Eggs... From A Livebearer.... :-/

[JollieMollie]

I posted this in the Emergencies forum because I wasn't sure if my female was in danger, but she is doing fine today so I think it's alright. I thought I might get more responses in the livebearer forum. Please, if you have any feedback at all, let me know!


Hey all,

There were some black swordtails, which I'd never seen before, on sale at PesMart. I bought a trio, one of which I knew was pretty pregnant. I let them adapt to my aquarium's temp for a couple hours, and when I came back she had birthed one appearantly healthy fry. I put her and the fry into a breeding floating box within the aquarium. I probably should have put the V trap in it, but she isn't small and I didn't want to reduce her room any more than necessary. Also, I didn't want to let her stay loose because I also have five mollies, three guppies, an aquatic frog, and two bbg's in the tank and I didn't think the fry would survive.

I had to leave again and came back several hours later to a partly interesting, partly disturbing scene. I let her out first thing, figuring she's probably done by now, and if not she would need out anyway. I find four live fry, which was great. Also several dead, partly eaten (or just dead) fry, which I was expecting as a possibility. But there were also at least half a dozen small round yellow transluscent spheres. I was confused until I saw an underdeveloped fry attatched to a smilar sphere; appearantly, that must be the yolk sacks or eggs? I have never seen this before.


Part of what I really want to understand is how there coule be completely /un/developed fry/eggs, and fully formed and swimming fry, at the same time? Isn't it odd that they would develope with such diversity? Also, has anyone else ever seen something remotely similar to this? I'm at a loss; I've never heard of it...


Please provide any feedback you have! Thank you.




The female is stressed of course now and so I am leaving her be. I am wondering if she is in any danger because of this odd birthing other than the stress factor, or if I should do something special for her.

Thanks!

 

[Rugby]

hello,
this happened to me a year or two ago.
the female shouldnt be in any danger, or at least mine didnt have any problems with later births...
perhaps different ph, or other parameters stressed her?
also, putting them in a little box puts them under a lot of stress, (not much else u can do if u want to save the babys, ) so mabey thats the problem...
of course, congrats on the healthy fry!!!!
in three weeks , put her in the breeders net/box, or in a nother tank, but when u giver her an extra week, the stress level is a lot lower on them, hence the three weeks, not four )
she should be ok though, as should the healthy fry
congrats and hope my confusing "help" helped
Rugby

 

[lilfishie]

its probably best to let her birth in the main tank, then net the fry as you see them, this way is less stressful for her

 

[dane261]

i used to use a breeding trap years ago but they seemed to get stressed out and bail out over the top now i have an 18x12x12 breeding tank for them for tank heater and filter around 25-30 quid use a lamp as a light just to save money