Need help breeding

[Idolz]

Hey,
I have 4 swordtails now (one just recently passed away), two females and two males. I have had these fish for 3 or 4 months and they still have not even shown an interest in breeding. I keep the temperature at 76. The only difference in behavior that I have noticed in a while is that one of my females is always shearching for something at the bottem. She will jolt to one place and freeze then jolt the next and freeze, I dunno what shes doing but it looks funny.
Anywho if ne one can help me out, it'd be great.
Thanks

 

[GuppyDude]

well i used to breed swordtails so i can help u, first u might wanna raise the water temp to 80F, then buy andother female or 2 because u need 2 females for every male. then check to c if the females r alredy prego, they wont mate if they r. the femles can hold sperm from previous mates so if they dont look prego they could still b so. keep me updated plz

 

[DeepSeaFishin]

another flaw in your breeding might be because you have two males...your only supposed to have one swordtail male and maybe 2 or 3 females or more....patience is another key in breeding swordtails

 

[Wisperian]

Is the male crazily pestering the females? Is he swinging the gonopodium out at times and tries to poke the female's anal fin with it?

 

[wolfie33]

to me i dont think there is really a technique in breeding swordtails or any livebearers.Even raising the temp is no sure way,raising the temp IMO is only going to make it a shorter birth.
A male wont stop mating with the female just because she's pregnant either!
If they wont mate i'd say it's more to do with the other fish in the tank maybe chasing them away or somthing rather than them not being interested.
If you havent you could get a cheap plain tank and simply rehouse the swordtails into that, then to me there impossible not to breed.

Now i'm going to risk sounding dumb here but i have to admit i'm not the biggest authority on swordtails but i do remember hearing somewhere that females can change into males if there is a female only system set up so they can atempt to breed, but the NOW male fish cant repoduce,if that info is correct then maybe this happend!

 

[Idolz]

Now i'm going to risk sounding dumb here but i have to admit i'm not the biggest authority on swordtails but i do remember hearing somewhere that females can change into males if there is a female only system set up so they can atempt to breed, but the NOW male fish cant repoduce,if that info is correct then maybe this happend!

I do have a male that was once a female. None of my males chase the females, or at least I haven't saw it yet. Also then only other type of fish in the tank are Cory cats and neon tetras. I think that I might try buying at least one more male and a few more females and see how it goes.
Thanks for you replies.