Male and Female Swordtails but 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

 

talk to the girlies nicely

maybe have him bring them flowers ;D
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!

 

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.....

 

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?

 

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.

 

Dude looks like a dude to me! Ladies look like ladies! Hmmm. Interested to see the conclusion of this one.

 

.. I bet I found your answer.

You have them listed as in your 55 gallon 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.

 

.. I bet I found your answer.

You have them listed as in your 55 gallon 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?

 

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.

 

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...

 

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 separate tank for the fry when they come?

 

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.

 

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.

 

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.

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

 

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.

 

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 separate tank for the fry when they come?

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.

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?

 

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?

hmm, you know, I suppose every live bearer start out as egg and sperm... haha

I do believe that they're like human babies, though and grow inside the momma's tummy as fry. I think I read on here at one point that some people could see through one of their fishes tummies and see little eyes.

LOL I think the fish need their own romantic music... The guy fish has got to put forth a little effort, you know! HAHA

 

LOL I think the fish need their own romantic music... The guy fish has got to put forth a little effort, you know! HAHA

;D You know the funny thing is the poor guy chases these girls all over the place and they whip their tails at him! He tries to corner them (maybe this is his romantic move , lol, but doesn't have much luck ), the girls are very independent. Hey, does anyone know what names the black ones are? Kind of swordtail that is....

 

They could be called several different things, but we would just call them Black green swordtails, if it were our fish.

 

They could be called several different things, but we would just call them Black green swordtails, if it were our fish.

LOL, ok, I tried this in describing them to a FS in the St. Louis area and they seemed very lost. Have you all seen these color of swordtail before?

 

Yes, we've seen it before. For the fishstore to seem lost on something as simple as a fish being called by its color is kind of sad.

This is the problem that arises with developed strains. Developed strain may be called one common name in one place and something totally different in another, whereas with wild-caught fish there is a DEFINATE latin name assigned. (That latin name may change a few times per decade, but it is much easier than common names.)

I hope the fry situation improves.

 

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.

I think it's sunset. I haven't heard of sunrise

 

Yes, we've seen it before. For the fishstore to seem lost on something as simple as a fish being called by its color is kind of sad.

This is the problem that arises with developed strains. Developed strain may be called one common name in one place and something totally different in another, whereas with wild-caught fish there is a DEFINATE latin name assigned. (That latin name may change a few times per decade, but it is much easier than common names.)

I hope the fry situation improves.

Thank you, I thought black/green swordtail was very clear also,,, they didn't. I thought they were such a pretty color and if they mated with the sunset swordtail, then maybe that would be nice too,,, if not they are sweet little fish and I can deal with that. I heard that swordtail are like mollies and guppies, good breeders. Just had/have never seen it in any of the swordtails I have had.

 

I think it's sunset. I haven't heard of sunrise

lol thanks, wasn't for sure!

 

you're welcome. And sunset would make more sense. I actually have some sunset platies ^.^

 

They're livebearers, so they don't have eggs, they have fry! But yes, you'd see their stomachs get larger!

The stomachs would get bigger but with most livebearers you can see eggs in the back side of their stomach.

 

Old thread, I'm sure this question has been resolved.