trangle shap on swordtail. What is it?

[magafish18]

i get back for my LFS with a female brick swordtail. and i saw a trangle shap on my swordtail what is this? :huh:

tanks for your help.

[jennypenny]

What kind of shape?

[tricksterpup]

We need a better discription or photograph of it

[magafish18]

ok i will get a pic.

[magafish18]

this is her


http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i17/magafish18/100_5211.jpg
http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i17/magafish18/100_5210.jpg
http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i17/magafish18/100_5209.jpg
http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i17/magafish18/100_5208.jpg

[dorkfish]

I think that's a sign that she's pregnant.

[fishcatch22]

yep, she's preggars!

[jennypenny]

It is called a gravid spot

[Rowangel]

The triangle is called a gravid spot. As everyone else has already said, it is an indication of pregnacy, those are actually the eyes of the fry. With my sunset platy I could 'see' some of the babies. Congrats! If you want to keep the babies you'll need to add lots of plant cover for the fry, otherwise the adult will eat the babies. A big ball of java moss would work well for this or you could get a grow-out tank.

[magafish18]

cool my :clap: LFS has store criedt too. i have a breeding trap how long in tell they are born?

[Rowangel]

ooh, your fast jennypenny! :eek:

[magafish18]

what do you mean about your fast jennypenny?

[Rowangel]

heh, posting...she posted much faster than I did...

[magafish18]

so what do i do how long do i wait?

[fishcatch22]

move her to a separate tank, and in one month she should pop.

[Rowangel]

I wouldn't move her, stress can induce her to drop the fry before they are ready.

[magafish18]

ive just got one problem im going upnorth in the begining of august :eek:what do i do then? i have somene coiming over but only once a day.

[jennypenny]

ooh, your fast jennypenny! :eek:

Ha ha! I have been running over peoples posts all day, now that someone else has done it to me I don't feel so bad.

[magafish18]

ok then any ideas on what to do?

[dorkfish]

How long are you going to be gone?

well, I can tell you this without that answer:
Forget about the fry raising, and try that when you get back. For the adults, have pre-measured food packets for the person who comes over to feed to your fish.

[magafish18]

ok im going to put the female in a breeding trap while im gone.

[magafish18]

i think she shoud be fine

[dorkfish]

ok im going to put the female in a breeding trap while im gone.

No. that is too small a space to keep even a guppy in for an extended period of time, let alone a swordtail. You still didn't answer my question, how long are you going to be gone?

[magafish18]

oh sorry i will be gone for a week.

[jennypenny]

Look the good news is that she will have more young. She will most likely drop fry about once a month for several months. So, if the first batch doesn’t make it there will be more. It is also true that it could be more than a month before she drops any fry at all.

If you are worried that the fry will show up while you are away make sure they will have a lot of good hiding places. This will give them a fighting chance. Live plants or flake plants will do the trick. You can even go pick up some cheep ones you do not eve like and just throw them in while your gone (make sure to rise them of in water and a water primer before you put them in).

They may or may not make it, but you won't stress out the mother this way. I agree no breeding trap.

PS: The can go a week with out food, but if you want to make sure they do not get to hungry you can go with an automatic feeder, the food pyramids (they can mess with PH), or have some one come by once or twice just to tide them over.

[dorkfish]

the food pyramids (they can mess with PH)

NOT a good idea, it will foul the water quality (amonia or nitrite spike, or both).


or have some one come by once or twice just to tide them over.

I suggest you have the food pre - measured in packets to prevent over feeding, if you choose to go this route.

[jennypenny]

I can concur with dorkfish on both points.

[magafish18]

ok thanks everyone but can i put her in a new tank?

[jennypenny]

why do you wat to move her? I'm confused.

[Rowangel]

I would just leave her where she is. Anything you do that causes stress could make her drop the fry before they are ready, and that is not a pretty thing to see. Even those holding pens can sometimes cause females to drop prematurely. As a result of this, I waited till the female had them on her own and just siphoned up the fry and then put them into the breeding nets afterwards. As long as you've got a few decent hiding spot most of the fry should make it and you can pull them later. Plus, this will not be the last time she has fry, in fact, I hope you have some sort of future plan for the fry because she will most likely drop once a month.

[magafish18]

well i breed fish for a hobbie and i wanted to try swordtail.

[magafish18]

what if shes in a 2 gallon tank while im gone?

[tricksterpup]

Well if you breed fish for a hobby then you already know keeping fish in a small tank is a bad idea. A fish this size should be kept in a 15 long as its smallest tank.

[Rowangel]

...how would moving her to a 2 gallon help if your not going to be around? Granted, the fry might have more of a chance, but it's added stress on the female (which I have already pointed out isn't good for her) and if you aren’t there to remove the female (your going on vacation?) you still have a situation where a fish can eat the fry. This works only if you are going to be around to remove the female back to the main tank.

[magafish18]

this is her now
http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i17/magafish18/100_5226.jpg

[tmtpowers]

If you put her in a small tank and you don't have enough places for the fry to hide, mom will eat her own babies. If you stress her out by moving her, there is a good chance she will drop her fry early (and dead at that matter) as stated above. Your best chances is to just leave her alone, have lots of plants for fry to hide in, and once you notice that the fry have been born, remove them and put them into another tank. You also may want to get some brine shrimp eggs to hatch and feed to the fry when they are born though I've heard of people being successful by grinding up flake food into tiny grain to feed them.

[magafish18]

ok. thanks still want to know more. i need info on swordtail thanks everyone for your help

[tricksterpup]

ok. thanks still want to know more. i need info on swordtail thanks everyone for your help
Simple enough..
http://xiphophorus.org/

[magafish18]

thanks :) ive got another problem i just got two black swords and ones really big! :thud:

[tmtpowers]

Is it male or female? If its female she could very well be pregnant also. Its not uncommon to see these guys pregnant. They breed very easily.

[magafish18]

female. wow taking care of fish is hard. :eek:

[magafish18]

ok