Caring for baby sword tails?

Question

i have purchased 3 swordtails, 2 female 1 male, yesterday and one of the females seems to have given birth to about 2 fry.. that i saw, however i was unaware she was pregnant and now the fry are in my 36 gallon community tank o.O and not to be seen other than the rare occasion that they swim out.

what i was wondering is how i would go about caring for them in the community tank because there is almost no way for me to catch them (unless you suggest a way).. not even see them really

i know i may need a breeding nest of some sort but i was wondering if there is a chance for them to survive with out one?

2nd question: ive heard of many sword tail females giving brith and although im happy mine did give 2 im afraid they will give birth again, or even breed again, i love swordtails but i want my tank to stay a community tank and i cannot afford a second tank.. is there any ways to discourage breeding within the swordtails or anything to keep the amount of swordtails to around 3?

Answer 1

There's nothing like the satisfaction of raising your first batch of fry.
Very easy to raise, the young is able to eat powdered food at birth.

The swordtail is a live bearer, it does not lay eggs.

The parents will eat their young, have plenty of cover for the young to hid in. Put the pregnant female in a breeding trap if you want to save the babies.

They have their young about every 34 days .

The males will chase the females constantly courting and spreading his fins. He may circle her and approach from the rear, ready to make a quick thrust. The female never shows any willingness to his attentions. These fish are strictly promiscuous. A single fertilization is sufficient for 4 or 5 broods.

There is no definite period of gestation. However at 75 degrees the time from fertilization to delivery is about 4 t 5 weeks. The time will be greatly changed by a few

degrees less temperature. At 65 degrees it may be as long as 12 weeks to deliver.Reproduction and rearing. Like other live-bearers these fish will multiply in the community aquarium but because the mother and other fish will eat the newly born, the young must be given a chance to escape. It is a good idea to isolate the pregnant females before birth. Pregnant females have plump rounded bellies and a gravid spot.(a darkened triangular pregnancy mark behind the anal fin) Often before birth the eyes of the unborn fry can be seen.

Hope I helped! Good luck with your fish!

Answer 2

There's not really much you can do about the swordtails breeding. Livebearers are notorious for very quick over population of tanks. When the fry are old enough you could try selling them to a local fish store or giving them away to a good home. The parents of your fish may eat the young ones. Also, if you find you're being overrun with fry and you have a strong stomach you could add a dwarf gourami or a male betta. These fish are good at hunting fry and are often used for that purpose.

Answer 3

To keep the swardtails to a minimum just let them be and nature will take its course. You could sell them to your local fish store.

If you want the ones you got now to survive then add lots of hiding places. Plants, Rocks, and Decor.