The name 'swordtail' is derived from the elongated lower lobe of the male's caudal fin (tailfin). Red Velvet Swordtail. Xiphophorus comes from a Greek word meaning, “bearing a sword” or “holding a sword”. To tell male from female, closely look at the anal fin. To avoid such a situation, either place a lot of plants in the tank or separate the fry into another tank. However, if you want to use flake foods as part of their food, you will have to crush it into powder to ensure that your baby fish can eat it. Female platyfish, X. maculatus, and females in the sister genus, Priapella, favor conspecific males bearing artificial swords; these findings suggest that a female mating preference for swords is the ancestral state in Xiphophorus, and evolved prior to the sword ornament itself. They will start eating whatever you provide immediately after birth. Healthy and sexually active swordtails should deliver after a period of around four weeks after mating. 1). Fruits will provide your swordtails with the nutrients, minerals and vitamins they require each day. Failure to provide the right food and to maintain proper water conditions may delay their growth and as a result, you might need to keep them in the breeding tank for a longer time than necessary. Usually, they do not die because of old age. The male of the species develops a distinct ‘Sword’ in it tail fin as it matures, while the females do not. Egg yolk and brine shrimp are a perfect option. The ideal pH is 7.2 and hardness of 10 to 15 DH. The young ones are properly developed after the fertilization and the eggs are hatched. The males don’t even have the ‘sword’ tail at this point. There are many colour morphs of the Swordtail available and it is a deservedly popular aquarium fish. Other signs should also be noted such as the male behavior as they often flare their fins to sway the female. Water quality should also be maintained and once they are grown enough they can be moved to the other main aquarium or tank you have for the fish. Male swordtails have a long sword-like anal fin known as gonopodium. What to feed to the newborn fish? Pineapple Swordtail. The fish will have grown fully when six months old. At around the 2 year mark the growth rate of swordtails will slow down significantly regardless of their sex. Their beautiful bright colors would also gradually fade into duller shades. You are advised to keep more female fish than males in your tank. Separate tanks will also help you to minimize tank waste which is eventually beneficial for the baby fish’s health. At this stage, they will be 12-14 cm (5 – 5.5 inches) long including their swords. This dark spot is the eyes of the developing fry. When swordtail fry are born, they are very small. Swordtail fish are not large freshwater fish species, but they aren’t the smallest you’ll find, either. This has a direct role in reproduction — as opposed to the sword which is only there for show. Can the fish and babies stay in the same tank? Female swordtails can even give birth to … My name is Nadine; I am a passionate writer and a pet lover. You will have to provide them with good quality food of several varieties to keep them vibrant and healthy as they age. They can live in different temperature levels, water hardness and PH levels. Is a 2:1 male to female ratio going to be bad. That is common, I actually have one in my Swordtail planted 40g that decided to grow a tail after living as a female for 5-6 months. Do not provide fatty foods because it will affect their health negatively. If you do a good feeding job and water is clean, in one month, the swordtail fry will become juveniles. My guy won't leave the girl alone. In their natural habitats, swordtails can grow to over 6 inches particularly because they get enough space to facilitate the growth. The name relates to one of their physical qualities. I bought a female swordtail a month or two ago. Sexual dimorphism is moderate, with the female being larger than the male, but lacking the 'sword'. Male swords mature at different rates. Growing only to about 6 inches in length, the females of this species are larger than the males, who only grow to about five and a half inches. Once you are aware of the basic knowledge of swordtail mating, you ought to remember other linked factors too. Swordtails are peaceful. Male Swordtails develop swords as they mature but females do not develop swords on their fins. In swords, the lyretail gene (which arose in swords owned by Ms. Simpson in the 1950s if I remember correctly) causes the edges of fins to be elongated. The body of the pregnant female protects the baby and defends it in the water. You will know when your female swordtail is pregnant because of the dark gravid spot on her lower abdomen. It’s important to have larger tank if you’re planning to keep swordtails due to the possibility of them growing to this size. Vegetables are another essential part of the daily diet for swordtails. By doing that, you will help them grow faster too. Mainly, brine shrimp should form part of their diet each day. You will most likely notice an increasingly bulging belly of the female swordtail which will keep growing very quickly. Improper aquarium tank conditions will not allow the attainment of that size. Regular water changes are important, particularly if you prefer to feed the fry many times in a day. People usually call me by the nickname “Joy” because they think that I am …keep reading, Fluffyplanet.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com We do not provide veterinary suggestions. In some individuals, these tails can be as long as almost the length of the body. Your email address will not be published. Swordtails are simple to breed & beginners can easily breed them, if aquarium conditions are appropriate & if it consists of both males & females, reproduction will happen naturally. Remember to always ask a veterinarian for help regarding all of your pets. Mostly, they die due to physical stress or any other internal disease. Their scientific name is Xiphophorus helleri. However, the mothers do not care for the fry – it is their duty to find the best hiding spots. Female fish also get distressed in such a situation so it is always better to keep a greater ratio of the female gender in the tank for successful mating. AquariumNexus.com does not intend to provide any kind of veterinary suggestion. Swordtails can begin breeding as early as 3 months of age. Shown above, a baby Swordtail swimming among some pieces of Java Moss plant. Also, the mature males show a distinct male sex organ near the anal fin, called the ‘Gonopodium’. Some important points to keep under consideration are: Tank conditions should be ideal if you want successful mating between your swordtail fish. Once you know the gender of the two fish, you can easily assess and keep a check on them if they are planning to mate or not. As swordtails are live-bearers, they do not lay eggs and give birth to live babies instead. After realizing that, I thought that the livebearer is very aggressive. Generally, the male swordtails are … The content of this website is not meant to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Fry will take around six months to reach its full size, which are 1.5 inches for the females and 2 inches for the males. When it comes to the tank conditions, you will have to maintain the right temperatures, PH and water hardness. Here are the types of foods you should provide to your swordtails and their key benefits. Please always ask a veterinarian for help regarding your pets. Swordtails are livebearing fish and the fry emerge from the female fully developed in about 4-6 weeks. This makes it very easy to tell a mature male Swordtail from a mature female. Adult fish, even the parents, are often hostile towards the baby fish as they have no maternal instincts. You must keep a check on the water conditions including the ammonia, nitrite and pH levels. What’s even more bizarre is that, like most live-bearers, swordtails have no maternal instincts and can eat their own fry. Whether you are an experienced aquarist or a beginner, they will suit you perfectly, mainly because you will not do much to ensure proper growth and to keep them healthy. Swordtail males and females not only differ due to the presence of the male sword, but also through the shape of their anal fin. Feed them live or frozen to the fish. Swordtail fish can even mate once, store the sperm and keep on delivering fry after every four to six weeks. However, they don’t and shouldn’t develop their swords until they are adult fi… Neon Swordtail. Hey, I'm Fabian, chief editor at Aquarium Nexus. In some sword-bearing species, females prefer to mate with males with longer swords. Swordtails get their name from the distinctive sword-like extension on the male’s tail fin, which can sometimes grow almost as long as their bodies. This is because a greater number of male swordtail can create an aggressive atmosphere and they may also fight over one female fish. In this article I will explain the growth stages of swordtail fish. Some people prefer to change the water on a daily base. Your email address will not be published. They will intensify their color. These are the two important factors to ponder over while knowing how your swordtail behaves sexually. The male swordtail fish have an elongated tail fin (anal fin), known as the gonopodium or sword. By Nikkie7, 5 years ago on General Freshwater Questions. In some cases, you might witness two fish locking lips as an act of love or a pre-mating act; though this is far more common in the cichlids family. The fish will have a length of 1.5-2 cm (0.6-0.8 inches), the colors will have started showing and the sexes will be identifiable. Flake food can also be given in powder form. It will not linger and would keep returning to the fish post-mating. Black Nubian Swordtail. Swordtails are also the largest growing species among livebearers and adult swordtails can reach up to six inches in length. Their size is around 3-6 mm and they will hide most of the time. The swordtails’ average size is about 6 inches for males and 5 and a half inches for females. The male gonopodium is a testosterone-induced tubular modification of the anal fin that the males use to fertilise the eggs in the body of the females. Typically, the male swordtails have a sword-shaped tail, which is the male organ or gonopodium. The male swordtail can grow up to 6 inches while the female grows about 5 ½” however this is rare in captivity. Good observation skills are required to know if your swordtail is mating. Healthy and quality food must be fed to both.
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