Swordtail pregnant

[Tyler777]

How long till a heavily pregnant swordtail gives birth ?
She's been heavily pregnant for at least 3 weeks n inside a birth cage for the last week but still not fry.
I feel bad for her being in that small birth cage not being able yo swim around the big tank.
And I don't have a better option or tank adapted for birth of fry.
This mall cage is all I have n I do want to save the fry from being eaten

 

[emeraldking]

The average gestation period for a swordtail is between 4-5 weeks. If I don't want to let the female deliver the fry in the tank with others, I would p0lace her in another small tank or bucket. That's better than the floating birth cage as you call it.

Overhere a video of mine. The female doesn't chase nor eat her fry. If you don't trust your female to eat her fry, you could place some floating plants in there.

 

[Colin_T]

Don't put females in breeding traps/ nets because it stresses them out.

Have lots of plants in the main tank and leave her to give birth when she's ready. If the adults are well fed and there's lots of plants for the babies to hide in, they don't normally get eaten and you can scoop them out in a cup and put the babies in the breeding trap/ net to grow up a bit.

 

[Tyler777]

The average gestation period for a swordtail is between 4-5 weeks. If I don't want to let the female deliver the fry in the tank with others, I would p0lace her in another small tank or bucket. That's better than the floating birth cage as you call it.

Overhere a video of mine. The female doesn't chase nor eat her fry. If you don't trust your female to eat her fry, you could place some floating plants in there.

I never had a female swordtale pregnant but I did have a goopie

Don't put females in breeding traps/ nets because it stresses them out.

Have lots of plants in the main tank and leave her to give birth when she's ready. If the adults are well fed and there's lots of plants for the babies to hide in, they don't normally get eaten and you can scoop them out in a cup and put the babies in the breeding trap/ net to grow up a bit.

I never had a pregnant swordtail but I did have a guppy who ate each fry as they came out

 

[Colin_T]

I never had a pregnant swordtail but I did have a guppy who ate each fry as they came out

That is extremely rare and virtually unheard of here. If the fish were really hungry or the female was stressed, maybe. But I have never seen well fed livebearers eat their young.

 

[Tyler777]

That is extremely rare and virtually unheard of here. If the fish were really hungry or the female was stressed, maybe. But I have never seen well fed livebearers eat their young.

Well I've seen

 

[Tyler777]

I've seen it happening with my own eyes

 

[Tyler777]

4 weeks pregnant and still no fry

 

[emeraldking]

4 weeks pregnant and still no fry

Like I've already mentioned, it takes 4-5 weeks of an average gestation period in swordtails. And if she doesn't feel comfortable enough to drop fry, she can even hold on to them for longer.

 

[Tyler777]

Like I've already mentioned, it takes 4-5 weeks of an average gestation period in swordtails. And if she doesn't feel comfortable enough to drop fry, she can even hold on to them for longer.

Ok. Thank you

 

[Tyler777]

Well sadly I have to inform you that I came from work n fo7nd my mom to be swordtail belly up. Still with a huge belly but sadly gone

 

[Naughts]

I don’t know if she had been in the breeding trap for long, but they are very stressful for the adult female. They are ok for keeping fry separated after they are born in the tank.

 

[Lcc86]

I'm sorry to hear you lost your fish. This isn't a criticism but I know you've lost a few fish recently, it might be worth just standing back and taking stock of things, not adding anything for a while just in case there's something going on.

 

[Tyler777]

I don’t know if she had been in the breeding trap for long, but they are very stressful for the adult female. They are ok for keeping fry separated after they are born in the tank.

Too late for me to find out now. But I think she did get frustrated n mad. RIP my fishy

 

[Tyler777]

I'm sorry to hear you lost your fish. This isn't a criticism but I know you've lost a few fish recently, it might be worth just standing back and taking stock of things, not adding anything for a while just in case there's something going on.

Thanks brother. But this girl was from my first tank . That tank had been fully cycled for a few months with no deaths whatsoever.
The other fishes I kept losing were from the betta girls tank that tank got better but not 100 % . Nitrates is still a concern in that tank. Today there is water change in the horizon for that tank