start out as eggs then come out as fry?
and lol does it count if we share mood lighting and romantic music? |
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