How do you know when swordtails are mating?

Ultimately, you’ll be able to tell if your swordtail has been mating when babies, called fry, appear. The female swells as fry grow inside of her, and the dark-colored gravid spot by her anal fin becomes obvious as the young develop. About four weeks after mating she’ll give birth to as many as 80 live fry.

What can breed with swordtail?

A female swordtail can be interbred with a male member from the platy family of fishes, so one of the options for achieving variety is mixing these two groups in one aquarium. When buying from a fish shop and you’re looking for a male pure swordtail, make sure with the shopkeeper that it’s indeed a purebred.

Do swordtails breed easily?

Swordtail breeding is a straightforward process. Like other livebearers, they are quick to spawn in captivity. In the right conditions, females can give birth once every 28 days! While they will readily breed in your primary tank without any intervention, it’s best to provide a separate breeding environment.

How long does it take for a swordtail to have babies?

28 days
Like other livebearing aquarium fish, swordtails (Xiphophorus hellerii) give birth to live young, or fry, rather than laying eggs. Although the swordtail’s gestation period is 28 days, it may be difficult to determine when she became pregnant.

How long does it take for swordtails to breed?

Will a swordtail breed with a platy?

In these cases, the basic raw materials are provided by nature itself because swordtails and platies are very closely related to each other. They belong to the Xiphophorus genus, and because of their “biological proximity,” they can easily interbreed and produce viable hybrids in the process.

When should I separate my pregnant swordtail?

Even before her belly begins to enlarge, assume your swordtail is or soon will be pregnant if you keep her with males. Move the expectant mother to a separate, smaller, heavily planted nursery aquarium when her belly swells noticeably.

Is it easy to breed swordtails?

How often do swordtails mate?