Reproduction of swordtail fish at home

Aquarium enthusiasts often choose swordtail fish because of their vivid colors and lively habits. Observing the reproduction of swordtails in a home aquarium is one of the most thrilling parts of keeping them. These fish are easy to breed and provide an intriguing window into the world of aquatic life when given the proper care and surroundings.

Anyone who wants to see their swordtail fish flourish must grasp the fundamentals of swordtail reproduction. There are various essential procedures involved in guaranteeing successful reproduction, from choosing healthy breeding pairs to creating the ideal environment for fry to develop.

This post will discuss the reproduction process of swordtails and offer helpful hints and recommendations for setting up the best possible breeding environment. These pointers will enable you to take pleasure in the fulfilling experience of growing swordtail fry at home, regardless of your level of experience as a fish keeper.

Preparation for reproduction

It is impossible to successfully breed swordtails at home if the producers are not properly prepared. It is best to discard any weak or sick fish when choosing pairs. It is only possible to obtain strong viable fry from individuals who are fully healthy.

Six to eight months of age is the ideal window of time to breed. While some females of this species can give birth to babies as early as 3–4 months, most reach sexual maturity between 5 and 6 months. Fish older than four to five years old should not be bred. Few and feeble progeny are produced by too elderly parents.

The quantity and health of fry are significantly impacted by the conditions of maintenance. The water ought to be pure, free of too many nitrogenous compounds, and have an adequate amount of oxygen. The aquarium has an aeration system and a filter to guarantee these conditions. Every week, fresh water must be added to the aquarium to make up 1/4 of its volume. Simultaneously, the acidity should be kept between 7-8 and the hardness between 10-12 °C.

The water should be kept between 24 and 25 degrees Celsius during the breeding season because fish are stimulated to spawn by temperature increases. It should be considered that during the female’s pregnancy, the water temperature affects the fry’s future sex. More females are born at lower values, and more males at higher values.

Appropriate feeding of the producers is essential for the production of healthy offspring. There should be enough animal protein in the diet and it should be varied. Fish are routinely fed frozen and live food, such as cyclops, daphnia, and bloodworms, for this reason. Food made from algae that is derived from plants should also be a part of the diet. Fish cannot be fed food that has gone bad, is moldy, has pest infestations, or is expired.

How swordtails mate

Fish that are viviparous and undergo internal fertilization are called swordtails. The male gonopodium, an elongated, narrow tube used for copulation, develops from the anal fin. The male transfers sexual products to the female by inserting the gonopodium into her cloaca during mating. Because they can live for a very long time inside the female’s body, she can give birth to children up to four or five times after a single mating—even when she is separated from the male.

Beginners will find swordtail fish to be among the easiest aquarium fish to breed at home. Because they are live-bearing, they give birth to fry that swim freely instead of laying eggs, and in a well-kept tank, they can reproduce with little assistance. You can successfully breed swordtails and take pleasure in watching the next generation of these colorful fish grow if you provide the correct conditions, appropriate diet, and a little bit of care.

Pregnancy period

The result of mating is pregnancy. It can be ascertained by several distinguishing indicators.

Signs of pregnancy

It is best to examine the woman’s abdomen to determine whether she is pregnant. Pregnant women are characterized by their large size and rounded shape; the sharp step-like transition from the head to the abdomen makes the head appear smaller and more elegant than in non-pregnant women. The abdomen changes to a rectangular shape just before childbirth, and a protrusion shows up close to the cloaca.

A carrying fish has a dark patch that develops in front of its anal fin. This area is light in females who are not pregnant. The spot gets bigger and darker as the eggs grow.

How long does pregnancy last

Pregnancy duration varies amongst females and is contingent upon several factors:

• temperature and other water parameters;
• length of daylight hours and light intensity;
• quality and composition of the diet;
• age and health of the female.

Swordtail pregnancies typically last four to six weeks.

Behavior before giving birth

Before giving birth, a pregnant female swordtail changes in behavior. She becomes agitated, loses her appetite, runs around the aquarium, and tries to hide in the tangle of plants. The fish prefers to remain in the corner of the aquarium or close to the bottom behind the decorations, where it won’t be bothered by other fish. If the female exhibits these symptoms, it is best to move her to a spawning tank right away to prevent other aquarium occupants from consuming the newly born fry.

The future home of the fry is a small aquarium (10–20 liters) called a spawning tank. To keep the fish from becoming stressed during the transfer, the new tank needs to be filled with water from the main aquarium. To provide cover for the hatched fry, the spawning tank should have an adequate amount of floating plant tufts (like Riccia).

Birth of fry

Swordtail spawning typically starts in the early morning. A day or several hours can pass during labor. The maximum number of fry that swordtails can produce at once is 200 pieces. With brief pauses, the female gives birth to one fry. The newly born fry hide in the plant thickets by sinking to the bottom or rising to the surface of the water. In order to prevent her from eating her own young, the female needs to be returned as soon as the birthing process is complete to the main aquarium.

Caring for the offspring

Swordtail fry require proper care from birth. The conditions under which they will be housed and the food they eat will determine their future health and lifespan. In order to prevent the fry from dying in their first few days of life, proper care must also be given to them.

Arrangement of a spawning tank

The fry are housed in the spawning tank their first night after birth. It is filled with small-leaved plants (both floating and in pots) where the fry can hide. There is no dirt on the bottom. Above the reservoir is a lamp. An aeration system and a heater from the internal equipment are used to keep the temperature between 24 and 25 °C. The possibility of fry entering the device is the reason a filter is not installed.

Note: You can add a couple of snails to the spawning tank to help clear it of food debris.

What to feed swordtail fry

Swordtail fry require a lot of food because they grow quickly. Fish that are malnourished grow small, develop skeletal abnormalities, and have a dull color. During the fry’s first four days of life, feeding should occur four times daily. The fish are switched to three meals a day once they are two months old.

The fry is available for:

• Artemia nauplii;
• rotifers;
• microworm;
• cut tubifex;
• cyclops;
• daphnia ground into powder.

You can breed these foods at home or buy them at pet stores. Live food that has been purchased needs to be carefully cleaned and checked for parasites that could endanger the fry. Fish cannot be fed invertebrates that are diseased or dead. Fish can be fed frozen food derived from animals, but it is better to feed live invertebrates to fry.

Fish kept in aquariums during the previous century were frequently fed hard-boiled egg yolks. This kind of food is currently not advised for frying because it greatly contaminates the water and encourages the growth of dangerous bacteria. It is preferable to use powdered feed mixtures for adult fish and ready-made industrial food for juvenile aquarium fish.

Fry should eat a diet rich in plant-based foods in addition to animal products. You can feed the fish premade flakes that are high in fiber and have spirulina added. Fish require spirulina for healthy growth and the development of vibrant colors.

When to transplant

Make sure there’s always enough room for the fry to swim when they’re growing. Fish that have grown in small spaces frequently have small statures, spine curvatures, and fin abnormalities. Swordtails are therefore periodically sorted and put in different containers as they grow. The size and quantity of fry in the spawning tank determine how often the fry are transplanted.

When the young fish are large enough to be protected from larger neighbors and are ready to transition to adult food, you can move them into a communal aquarium. This usually occurs between three and four months of age. Simultaneously, the breeder can identify the sex of the fry and create the necessary groups based on their morphology.

If they were born in a common aquarium

The fry will become easy prey for the other aquarium residents if the owner failed to notice the female’s altered behavior prior to giving birth and did not place her in the general aquarium. This is especially likely if the fry have a bright red or orange color. Breeding swordsmen in a regular aquarium is therefore not advised. If young fry are discovered in the aquarium, they must be removed as soon as possible and placed in a spawning ground where they will eventually be cultivated.

Place as many dense plants as you can in the general aquarium, including floating ones (like bunches) where fish can hide if there are no opportunities to add fry. Fish will need to be fed more frequently, with adult feed going in the regular feeder and fry for fry being dispersed equally across the water’s surface. Making sure the fry don’t eat all of the food that the adult fish eat is essential. Still, only a small number of fry will survive—most of them will be devoured by larger neighbors—even if every precaution is taken.

Why they don"t reproduce

Swordtails cannot reproduce in unfavorable environments or with insufficient food. Furthermore, fish that are under a lot of stress frequently decide not to reproduce. Stress can be brought on by large, hostile neighbors in the aquarium, a pond without any plants, abrupt changes in the water’s parameters, and outside irritants. Furthermore, illnesses and genetic flaws in the parents can stop offspring from developing.

Breeding swordtail fish successfully at home can be a fulfilling hobby for novices as well as experienced aquarium keepers. These colorful fish can multiply and thrive in the correct conditions, bringing new life into your aquarium.

For the adult swordtails’ health and welfare as well as that of their fry, it is imperative to provide a stress-free habitat with an abundance of plants and hiding places. A healthy diet, proper temperature management, and water quality monitoring will all aid in the promotion of successful reproduction.

After they are born, caring for fry necessitates close attention to detail, particularly when it comes to feeding and shielding them from larger fish. Your swordtail population can increase with time and the right maintenance, adding even more beauty and variety to your aquarium.

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