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FAQs on the Swordtail Behavior Related Articles:
Swordtails & Poeciliids: Guppies, Platies, Swordtails, Mollies
by Neale Monks, Livebearing Fishes
by Bob Fenner,
Related FAQs: Swordtails 1,
Swordtails 2,
Swordtail Identification, Swordtail
Compatibility, Swordtail Selection,
Swordtail Systems,
Swordtail Feeding,
Swordtail Disease,
Swordtail Reproduction,
Livebearers, Guppies,
Platies, Mollies,
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Xiphophorus; behaviour, repro
8/3/08
hello again, sorry to bother you Neale,
<Hello,>
I swear that sending emails to you will not become a common practice of
mine- I can assure you this. And I hope you don't think I'm a nuisance
already (for, this would be my third question to you).
<Fire away!>
My platys are not sick, their tank's ph, ammonia, chlorine, etc- they're all
fine. Nothing is physically wrong with my fish. My problem is simply this: I
bought some new fish (I've upgraded to a 20 gallon- so don't worry I have
the room). One of my new fish is a white Mickey mouse platy and he seems
fine and mild tempered; he displays no aggression towards any of my fish,
except one. She is a female I've had for a long time and I've grown quite
fond of her.
<The males will pester whatever female they deem to be "fittest" in terms of
being the most attractive recipient of their genetic material. How they make
those choices is complex. But in any event, what you're seeing simply means
he likes this girl the most.>
I'd hate to have anything happen to her. It pains me to see the new fish
chase only that one female fish around. Other female fish are fine and so is
my one other male. My question to you is: why is the new white male singling
out only one of my fish?
<Entire PhD theses are written on mate selection! Broadly speaking, male
livebearers are shorter lived than the females. They are smaller, brighter
colours, and often encumbered with things that make them worse swimmers
(e.g., longer fins). So males have to breed quickly. Females are bigger,
camouflaged, and stronger swimmers, so they can take their time and choose
mates carefully. Producing sperm is cheap and easy, so males can afford to
mate frequently. Females are stuck with the eggs their born with, and each
pregnancy places a heavy energy demand on the female, so she wants to mate
only when it is in her best interests to do so. This creates a tension
between the males (who want to mate urgently) and females (who want to mate
carefully). Bottom line: males will pester whichever females they want to
mate with. This is why with livebearers I like to tell people to be generous
about the size of the tank; to keep them in fairly big numbers to dilute
aggression/harassment; to keep more females than males; and to provide lots
of floating plants so that females have hiding places.>
I've never seen this before. Usually when I pick a mean fish, it will attack
all the fish in the tank, or at least two or three. This one is dead set on
following and sometimes nipping at just one fish in particular.
<Does happen.>
Will this behavior go away with time?
<No guarantees.>
Should I give this situation time?
<Up to a point, but if she's having trouble resting and feeding, then that's
going to cause problems ere too long.>
Will the stress of constantly being chased back and forth kill one of my
favorite fish?
<Conceivably.>
I am very worried. I would like to keep the new fish, as he is very pretty
and I want to keep a good female to male ratio so that my one dominant
female doesn't become too possessive of my one male. But I understand that
if the new fish's behavior is not something that will go away, I will have
to return him to the store.
<If you have space, I'd add some more females. I can't remember how big your
tank is, so be sensible about this. But adding females usually benefits the
livebearer aquarium. Adding decent sized floating plants (e.g. Indian Fern)
would be another cheap-and-cheerful solution that might work.>
Thank you for taking the time to read my questions and I hope I'm not a
nuisance. The questions on your site don't really seem to be geared toward
platy behavior so much as platy illnesses. I figured a direct question to
you would be a better avenue.
<Indeed.>
Thank you so much!
<Cheers, Neale.>
Re: Xiphophorus; behaviour, repro
8/4/08
Neale,
Thank you for responding to my questions. I had a feeling it was something
to do with fish affection but I wasn't sure. Better to be safe than sorry,
right?
<You mean fish aggression rather than affection, I suspect! And yes, better
safe than sorry.>
I do have room for three more fish and this time I'll be more careful as to
what sex of fish I choose. My tank probably does need more hideaways and
I'll work on that as well. Again, thank you for all your help!
<Sounds like a good plan. Good luck! Neale.>
Male Swordtail Terror 6/26/08
Hello Neale and all WWM Crew. Happy Summer to you.
<And to you>
This is a question on a male swordtail terrorizing the other two in a 125
gallon tank.
The end string below summarizes our fish quantity, but recap is 50 fish;
community of platys, swords, mollis, Corys.
There are 7-8 assorted female swords. There are 3 males; a medium pineapple,
a small black (mature, and a large red 'standard LFS' male. All have been in
the tank 6 months to a year. The tank has corner pumps, many fake rocks,
plastic grass, etc to hide in. Early on the very large red male was boss and
would harass the black one only, who has never attained great size. This
stopped. All was calm. Now the very large red is no longer the kingpin male.
Though not the largest, the pineapple has begun to really harass, chase, and
bite the black and the red.
<Strange>
Both are becoming skinny, show fin loss, and hide in corners. They can't get
to food without being chased the length of the tank. They are not diseased
in any way.
With 7 females, we thought we were ok; decided to let nature take its course
over the last two weeks. But we couldn't stand it, the pineapple is
downright being a brute. Today we isolated the pineapple in a large plastic
colander in the 125 tank.
<Good move>
Here are what we feel are our options:
1. Buy more females and hope for the best in the 125 tank.
2. Move the pineapple to a 10 gallon empty fry tank that is operating, along
with two females. Hope he wears himself out and the other two recover and
fatten up in the 125 tank.
3. Move the red and black male swords to the fry tank along with 4 females
to fatten up.
4. Do nothing and hope for the best. (We feel the two harassed swords will
die of starvation if we do this.)
5. Hang the pineapple from a yardarm in front of the other fish as a lesson
at high noon.
<Heeee! Hang 'em high!>
Please tell what you think and elaborate as to the +/- of each option.
Many thanks,
Rosemary and Don
<I would go with #1... and possibly try changing the food. Do look into
supplanting what you use with Spectrum pellets... sometimes nutritional
deficiency can be a large player in affecting fish behavior. I have found
this food to be excellent nutritionally, very palatable (to the fishes!),
and a calming influence. Cheers, Bob Fenner>Re: Male Swordtail Terror/Food, Ratio
Males to Females 6/27/08
Mr. Fenner,
<Rose and Don>
Many thanks for your helpful reply. Our pineapple sword remains in solitary
on bread and water pending purchase of more female swords.
<Good>
Missed asking the question of what ratio of males to females might solve our
problem. If 2.33 to 1 is not working (7 Females and 3 males), how many
females total would be appropriate for 3 male swordtails in our 125 gallon
tank with the current animosity?
<"The more the merrier"... at least three to one... Am now humming a
modified Beach Boys tune...>
We feed twice daily. Always daily Wardly Algae Tablets (Corys and the rubber
lips), and alternate Tetra Tropical Flakes with shrimp pellets or blood
worms. We never personally thought much of the shrimp pellets, too messy.
How does that sound for balance and nutrition?
<I'd add some more with greens, or greens themselves...>
Anything there a waste of time? We will immediately add in the Spectrum
Community Pellets to the mix when we get to the LFS>
<Is a great product... as you and your aquatic charges will find>
Thanks again and cheers,
Rosemary and Don
<And to you, BobF>
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Swordtail Fry Growth
11/2/07
Hey WWM,
My swordtail gave birth about a month ago and I was wondering if this is
about the proper size for them.
The picture is attached.
<Oh yes, very nice. Thanks for sharing. James (Salty Dog)>
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Re: Fin rot - water changes | summer heat |
Melafix and Furan, now Xiphophorus beh. – 07/24/07
Bob--
<Anna>
One more question ;--). this time more about fish's behavior.
<Ok>
I noticed that most of my fish (actually all, with the exception of a female red
sword) "look at me" by using a left eye. No matter which side of the aquarium I
choose for an observation, the fish I monitor always positions itself such a way
that it can examine me by using its left eye. I do not know why my fish do it
;--) but I find it somehow funny.
<I too... as in unusual>
Another remark relates to my red sword.
Few months ago that fish got sick and I had to separate it and place it in the
hospital tank.
I am not sure if fish can "go through depression,
<I am very sure that many do experience such states>
" but when that red sword
was in the hospital tank it looked miserable ;--( I was checking on the water
condition every day, but the water was perfect. Also, the hospital tank had lots
of hiding spots and artificial plants, yet the fish remained in the same corner
all the time. I even cut a fine strip of a colored film and enveloped it around
the tank to provide maximum "privacy." Yet still, the fish stayed at the same
corner...
Also, after a medication got completely dissolved and the fresh water was added
to the hospital tank the fish still looked quite "sad."
Finally, after 2 weeks of treatment I moved that fish back to the display tank.
Within just a few days the red sword completely rejuvenated... I know the red
swords are "community fish," but is it possible that fish can find a companion
of other fish so indispensable ...?
<Yes>
Anyway, the more I observe my fish the more I am convinced they are truly
amazing species.
<We are in agreement>
Anna
the aquatic follower ;--)
<And leader. BobF> Swordtail
fish, beh. 7/19/07
Hi, my name is Mélida. I just started my first 10 gallon tank. This
morning I was cleaning the tank, and when I went to put my fish back in
the thank the net was broken so I grab each one with my hands, but when
I put the swordtail male in, he looks like and S. Is he going to die? Or
his going to get better? I feel so guilty of his condition and I don’t
Know what to do.
Sorry about my spelling. I’m from Panamá I don’t know how to write in
English.
<Hello Mélida! When fish are alarmed they automatically bend into an S
shape, and then open up again rapidly. It's called the "Mauthner Reflex"
and allows them to quickly swim away from danger without "thinking"
about it. It is similar to our reflex, when we pull our hand from
something hot or painful. Anyway, if the S shape doesn't change, and the
fish stays bent, this is more serious. It can be caused by physical
damage. Fish are very "soft" and easily damaged. If your net is broken,
then use a glass jar or something similar instead (in fact a glass jar
is better for spiny fishes like catfish). Sometimes a fish will go into
strange body positions when it is severely stressed. It may recover if
left alone. So at the moment, wait and see what happens. Cheers, Neale>
Re: Swordtail
fish 7/19/07
Hi Neale . Thanks for your help. My swordtail fish is doing great I'm so
happy that his ok. And this morning I found a bunch of fries in the tank. (45).
Gracias for your help and god bless you
<Thanks for the kind wishes, and likewise, I wish you and your new baby fishes
good luck! Neale>
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Hello! I have a few questions about
swordtails! Beh., comp., repro. – 07/01/07
Dear Crew at WetWebMedia
Hello, my name is Oksana. I have two swordtails, a male and female, and a 1 1/2
gallon tank. (Yes, I know, terrible, but my parents won't let me get a bigger
one.) Bob, the male, has been living a few months in my possession, seems very
healthy. Betty, (The female, I just got her today, June 30) seems healthy too.
Before Betty, we've had male swordtails, and Bob, being the dominant one, has
always shown a little aggression toward the smaller and weaker ones, and
unfortunately, they perished. So anyway, Bob was left alone. The problem is, is
that Betty is pregnant. We got her pregnant already from the fish store, and Bob
keeps nipping at her. Not full class "bites" just nips. She chases him away of
course, but I keep wondering if that's normal swordtail behavior. I have read
most of your pages in breeding swordtails, but do you have any extra advice? The
local petshop has already to take in the young fry when they're a few months
old, but I have a question on that too. How fast do fry mature? I have seaweed
in my tank, a filter, and a hiding place, (Yes, I wonder how they all fit and
the fish still have swimming room...) so I don't think I need to take the female
out when she gives birth. Any other tips on what to do will be fully
appreciated. Thanks very much, Oksana
<Greetings. Yes, 1.5 gallons is far too small for swordtails. A 20 gallon tank
would be my recommendation for fishes as large and active as these. Males are
aggressive, and in small tanks it is safest to keep just one male plus 2-3
females. Females do get harassed by males. There's nothing you can do to prevent
this in a tank as small as yours. In a bigger tank, you can rely on plants and
rocks to give the female security. But in a small tank, she has nowhere to hide.
Long term, the male will likely kill any fry that appear as well. Do not, under
any circumstances, place the female in a breeding trap or breeding net.
Swordtails are too big for these, and get stressed. Worse case, they die, but
more usually spend all their time thrashing about trying to escape. As you know,
swordtails are very fast and extremely good at jumping. The ideal when breeding
livebearers is to place the female into another tank where she can deliver her
fry safely. Good luck! Neale> |
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Baby Livebearer Changing Color – 04/29/07
Hello WWM, I have a very peculiar problem. I have a tank with a
couple of fish - a guppy, an orange swordtail and a black molly, with
two of the surviving babies of the swordtail and the molly. One of the
babies is orange, and the other is orange with big black patches on its
tail. They are about two weeks old, and a little less than 2cm long.
Now, I noticed that sometimes the black patches on the tail of the
mulatto baby fade until they are almost gone, and the orange gets almost
transparent! Then when I come back and look at them again, say, 10min
later, the black is back and the orange is rich and bright again. The
other baby is smaller and not very intensely orange yet as it is, so I
can't tell if there's a difference, and the adult fish seem to be okay.
I think the guppy fades too, but maybe I'm just paranoid. This has
happened twice now, once just after I turned their light on in the
morning (black was faded, but came back after light was on for a couple
minutes), and the second time I can't remember, I think again after
turning the light on. It doesn't happen every time I turn the light on
after a night of darkness, just occasionally lately. Is this normal? Are
they just trying to hide in the dark? I'm confused. They seem very happy
otherwise; I haven't had any other problems. Please help. Thanks, Didi
< The color changes are the result of mood swings. A confident little
fish will be showing off. A shy, timid fish that is afraid it will be
eaten, will try and blend into its surroundings by dulling its
coloration.-Chuck.
Swordtail With Fading Spot – 04/30/07
Hi again, Thanks for the response. I don't think that's the problem
though. Of the two babies, the one with the fading color is the dominant
one. It's about twice the size of the other one, even though they are of
the same littler, and always eats with the big fish, as opposed to the
little one which swims around the bottom and eats falling food bits. The
small one hides more, too, while the big one swims around wherever it
wants to. I didn't think mood mattered, so I didn't mention these
details in my first email. So, assuming the fading baby is not shy and
it's not mood swings, is there anything else that could be going on?
Thanks, Didi
<Still think its mood and here is why. The dominant baby is only
dominant to the other, smaller fry. Not to the other adults. So in order
to mingle with the adults it shows its submissive dull colors. If it
showed its dominant coloration it would be chased by the other
adults.-Chuck.>
Re: Swordtail Baby Changes Markings When The light Is On
5/2/07
But... but... but it changes back to intense colors when I turn the
light on too feed them, a.k.a. the time when it mingles with the adults
the most, to get food! When it's eating alongside them by the surface,
its colors are bright. Dark black. Always. And it swims nosily around
the big fish like that, unlike the smaller one which stays away. The
only thing I can link discoloration to, from my observation, is lack of
light in the tank. Maybe it loses color when it sleeps at night and is
more vulnerable, to blend in? Sorry for emailing you again... :-D
Didi
< There are definitely color changes when the lighting is changed. Many
fish communicate using their markings and colors. When it is dark, most
fish try to blend in to their natural surroundings so not to attract a
predator they cannot see. When the light is on and they feel safe, they
will show off to the other fish. Your swordtail may be a male and be
thinking about spawning or at least attracting a female. This may
account for some of your observations. It doesn't sound like any disease
problems.-Chuck>
Swordtail problem 1/11/07
Hi,
<Hello>
Y'day I
got about 8 mollies and a couple of swordtail. When I introduced them to our
tank they took sometime to settle down. But the female swordtail kept running up
and down the walls of the tank. But this morning when I checked on them the
female swordtail it seems to stay on the surface minimal movement. Sometimes it
goes to the bottom of the tank but still stays with minimal activity. Is it some
kind of a disease? I have no idea what could be the problem Please help.
Thanks
Veronica.
<Likely just "settling in", acclimating to the move, new system... Please read
here:
http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/swordsysfaqs.htm
and the linked files above. Bob Fenner>
When do male Swordtails develop their swords? 12/4/06
Hi. I have a Swordfish "101" question.
<Okey-doke.>
When do male swordtail fry finally develop their sword?
<Generally around the same time they develop their gonopodium, or male sexual
organ, which happens around 4-6 months.>
I have 10 swordtail fry which are 3 months old and none have yet to develop
swords.
<I have not personally bred swordtails, but with my molly and platy fry, I've
noticed that sometime around 4-6 months they seem to have a "growth spurt", and
develop their distinguishing sexual characteristics, adult coloration, and
size...>
If it helps, the swords are either called Wag Tail or Tuxedo but they're
definitely not of the completely orange variety.
<It can be hard to tell ultimate coloration on juvies. I've thought molly fry
were going to be completely white, only to find out they are really Dalmatian
spotted when they become 4 or 5 months old!>
On another note, I'd like to thank you for stressing, on the WWW site, the use
of proper English grammar. I imagine it's a terrible waste of your time having
to correct the errors of so many people that write-in...
<write in, no hyphen!>
...who are either too lazy or too ignorant to write properly. We need the WWW
crew in our schools!
<Thanks for the kind words. Honestly, I personally don't mind a few mistakes
here and there (heck, we all make them), but the "e-slang" that so many folks
insist upon drives me nuts. But then again, I am a member of the apostrophe
Protection Society, and as such, in all likelihood, not completely normal...>
Thank you very much for your time.
Ricky V.
<You're welcome. Enjoy your swordtail fry - livebearer juvies are so cute and
fun, in my opinion! Best regards, Jorie>
Swordtails ... dis.? Beh. 11/28/06
Hi, I love your site. Anyways I got some swordtails from my LFS and I got 2
males and 3 females. Anyways they seem to have been settling in good, (for the
past 3 hours I've had them) and I've noticed that one of the females is just
sitting by the bottom. It is mostly black so I cannot tell if it is pregnant by
looking for the fry's eyes. Are there any other signs?
<See WWM re>
Its fins towards its head (kind of look like arms) are moving pretty fast.
Another question, all of my swordtails are staying towards the bottom of the
tank,
<This from likely just being new... recovering from transport, new
surroundings... acclimation>
I have a Gourami that likes to stay near the top, could it be the Gourami
pushing them down?
<Possibly, but doubtful>
Also I have 2 yo-yo loaches patrolling the bottom, could those get aggressive
towards the swordtails too?
<Good question/s... but not likely here either>
Thanks in advance,
Tommy
<Welcome. Bob Fenner>
Swordtail & Corydoras behavior - 05/13/2006
Hello again,
All my swords are now active and schooling. I've figured out the problem with
the last female I bought. While at the pet store the other day I
noticed they had a new tank marked "high finned platy". Apparently they had the
red swag high finned platys and red swag swords in together,
<Yikes... not smart. Can/do inter-breed>
on top of that this platy is a male because he has the single pectoral fin.
<Mmm, not this>
My criteria for determining whether I was buying male or female swords didn't
work on a platy :P I'm going to get a couple female high finned platys so
hopefully the male sword will stop picking on the male platy.
<A good plan>
Looking at him you'd never know he wasn't a sword (other than the large top
fin), he even schools with the swords but the male chases him around every once
in a while and at feeding the male sword gets very aggressive toward the platy.
<Yes, natural>
Anyway, enough of my rambling, I've got another question for you.
I originally bought 3 Corys, 1 bronze and 2 albino, I thought because they were
the same species they would school.
<Maybe>
Well one albino died the first night, and the remaining albino and bronze would
just sit by themselves all the time in the corner or under a rock. I waited a
couple days to make sure no other fish were having problems in the tank and
added 2 more bronze and all 3 schooled up right away but the albino still just
sat there, he'd come out to eat and then go right back to his hiding spot. I had
already setup a larger tank for my Betta and decided I'd do a school of albino
Corys in it so I bought 2 and moved the one from my other tank to the new one,
and
again, he found a hiding spot and just sits there, the other 2 schooled right
up. I added 3 more a couple days ago and all 5 school and ferret
around the bottom looking for food but the original one just sits there.
<Give it time...>
If another Cory or I bother him he'll get up and start looking for food for a
few sec.s and then he swims back to his spot. He'll also swim out to eat when I
drop shrimp or algae pellets in. I guess I'm trying to figure out why he won't
school or at least do something besides just sit there. Thanks in advance.
<Takes some individuals a bit of time... Patience here. Bob Fenner>
Swordtail behavior - 04/27/06
Hello, while looking up some odd behavior I observed today I came across
your site and only one question was left unanswered.
Being my first freshwater aquarium I bought a book at PetSmart and it suggested
the sword tail as a good starter species to cycle the tank
<Uh, no...>
so I bought 3 as it suggested and put them in, 2 females red (with black fins)
and a male pineapple. The larger female stays hidden almost all the time staring
at her reflection and occasionally tapping the glass. The smaller female and the
male seem to have paired up and swim around together a lot and sometimes just go
chill by the larger female in her hiding spot but there's no aggression between
them. The guide I'm following though is for a 29 gallon tank and I have a 37 so
I decided to add a couple fish to the plan and went and bought another pineapple
female the next day. After putting the pineapple female in tank she began
swimming all over but the small red
female seems to be chasing and nipping at the pineapple female and sometimes the
male will join the small red female in a charge but never really chases the
pineapple female like the small red female does. The small red female and the
pineapple female are about the same size. Should I separate them or is this just
a normal adjustment period of the fish establishing their hierarchy?
<It might be that the "new-ness" of the tank, changing/evolving water quality is
a contributor here, but Swords are naturally somewhat nippy... I would leave all
as is here, and keep monitoring your system for cycling... adding no more
livestock, carefully feeding till it is done completely. Bob Fenner>
Swordtails
What does it mean when a male nibbles at the female swordtails ventral
area?<could be a mating ritual or just aggression...I would keep an eye on
the two and see if the female is getting hurt or stressed out. If the latter
occurs I would put the female in a breeding net> Is he trying 2 kill her
unborn babies in an attempt 2 mate w/ her?!! <doubtful-but would keep a close
eye on the fish, IanB>
Swordtail Strangeness
Last Friday, I bought 3 female swordtails. I'm not positive what variety
they are; two are sort of goldish colored and the other is orange with
black fins that are tipped in yellow (really pretty!). Well, in the LFS,
the orange one had some black spots on his head. I asked the girl
working if those were normal and she said yes. I honestly didn't have a
clue so I just trusted her. It was the only female of the variety left
so I didn't have much choice. Well, I got home and quarantined all three
in the same tank (10 gallon, Whisper filter, 78 degrees F, 50% water
from main tank, 50% treated tap water). Several hours later when I
checked to see how they were doing, the black spots were gone! So what
does this mean? Is she sick? Was she sick? Should I quarantine them
longer than I'm planning (1 more week)? Ever heard of anything like
this? All three of them seem very healthy right now and those spots have
never come back. Thanks for any help you can provide. David
<<David, I have no clue. The only thing I can think of is a color change
due to stress, so the black spots could return. Although platies rarely change
color due to stress, but I guess it's possible. I can't think of any other
reason for the spots to disappear so quickly. Quarantine them for a couple of
weeks. At any rate, keep an eye on your fish for any other physical changes, and
test your water regularly for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrates. Good luck!
-Gwen>>
Aggressive female swordtail 5/31/04
I have a couple of swordtails, (1 male and 1 female). The female (who is
larger a bit than the mail) is really aggressive. they were ok the first couple
of day after I got them, but now the male is always hiding, and every time he
goes out the female attacks him so he goes back to hiding. what does that mean??
<either the honeymoon is over, or the beer has run out <G>. But
seriously, it sounds like a simple case of territorial aggression. If the tank
is not overstocked, do consider adding more leafy coverage/plants (plastic or
live), or perhaps rearranging what you have if plentiful already. Best of luck,
Anthony>
Strange Swordtail Behavior -Old or Sick?
Hi there,
Sorry to bother you but I am hoping you can help. We have a mixed 15gal
tank including some swordtails tetras and two clown loaches. Recently
the oldest of the swordtail females - (we have had her over a year and
she is at least three inches long & full grown when we got her) -
She has started acting very strangely and stopped eating. All the other
fish in the tank look fine and eat and swim normally. This one swims
"frantically" around near the surface of the water with the top of her
head just barely brushing the surface. I have not seen her eat anything
for at least a week. She has gotten very thin, but continues to swim
despite apparent exhaustion which occasionally has her drift to the
bottom for a "rest" period. She then returns to the surface and sticks
her nose toward the air again.
We have both an internal Eheim filter (we live in the Netherlands so you
may not know these brands) as well as some extra aeration via a bubble
wand since the internal filter doesn't aerate. We have done two 25%-30%
water changes in the last two weeks in case it was a water quality
issue. We have also tried treating with a locally available "broad
spectrum" product "Exit" that claimed (in Dutch) to cure "most common
fish ailments.
So if this is not simply old age. apparently it is an Uncommon ailment.
I would like to know if this sounds like anything remotely curable. She
just keeps getting skinnier and skinnier and she was so strong to last
this long, but she is simply getting worse not better, but doesn't seem
to want to die of old age....Any ideas?
Thanks for any input!
Laura
< It sounds like an internal bacterial infection that may have been drought on
by advanced age. In a clean warm quarantine tank I would try Metronidazole or a
heavy dose of Furanace. You fish has been ill/weak for a while so it may not be
strong enough for a triple dose of Furanace. So try a single dose and see if
there is any effect.-Chuck>
Shy Swordtail
Hello! I'm new to the fish game, learning all the time - thanks in large part to your site! My question is about a female swordtail I bought a couple weeks ago. I think she's pregnant, buy my question is about how she's acting - she hides all the time! I have a large piece of coral in my tank - she spends about 80% of her time squeezed into the nooks and crannies. The few times that I've coaxed her out (at one point, I thought she might have died in the coral), she
leaves the coral and goes straight into another decor item I have, and hides there! I have one other female swordtail, a male, plus several goldfish and 6 neon tetras. All the fish get along really well, except for this one shy one. Is this behavior an indication that she's pregnant? Or, is this just the way she is? Any suggestions for helping her "come out of her shell? Thanks for your help!
Tom
<Many females will go off by themselves when ready to drop. Both she and the fry would make an easy target for a hungry cichlid if not. Could just be a shy fish also. The more places a shy fish as to hide, the more it will come out. It will feel safer. The big problem I see is mixing tropicals and goldfish. Not good. The
Neons and swords want a temp in the high 70s to low 80s. The goldfish at least ten degrees cooler. They also do better on different diets. For the long term health of these fish I suggest you return the goldfish. To keep several goldfish for life requires a tank of over 150 gallons. Don>
Swordtails Dueling it Out
Hi there, here is the history--We bought 4 swordtails 2 males and 2 females, the one female died within 2 weeks, now the other female is pregnant. My 2 males seem to be getting really aggressive with one another, and I am wondering what we should do. Is this normal??? We don't have the set up to breed right now so we are not worried about keeping the fry but I also don't want the males to kill each other off??? Any suggestions???
< When it comes to mating games survival goes to the fittest. If the males are not breeding then they are attempting to drive off potential
suitors. I would add lots of plants and give the loses many places to hide and /or rest. You could always
separate them if you had another tank.-Chuck>
Aggressive swordtails 8/9/05
Hey I have a 15 gallon with 3 "teenager" marble sailfin mollies, and 6
swordtails (2 red-white, 2 green, 1 black, 1 pineapple).
I have 3 males and 3 females, and I know that the female ratio needs to be
higher, so I put 1 male in my 10 gallon, but my males continued to be very
aggressive.
<Happens... ratios are better at three or more females per male>
The mollies seem to have nothing to do with the swords, and the swords are not
aggressive toward the mollies.
<About right>
So I continued to watch them and the "bully" male is quite larger than the other
2 males, and 2 females. He chases around the two males and the two smaller
females. However, the large female chases him around!!
So is there anything you suggest before I can find some time to find some new
healthy females to add?? Thanks.
BMERANG
<Separate the bully... in a hanging net, breeding trap, floating colander in the
tank. Bob Fenner>
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