Swordtail fish pregnant?

[Janicedelore]

The gentleman at the fish store told us he thought this swordtail fish was pregnant when we brought it home on November 23rd. Does anyone think it's actually pregnant? It has seemed to have gotten a bit aggressive the last week or so. I hate to put her in a breeder tank if she isn't pregnant but don't want to miss my chance and have the babies be eaten if she is.

 

[Fray]

Ha, she actually looks angry in the first shot!
She looks as tho she has a gravid spot in second photo, and if she is, or has been, with males, she will be pregnant.
And will be dropping fry for months.
Mine dropped four batches of fry after I rehomed my male, it got to be just too many babies. Even with leaving them in the tank and letting nature take it's course, there were at least twenty from each batch that survived the first few grueling days.
My female would get cranky when near due, chase off other fish from her patch etc.
Good luck!

 

[Janicedelore]

Good to know that some survived still. She was with males at the fish store and with a male in the current tank. She does look angry! She acts it too. Here's a (hopefully) more clear picture.

 

[GaryE]

She looks like she might have recently dropped fry. You missed round one. But a breeder box is small and will almost force her to eat her young. If you want to breed swords, she'll need her own tank, from which she can be taken out after the drop. You then have somewhere to raise the babies.

Otherwise, the other fish feast.

 

[emeraldking]

She does look pregnant. But not because of a gravid spot being present. For also a non pregnant female would show a gravid spot.
With swordtails it's always a guess wether they'll eat the fry or not. For there are also female swordtails that leave their fry alone when born.

 

[Janicedelore]

I have a breeder box thing where the fry drop below and are able to be separated from mom but haven't put her in it yet as I feel bad putting her in the little thing without knowing if or when she'd have fry.

 

[Essjay]

Those tiny boxes stress the mother, and swordtails are not tiny fish to be cooped in there. The best way to use these boxes is to let the female give birth in the tank then catch the fry and put them in the box.
Female swordtails can store sperm from a single mating and use it to have fry every month or so for many months. So even if you miss this batch there will be lots more fry over the next year.

 

[emeraldking]

I have a breeder box thing where the fry drop below and are able to be separated from mom but haven't put her in it yet as I feel bad putting her in the little thing without knowing if or when she'd have fry.

You've seen my videos? The mother won't chase nor eat her fry. But that doesn't mean that yours will leave them alone, of course. That just differs per female.