1 Lonely Swordtail Fry!... What About The Rest?

[vinnypeewee]

Well i bought 4 female Swords to go with the 2 frisky males that i already had in my tank......they've only been in the tank for 3 days and low and behold I've just found a lone Fry!!

Must have been pregnant when they came from the shop.. trouble is.. i dont have a clue which female has dropped.. and they all look a similar size... I have 2 fem pineapple swords and the other two are mainly black with little orange flecks.

Is there any way i can tell which one might be in the middle of giving birth as i understand they can lay between 20 and 30 fry?

I've isolated the single fry in a breeding net but if possible i want to catch the rest of them.. if anymore do come along that is!!

HELP lol.. i dont fancy staying up all night watching them!!

Cheers Guys and gals!!

 

[tamara]

Raising the water temperature makes the females give birth faster--but it does shorten their life [never has for me, but people say it does]

 

[vinnypeewee]

Temps at 28 deg.... or around 80f... at the maximum for the fish i have in the tank so im told... i Just dont have a clue which fem has dropped!! I keep looking for this Black 'gravid spot' But all i can seen in that area its slight darkness in the stomach area... hmmmm i'll leave it over night and see if i can spot anymore fry in the tank.. thats if they dont get eaten for breakfast!!

 

[tamara]

My tank is generally always at 82 [guppie tank only] and they do perfectly fine, Also, you'll be getting fry once a month about so don't worry about the first time!

 

[iairj84]

If it's taking this long chances are they've already dropped all the fry and they've been gobbled up My female gives birth every 2-3 minutes so I would imagine you would've seen it if they were still coming.

 

[tamara]

For all you know, they could just be hiding somewhere---two days ago i thought i had 3 fry, yesterday i counted ten! So don't hold your breath, but most likely there's a few more hiding!

 

[vinnypeewee]

well thanx guy's and gals!! Checked the tank over and over again this morning and still no sign of anymore fry, but the lone fry is doing well in the breeding net!! even excepting powdered flake

Stoopid question.... but.... the fry is black... are they always black?? or does this mean it would have come from one of my 2 Black fem swords??

Cheers Guys!!

(ps... if there starting to pop fry out after 3 days of being in the tank i guess im going to have to set up a small rearing tank too put them all in sooner than i thought)

If i use some water out of my main tank (when i do a water change) and also use some mature filter media out of my main tanks fluval, in the new tanks filter does this mean the tank will cycle much qiucker or almost instanly???


Cheers!!