Breeding Question And Stocking Question

[shortymet55]

1.) I have two swordtails. They are brother/sister, about 9 month ago they were born. I actually thought both were girls until yesterday i noticed the male getting the sword thing on his tail. Anyways, all my fish seem happy, swimming around, great color, find are all out, except every once in awhile the male puts his top fin down and the female started chasing him. He runs away, then just stop and goes back near her. Is this them getting ready to breed, or is he just stupid and forgets he was just being chased?

2.) 10 gallon tank:
4 Rasboras
3 Cardinal Tetras
3 Swordtails (two big babies, then a tiny, dwarf baby.)
1 huge Chinese Algae Eater

The CAE has got to go. But I need to replace him. I'm thinking either a few Ottos, or a few shrimp. What do you'll think would be best. Do you think I could also squeeze in a few more Cardinals or Rasbora?
Thanks

 

[shortymet55]

Anyone have answers to either question? I was also thinking of maybe adding a Betta (applies to questions #2)

 

[fish are friends....]

If your swordtail is only recently started to show signs of being a male i don't think he will be mature enough to start breeding.

I think a couple of ottos and some more cardinals and rasbora then thay will be enough IMO

see what others say about the betta, i don't no a lot about them!

 

[shortymet55]

Well only just now did I notice the signs of manliness. Im a beginner. In fact, you could probably tell my the anal fin, but i though the other sword would grow sonner, so I assume womanliness, when it didnt.

I would really like a beautiful betta in my tank. Most likely a male, since there better colored. Could I put one in here without issues?

 

[TwoTankAmin]

I would not put a betta in the tank. They can get nasty.

Tetras should ideally be kept in larger numbers than 3. To get any sort of natural schooling behavior you need at least 10.

Get the CAE out of the tank ASAP.

Since you have no bottom dwellers several otos or corys would be a good add. Both should be kept in a minimum of 3 and 5 is better.

Soon you will have more swordtails than you know what to do with.

 

[shortymet55]

Certainly the CAE is going very soon. I really wanted a nice beautiful blue male Betta, but I guess he wont work in my tank, so I'm just going to have to go without him. I had 6 Tetras, but 3 died in a single weekend while I was gone. Haven't lost a fish since, and water quality is now stellar.

I thinking 4 more cardinals and 3 ottos.

So then I would have:
4 Rasboras
7 cardinals
3 swordtails
3 ottos

In a 10 gallon tank, is this too much? I mean I have great water quality even with a huge Algae eater. I love him, but this just isn't right to keep him any longer.

Anyways, does this seem good? If i do have sword babies, im gonna let them go naturally, so lunch for the weak, and the strong will survive, but Ill end up giving away those I cant house. Although I do have a 7 gallon tank, which everything else like heater, filter, but I could set that up for them. Maybe eventually sell them, then use that for 3 puffers and shrimp, or a betta and maybe a buddy like shrimp (not sure what he'll let be, but I wont be using this tank for like another year, because the swords still need to have babies, then have them grow, then sell)

 

[ALEXF]

So then I would have:
4 Rasboras
7 cardinals
3 swordtails
3 ottos

i think that would be good provided you maintained your tank well. Regular water changes etc. And a few shrimp wouldnt hurt either. Their waste production is so insignificant i dont even count mine towards bioload

 

[kribensis12]

I would get rid of the Rasboras, then you'll be clear for some tetras.

 

[Colin_T]

Male swordtails are sexually mature at around 3-6 months, (depending on how warm they are kept and how well they are fed). If the swordtail that is becoming a male is the same size as the female, then it could be one of the females is becoming a male. Swords can do this when there are no males around. One of the females changes sex and becomes a super male (due to their size) and they will then breed with the other females.

Male livebearers have a long pointed anal/bottom fin, whereas females are fan or triangular shaped. More info on sexing livbearers can be found at the link below. Click on the Mollies, Swords, Guppies & Platies link, (bottom right).

http/www.perthaquarium.com.au/fish/tropi...ater_fish.phtml

When breeding, male livebeaers will chase after the females and quickly sneak up beside them before impregnating them with their modified anal fin (which is called a gonopodium). Then it is over and the female can carry the male's sperm packets around for a while using them to fertilise new batches of eggs. The eggs hatch and the fry develop in the mother for a few weeks before being born.

 

[shortymet55]

I hope its not having a sex-change. Thats just wierd. I have noticed the pointy anal fin, which means its male, but I always assumed it was female anyways, due to the lack of long sword thing on its back tail (I heard about the anal fin thing, but having never examined on closely, I could not tell what it meant). But now that i have seen pictures of what the anal fin looks like on a male, I'm almost certain its been one, i just haven't known for sure. In fact, i noticed it before looking identical to one of the pictures of a male from that link you provided.

I might get a few shrimp too add to my list. However, I cant get rid of my rasboras. They were the first 4 fish I owned, and even after losing a bunch of swordtails and tetras, I have never lost one of them.

Quick questions: what kind of shrimp. They must stay small, and not hurt any of my other fish. Ghost I assume are good, but boring.

 

[Colin_T]

it depends on which country you live in and what shrimp are available to you. In Europe, UK, etc, you can get cherry shrimp. They would be fine and have a bit more colour than glass/ghost shrimp.

 

[shortymet55]

I live in Maryland, USA.

What ones other than cherry and ghost would work? Then, I would have to see what the fish place has.

 

[Colin_T]

any small species of shrimp should be fine but as you figured, check out what is available at your local fish shop.