Swordtail X Platy

[randallhart]

Just wondering has anyone had any experience crossing the two? And I wonder what it would look like. And to have the tail of the swordtail would it be better to have a female sword and a male platy or a female platy and male sword?

 

[helterskelter]

Basically all shop fish are a cross between the two species, this is why the colours are similar, it's not easy to cross them, and if the have the chose they will breed with their own species, it's only possible when there is no other species.

Their are natural wild platies that have swordtail so if that what your wanting then have a look at the wild fish.

 

[randallhart]

 

[helterskelter]

Not the best of pic but this is a wild swordtail that look like a platy with a swordtail.

it's called Xiphophorus cortezi and they are around but not the eaisyest to find.

 

[randallhart]

Thank you. I figured it would look something like that.

 

[LOOBYLOU]

I have mickey mouse platys that have crossed with a red swordtail.

Although they are only about 6 weeks old the fry have the characteristics of the platy - they have the mickey mouse markings and the shape - however, 5 of the 6 are the dark orange of the swordtail. One of them is almost white in the body with orange and yellow round the back end like the mother.

No swords developing yet but all six seem to be doing well

Will have to see how they survive

The swordtails themselves have not bred yet - I have a male red, two pineapple females, on white female and one navy with turquoise flecks

Am hoping for the orange to breed with the navy/turquoise

 

[diburning]

If you ever go to a LFS and see black swordtails, they are hybrids. Black swordtails are usually sick, and their fry don't live (some can't breed at all!)

The red swordtails are also a swordtail platy cross. I don't know about the other color variants, but it is plausible that they are.

 

[helterskelter]

They have been crossed many times, thats why you get the same colour's in both platy's and swords.

Data goe's back to the 1920's

But here's a photo documenting crosses from www.xiphophorus.org