How to identify a lyretails sex?

[Katchan]

Hi, I know live bearer males have a gonopodium, and in guppy's and normal swords this is VERY easy to identify, however I have a Lyretail swordie that I have had for about 5 weeks which I always though was a male because of what looked like an obvious gonopodium but now I'm not so sure in comparing it to my normal male swordie what I thought was a gonopodium may just be normal pronounced finnage of a lyretail swordie. What leads me to think this is it has started to look more and more pregnant over the last couple of weeks. I have included 2 pictures and help would be great

This Picture shows what I thought to be the gonopodium, but it does have good finnage as well as the long trailing part were as the one gonopodium on the male also in the shot has basically no finnage on the gonpodium

This show shows the fish look possibly pregnant

 

[tank212]

Looks like a female to me. I saw a pic of a lyretail pregnant female and yours looks like it. ?she? is pretty by the way.

 

[Katchan]

yeah I got him ) because it was the first good looking lyretail I'd seen

katchan

 

[Final Dynazty]

female deff.

 

[Polardbear]

Yep that is a female lyretail. The male lyretail's gonopodium looks pretty very similar to a reg swordies except it is extremely long. They are usually long enough to trail behind them. Here are pictures of a male and female lyretail swordie.

Female -

Male -

 

[Katchan]

Thanks for the help , When I first got her I was a very noob to this hobby (or is that obsession ) and had no idea that lyretails came in females as well. I guess I did a double score got a fish I really liked and she's capable of making me more potentionally as nice or nicer than her . Thanks again

Katchan

 

[o-zel]

hi

i am planning to get a pair of those by the end of this month... just want to know do they eat their young like guppies? n r they hard to breed? if i mix them with guppies is it ok?

thnx

 

[paige]

1> its quite hard to breed them



2> .they do eat there fry like guppies



3> they would be fine with guppies.

 

[tank212]

hi

i am planning to get a pair of those by the end of this month... just want to know do they eat their young like guppies? n r they hard to breed? if i mix them with guppies is it ok?

thnx

It would probably be more respectful if you started your own thread. A 1m/2f ratio would be better than a pair.

 

[Polardbear]

Here's a bit of info for both Katchan and o-zel about the lyretail variety of swordies. They are just like regular swordies in all aspects except one. The males are pretty much useless for reproducing. Because the gonopodium is as distorted in length as the rest of the fins it doesn't function properly and apparently is unable to deliver the sperm packets. To breed lyretails you cross lyretail females with either a reg fin male or a hi fin male. You will get a mix of the different fin types but only a small percentage of lyretails. Keep a reg fin or hi fin male from that breeding and cross it back to a lyretail female to keep producing lyretails. They get along with other fish as well as reg swordies and eat their young just like other swordies. I'm working on breeding lyretails and have only produced 4 lyretails out of my first 2 breedings so far. You've got to be quick to save as many babies as you can after they are born and than watch the fry closely for the first few weeks to spot the lyretail trait. It starts to be visible (at least to me) when they get to be about 3 weeks old.

 

[Katchan]

Thanks for the info Polar. I wasnt planning on going for breeding them but since it seems difficult I might get a growout tank for the fry and for a nice little side line . Thanks again Polar

Katchan