What Happened To Mama?

[Inchworm]

About two weeks ago I had a swordtail female give birth to all these fry:



Afterward the mother looked like this:



When I moved her out of the breeding net, I put her into my cory grow out tank where she would not be bothered by other fish. She swam normally but would not eat. After almost a week she died. What happened to her? Was it anything I could have prevented or cured?

 

[omega59]

Looks like terberculouses or an internal parasite. Try the emerg section.

 

[hughessomefish]

O so sorry inchworm I am no expert but for sure I Can at least tell it was something internal.

But look on the bright side you have that good amount of fry from her so really she is still here .

this happened to my platy a few weeks ago and it also was long and painful for her,was she swimming weridly?

lil buddy

 

[Inchworm]

Oh, thanks for the thought, hughessomefish.

I'm pretty sure it was something to do with pregnancy or delivery of the fry. She was round and healthy the morning I put her in the breeding net. In less than an hour I noticed the first of her fry in there with her. Then I got company and I looked once during the afternoon. She appeared to be fine. Late in the afternoon I found her with all those fry and her stomach looked caved in.

I have a pair of beautiful lyretail swordtail females that I have never let near a male. I had been thinking about breeding them with the father of these fry. Should I risk it?

 

[hughessomefish]

Well i am all about taking risks but could this be somthing genetic is what i am wondering.

 

[Inchworm]

Any other ideas?

 

[OldMan47]

I have seen this once in a while with a livebearer female and have never really known why it happens. It never seems to affect the other fish in the tank and I suspect it has something to do with the stresses involved in the fry drop itself. In my own experiences, there never seems to be anything that is communicated to the other fish like an infectious disease might be. The other females in the tank keep right on producing fry with no problems and the fry are all healthy afterward.

 

[Inchworm]

Thanks, OM.

I agree that it didn't appear to be a disease. Before I moved her into the net, she was healthy looking and as perky as can be. It looks more like she somehow damaged her insides while having the fry, or like she had no muscle tone left to hold her natural shape.

The fry are all looking good and growing well.