Our pregnat Swordtail

[Kinga]

Hi everyone...

We really don't know how to go about our pregnat swordtail...she is already very big and I am affraid that if we won't know how to handle the delivery...we may loose some fish.
our tank is very important to our 3 year old and I don't want him to really learn about fish eating fish yet.
Any suggestions???

 

[thebulk]

Get a glass or plastic divider (I use a 4.5mm Acrylic sheet, easier to work with), and get holes drilled in it (very small to allow water movement but not fish movement)

Depending on how many fish you have in your tank give your female about a third of the tank and the rest of your fish the other two thirds, ie seperate your female from all the rest. once the female gives birth move her to the other side of the tank and you can either then move the divider to give the older fishes more room or you can ciphen the fry (baby fish) into a smaller tank (if you have one). You can have a lot of fry in a batch (ie avg 40) so your 3 year old should'nt know if any get eaten but im in the smae position with my female sword about to give birth and Ive never had a pregnant swordtail but Im told they are the same as guppies which the mother does eat her young if available. In the side of your tank with the mother put alot of places for the fry to hide (eg dense plants) maybe even large marbles placed on the bottom.\

Sorry for writing an essay but I hope I have been of some help!

Good luck with it.

B)