How to Properly Breed Swordtails?

Growing swordtails is a popular option for aquarists of all skill levels. They are a fun addition to any aquarium because of their lively colors and lively behavior. To guarantee a successful outcome, there are a few essential steps you must take if you’re interested in breeding swordtails.

We’ll go over all the important details of swordtail breeding in this guide, including choosing the right fish and setting up the perfect habitat. You can contribute to your swordtails’ flourishing and enlarging aquarium with beautiful, healthy offspring by comprehending the process.

Swordtail breeding isn’t difficult, but it does need patience and close attention to detail. This article will provide you the information you need to get started, whether your goal is to increase the number of fish in your aquarium or you just want to have fun.

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Step Description
1. Select Healthy Fish Choose strong, vibrant swordtails, free from disease, with the best colors for breeding.
2. Set Up a Breeding Tank Prepare a separate tank with clean water, plants, and a gentle filter to keep the fry safe.
3. Introduce the Fish Place one male and two to three females in the breeding tank to increase the chances of successful mating.
4. Monitor for Mating Watch for signs of mating behavior, like the male chasing the female or displaying his sword-like tail.

Features of preparation for breeding

Only when the parents are ready and willing will the breeding process be successful. The following details need to be considered:

  • When choosing a pair, all sick, weak fish and specimens with visible external defects are rejected. Only healthy individuals will produce strong and viable fry.
  • The appropriate age when mating can occur is 5-7 months. There are cases when females are completely ready for reproduction at 3-4 months. But most often, full sexual maturity occurs at the age of about 4-5 months.
  • You should not use fish older than 4 years for breeding. If the producers are old, they produce not only few, but also weak offspring.
  • The viability of the fry is also affected by the conditions of detention. It is important that the water is always clean, nitrogen compounds should not be allowed to be present in excessive quantities. Also, the water should be well saturated with oxygen. For this purpose, an aeration system and a powerful filter are placed in the aquarium.
  • Once a week, a water change is performed – 1/4 of it is replaced with fresh.
  • The acidity level is maintained within 7-8, hardness – 10-12˚.
  • Increasing the water temperature in the aquarium stimulates swordtails to reproduce. During this period, the indicators should be around + 24 … + 25˚C.
  • The nutrition of the producers determines how strong and healthy the offspring will be. It is important that the diet is varied and contains sufficient amounts of animal protein.
  • It is recommended to regularly give swordtails frozen and live food. Cyclops, daphnia, bloodworms, etc. are perfect.
  • It is also necessary to add plant foods based on algae to the diet. You cannot give the fish expired, low-quality food or food affected by pests and mold.

The temperature readings taken by the mother during her pregnancy directly affect the sex of the offspring. At higher values, males are seen, and at lower values, females.

Sexual differences

The lack of distinct characteristics in the juvenile swordtail makes it nearly impossible to identify its gender. Males and females can be distinguished at three to six months of age.

There are clear sexual differences. The following criteria need to be considered:

  • the male has a long outgrowth on the tail, shaped like a sword;
  • the male has a fairly narrow and pointed anal fin;
  • females have a paler color;
  • females have a wider anal fin, has a rounded shape;
  • the anal fin of the male is tubular and elongated;
  • male fish grow up to 8-10 cm in length, females are larger and can reach 12 cm.

Within the class of fish that can change their sex are swordtails. If the women live in a same-sex community, this occurs. They consequently change into men. The risk of extinction is the primary driver of this change.

Causes of infertility

In unfavorable circumstances, swordtails do not mate. Inadequate or boring diet may be the root cause of infertility. In these situations, these fish frequently decline to reproduce:

  • strong and constant stress caused by too active, aggressive and large neighbors in the aquarium;
  • abrupt changes in water parameters in the tank;
  • lack of algae and plants in the aquarium;
  • various external irritants.

When there are genetic defects or the producers are ill, offspring frequently do not show up.

Mating swordtails

Among the viviparous aquarium fish that fertilize internally are swordtails. The anal fin of the male develops into a gonopodium, or copulatory organ. It appears to be a long, thin tube.

The transfer of sexual products happens when the male inserts the gonopodium into the female’s cloaca during mating. They have a protracted half-life in the female’s body.

After one mating, the female can produce offspring four or five times. even if the man has a separate residence.

Swordtail Pregnancy

Pregnancy usually goes smoothly from the beginning to the end. In a standard aquarium, swordtails can reproduce on their own. However, it is still beneficial to keep the producers apart in order to prevent other aquarium occupants from consuming the fry in order to breed offspring.

How to determine pregnancy?

A woman’s belly can indicate whether or not she is pregnant. The primary indicators consist of:

  • in a pregnant female, the belly increases in size and takes on a rounded shape;
  • a sharp transition from the head to the belly appears – a characteristic "step" is formed, as a result, the head begins to seem smaller and more graceful than that of females who are not pregnant;
  • immediately before birth, the shape of the abdomen changes and it becomes rectangular, a small protrusion appears near the cloaca;
  • a fish carrying eggs has a dark spot in front of the anal fin, while in a non-pregnant female this area is much lighter;
  • as the eggs develop, the spot in front of the anal fin increases in size and becomes darker.

Duration of pregnancy

The length of a swordtail’s pregnancy varies. A multitude of factors influence the timing of bearing fry. Among them are:

  • water parameters, including its temperature;
  • composition and quality of the diet;
  • intensity of artificial lighting;
  • length of daylight hours;
  • health and age of the female.

A female swordtail’s pregnancy typically lasts between four and six weeks. If the conditions are right, the progeny will emerge sooner.

How the female behaves before giving birth?

A pregnant woman’s behavior changes right before she gives birth. The most noticeable indicators that labor is about to begin are:

  • the female begins to actively rush around the aquarium;
  • appetite disappears, restless behavior appears;
  • the female tries to hide in algae and plants;
  • the fish tries to constantly stay close to the bottom, where other inhabitants of the aquarium do not disturb it.

The female needs to be moved as soon as possible to a spawning tank if these symptoms manifest. Should this not happen, the newly born fry will be consumed by other aquarium inhabitants.

  • the volume of the tank should be 10-20 liters;
  • the container is filled with water taken from the general aquarium, due to which after the transfer the female will not experience stress;
  • bunches of plants floating on the surface are placed in the spawning tank, in which the fry will hide.

There have been no reports of swordtail cannibalism. However, the mother can begin consuming her young. She should be put back in the main aquarium as soon as the birth is over.

Birth of fry

Swordtails typically give birth to their young early in the morning. The length of labor can range from a few hours to several days, depending on the circumstances and the state of the woman giving birth.

At a time, up to 200 fry can be seen. There are brief intervals between the appearance of the fish, and the female gives birth to just one child. The fry have two options after emerging: they can sink to the bottom or rise to the surface and hide in floating plants.

Swordtail breeding is simple and rewarding; to ensure healthy offspring, a clean tank, a balanced diet, and ideal water conditions are necessary. You can successfully raise a thriving swordtail population by understanding their breeding habits and providing the proper environment.

Rules for caring for offspring

Swordtail fry require special care from the moment of birth. How well they are cared for determines whether they will survive. Taking care of the young’s nutrition is just as important as setting up a spawning tank.

Arrangement of a spawning tank

Following birth, the fry are raised apart until they develop stronger bodies and mature. There are a few details that should be considered:

  • a variety of small-leaved plants are placed in the spawning tank (they can freely float on the surface or be in pots);
  • there is no need to put soil on the bottom;
  • a lamp must be placed above the spawning tank to ensure optimal daylight hours;
  • internal equipment – aeration system and a heater that will maintain the temperature within + 24 … + 25˚С;
  • a filter is not placed, since there is a risk that the fry will get inside the device.

A number of snails should be inserted into the spawning tank in order to clear it of waste and food remnants.

Feeding and diet of fry

The young require a lot of food because they grow so quickly. The fish may grow very small, develop skeletal defects, and lose color if they go without food.

Food is given to the fry at least four times a day in the initial days following birth. You can move to three meals a day once the fish turn two months old.

  • rotifers;
  • brine shrimp nauplii;
  • cyclops;
  • tubifex (cut);
  • microworms;
  • dried daphnia, pre-ground into powder.

Prior to purchasing live food, it is imperative to thoroughly wash and check for parasites, as they pose a serious threat to fry. Giving dead or sick invertebrates to juvenile fish is prohibited.

Frozen food with animal origin is acceptable. Live invertebrates, however, make the best food for young fish.

Fish that are young should eat products that come from plants. Ready-made flakes are ideal because they are high in fiber and spirulina. Fry require spirulina to develop normally and to acquire a vibrant, lovely color.

When to transplant into a common aquarium?

Make sure there’s enough room for the fry when you grow them. Fish that grow in small spaces will typically have deformities in their fins and spine curvature.

For this reason, as they get bigger, the baby fish are routinely sorted and then put in different tanks. The quantity of fry and the size of the spawning tank dictate how frequently the fish need to be moved.

The fish can be released into the main aquarium once they reach a size where their adult neighbors cannot consume them. It is crucial that the fry are prepared to move to adult food at this point. It occurs between three and four months of age. After that, you can identify the sex.

It can be satisfying to breed swordtails, especially when you get to see the colorful new additions to your aquarium. You can raise healthy swordtail fry by carefully controlling the breeding process, making sure the right nutrition is provided, and creating the ideal environment.

Keep in mind to keep the pregnant females apart and give the babies lots of places to hide so they have a better chance of surviving. Maintaining the ideal aquarium conditions for the fry requires routinely checking the water quality and making the required corrections.

You can grow your aquarium community and enjoy yourself while breeding swordtails if you have the patience and attention to detail needed.

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Olga Vishnevskaya

Biologist by education, aquarist by vocation. Specialization — breeding and care of freshwater aquarium plants. Since childhood I have been fond of aquariums, constantly experimenting with creating biotopes and selecting flora for various types of aquariums. I am sure that green aquariums can transform any interior and improve the quality of life.

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