I got some baby red swordtail from a friend I had them in a small container for a few weeks and they were doing fine 6 of them. 2 nights ago I moved them to a breeder box deal inside my 20gal aquarium which is going to be thier new home as soon as I get rid of the 1 remaining convict cichlid that is in there also. Anyway this morning thier were 6 baby swordtail right now theres 5. They must've killed and ate the smallest one out of them! I thought swordtails were peaceful. They just got big enough to be visible easily. I had been feeding them regularly probably too much. I doubt they could have been hungry. Maybe just killing off the runt? All the others are about the same size. Anyone else had this happen to them? It just seems weird.
Baby swordtails eat each other!?
- Thread starter auxout
- Start date
If the tank isn't covered you could always check the floor. Swordtails I've kept in the past have been notorious jumpers.
Yeah I looked all over for him! But the breeder tank is a little plastic box with a snap-on top that floats in the tank and I have a hood on the tank too. So either they ate him or he's houdini the fish. It just sucks he got ate I wouldn't have figured they'd do that in a million years.
Roland
worlds last gunslinger
Were the fry of differing sizes? Cannabalistic siblings are quite common when there is a big size difference ie. if one can fit the other into its mouth.
The fish could have also died of other causes - swim bladder problems, disease - and your other fish have eaten the remains, although I would expect you would be able to find some evidence of the sceleton.
Or maybe it did just leap out the tank. if they are in a confined space they are much more likely to do this.
The fish could have also died of other causes - swim bladder problems, disease - and your other fish have eaten the remains, although I would expect you would be able to find some evidence of the sceleton.
Or maybe it did just leap out the tank. if they are in a confined space they are much more likely to do this.
Thats my conclusion. One was really small and the rest are about the same size. They decided they didn't want him in the little box with them so they whacked him. Or maybe he just died and was eaten, he was awful small maybe sickly.
IMHO swords are great escape artists. I've had adults jump thru tiny openings. Perhaps the runt somehow got out of the breeder box and became a snack for the convict. Or the disney version... the runt is alive and well somewhere in your tank. 
I like the convict idea. Either way, if he isnt alive, someone benifited from him. Look at it this way, you have a happier fish somewhere.
I like the convict idea. Either way, if he isnt alive, someone benifited from him. Look at it this way, you have a happier fish somewhere.
Stupid canibal fish, 2 more are gone, I started with six now there's three left, theres plenty of food in there for them to eat!
I never see what happens to the fish the next day its' just minus one, damnit.
I never see what happens to the fish the next day its' just minus one, damnit.
I really doubt the size difference is enough for cannibalism, except of a fish that has already died.