Odd Swordtail Behavior

[Antinerf]

Thank you for all this insight! I'll keep the anacharis where it is. However, the anacharis is starting to wither on one part, I'm not sure if this is causes by the fish eating it or not. I have a timer keeping my tank lit for around 6 hours and 15 minutes. Additionally, I am unsure of how to perform a weekly 25% water change because the nursery is attached via hooks to the top so if too much is drained the fish will die. I could certainly hold it at the water level, but I don't want to stress out the fish too much or slip up and release all the fry into the main tank where they will get devoured.

Thanks,
Antinerf

 

[Byron]

Thank you for all this insight! I'll keep the anacharis where it is. However, the anacharis is starting to wither on one part, I'm not sure if this is causes by the fish eating it or not. I have a timer keeping my tank lit for around 6 hours and 15 minutes. Additionally, I am unsure of how to perform a weekly 25% water change because the nursery is attached via hooks to the top so if too much is drained the fish will die. I could certainly hold it at the water level, but I don't want to stress out the fish too much or slip up and release all the fry into the main tank where they will get devoured.

Thanks,
Antinerf

 
On the Anacharis, this may be due to the high temperature.  This stem plant (which scientifically is Egeria densa) usually does not last long at "tropical" temperatures, and is better in temperate tanks such as for goldfish (though they will nibble on it).  It is also fast growing, so requires high light (floating should take care of this) and obviously high nutrients to balance.  You might want to have a look for some other floating plants.  Among the stem plants, one of the best is Brazilian Pennywort, as it is moderate light and thus less nutrient requiring.  Or Water Sprite, probably the best floater.  Cabomba, another stem plant, is ideal but it too is high light/nutrient, and another is Wisteria that might do better.
 
I wouldn't worry about stressing out the fry with water changes, provided obviously they have water in which to swim.  One option is to perform more frequent water changes with less water being changed each time.  But it won't be long before those fry will be able to escape predation.
 
Byron.

 

[eaglesaquarium]

BTW, if this is a net breeder, you'll want to pour some water from the main tank into the breeder net to push out the higher ammonia water into the main tank where the biological filtration is.  

 

[Antinerf]

So do I just take some water and just lightly pour it into the tank?

Btw temperature in the tank is a solid 23.89 degrees Celsius... or 75 Fahrenheit.

 

[eaglesaquarium]

Or just pour tank water into the top of the breeder net, and it will push the higher ammonia water through the net. The biggest issue with those breeder nets is that there's not enough current moving through them,

 

[Antinerf]

Thanks, what would you suggest to increase current flow other than removing obstacles such as plants (I think it's a pretty bad idea to remove the anacharis) and placing the breeder closer to the filter outtake, which is waterfall-style (however the only other location is right at the "waterfall-" way too close). I can make small improvements but unfortunately I don't have the space for a second tank atm. Thoughts?

Antinerf

 

[eaglesaquarium]

I'd say leaving the anacharis is a GOOD idea, as the plants can use the ammonia and remove it to use for growth.  
 
Secondly, I'd add that as long as you pour some water through the net, it will be fine.  The problem people run into is that they don't know about the build up of ammonia, and they leave it as is, and as the fry grow in the net, they slowly poison themselves.  So, I'd suggest pouring twice the volume of the net through the net at least twice a day.  
 
 
The anacharis, in addition to offering a way to detox the ammonia, will also provide tiny little food sources for the fry.  So, its best to keep it there.

 

[Byron]

 I concur.

 

[Antinerf]

Sorry for the long delay in response time, but I have a new dilemma concerning these fry: I'm going to run out of room soon. Today I just found two more fry floating at the surface lackadaisically and quickly brought them both in- now I have seven fry in that one net breeder. What should I do?

Thanks,
Mateen

P.S. Should I get Hikari first bites? I'm having a problem with lack of interest and pieces that are too big decaying in the net breeder (then I have to use my dropper to get them out, making sure I don't also suck in the fry).

I'd say leaving the anacharis is a GOOD idea, as the plants can use the ammonia and remove it to use for growth.  
 
Secondly, I'd add that as long as you pour some water through the net, it will be fine.  The problem people run into is that they don't know about the build up of ammonia, and they leave it as is, and as the fry grow in the net, they slowly poison themselves.  So, I'd suggest pouring twice the volume of the net through the net at least twice a day.  
 
 
The anacharis, in addition to offering a way to detox the ammonia, will also provide tiny little food sources for the fry.  So, its best to keep it there.

Thank you for the advice, but at this point it may not be enough. I don't even know when more will be on the way. I was thinking about getting a smaller 5 gal or something, using the net and supports to act as a net so the fish wouldn't get sucked into the filter, taking water from the main tank, moving the anacharis as well, and so on. Should I make the jump? I'm not sure this setup will last too much longer,
And one last note: The rate of evaporation from my tank is apparently so fast that aside from gravel siphoning I don't even need to remove the water, just put it back in

 

[eaglesaquarium]

No one can tell you when you need to join the 'MTS' club... that's pretty much a decision you need to make on your own.  
 
You are correct that the net set-up doesn't last for that long... The pouring of the water through the net as I pointed out is the best method to keep the ammonia levels low.  BUT, the key is that you need to do it quite frequently.  

 

[Byron]

This is an issue with livebearers...they produce a lot of fry and very often.
 
Picking up on the water change/evaporation issue...you must siphon out water and replace it with fresh.  Evaporated water is not the same as removing water.  Nor is it enough volume.
 
I see two reasonable options here.  One is letting the fry go into the main tank and removing the net.  Second is another tank, but remember that these fry need space to grow and develop properly, and a 5g or even a 10g is not going to be sufficient for more than a few weeks at best.  And if many fry are saved, where are they going then?
 
Byron.

 

[Antinerf]

With the MTS thing... [I'm infected!!!] Just kidding, but I'm not sure that the net (even with the ammonia-replacing stuff) will be enough, as I just got two more stragglers today. it was a close call since one of the adults was swimming for them. Now I have a total of nine fry and twelve fish total. That's cool and all, but every new fish I take in limits the amount of time all the fish have to grow, and I want to give more time and save most of the ones I can find ('You cant save them all..."). I was looking into a 5 or 10 gal only to servo as an intermediary tank before they were reintroduced, since I don't really see the need for more than one. A few extra weeks would be great. Plus, I would actually be able to perform larger water changes (probably going to have to lean for 10-gal then) without the fear of instantly KO'ing all nine fry.

However, you do bring up a very good point. which is that they will just keep coming and I will eventually run out of space in the main tank as well. Beyond that I would pretty much have to give away fish... do any LFS have deals you can set up, or am I just going to have to introduce Mr. Fish to Mr. Toilet? ;_;
Also, another problem with a smaller tank is that the system as a whole is less stable.
Again, sorry for my crappy recording
http/youtu.be/VBurv_LydTc

 

[Byron]

Livebearer fry are a real issue for most.  Once impregnated (meaning, even if the female is removed to a tank with no males present afterwards) a female can produce several successive batches of fry (what is termed superfetation), a batch every 28 days or so, and batches tend to become larger (more fry).  The adult swordtail should if healthy attain 4-5 inches but even up to six inches; females are generally larger than males.  At 2-3 inches they are 6-9 months of age.  They can themselves breed at 2-3 months.  All this means a lot of fish growing very fast, and that means many tanks or they simply will not develop properly.
 
It depends upon the variety of swordtail (there are many colour varieties, some more popular than others) and the availability of stores and aquarists wanting this species, but most people find that very quickly they have no outlet for fry.  The fish are just too common and too many.
 
Byron.

 

[Antinerf]

So what are my options?
I've pretty much decided to stick with my current setup and not risk a new tank, so I'll release these once they're too big for the adult mouths. In the future, it might be wise for me to simply not recover any fry the way I have now, and just let nature run its course. I doubt any LFS will take them in since it's pretty much all chain stores and brackish shops where I live, so I'd have to...

1) Kill spares or let the fish in the tank kill them ("kill the spare... avada kedavra"): The other problem with this is that the adults might die from eating more than they can chew, as I think happened with the fish in my original post.

2) Give them away, but as said earlier there are no outlets for fish this easily bred.

 

[Byron]

I would be inclined to get rid of your females and keep male swordtails.
 
Leaving the fry as they appear will mean some get eaten, no doubt, but I can assure you that the mature fish will soon not be able to eat all of them, and more and more will survive.  They will have to be culled somehow, or the tank will become overpopulated and thus seriously compromised biologically for all the fish.
 
Fish generally should not be fed other fish; it is not good nutrition.  Many assume this is normal, but in fact it is not; very few of the species we keep will eat other fish in the wild.  It is only the close confines of an aquarium that forces this state, and naturally most fish will attempt to eat something that is tiny and moves.
 
Not an easy dilema.
 
Byron.