My Swordtails Just Had Babies!

[Emmilyy]

Okay - so, Thursday night i brought home some swordtails - 2 males and 3 females (they're in a ten gallon tank - i plan on switching them to a 30 i have, but it needs to be changed to freshwater & set up)

Anyways - i got them thursday. Friday morning, i noticed on of my females dropped some fry. Okay - i knew that was probably going to happen. I've had swordtails and other livebearers before, but its never happened so soon after i'd gotten them! Then, Saturday morning my other female dropped her fry!WHAT!? So my tank was over run with them - and they were all starting to get eaten! So i quickly set up a smaller (3 gallon, i think) tank,(i filled it with water from the ten gallon) and put as many of the fry as i could catch into it. I caught a little less than 50 of them. but i know there's still some in the main tank.

I really don't know what I'm supposed to do from here! i want them to live, obviously! My parents went out and got me some fry food - so I hope they'll eat that. I crushed up some flake food and dried bloodworm earler and gave them a tiny bit and I'm pretty sure they ate a little.. Should i be feeding them like 4-5 times a day?

I just really need some advice about how to care for them. I dont know how soon i can set up the gallon tank.. Its still full of saltwater & rocks and i need new filters for it, not to mention new lighting! I want to put the adult fish in the big tank, completely empty the ten gallon except for a few plants,and raise them in that, but i dont know if i can and i've read its not good to move them around too much! and the tank they're in now is dirty and needs to be cleaned already! ugh, completely lost.


Sorry for such a long post!

 

[LilyRose Tank]

Okay - so, Thursday night i brought home some swordtails - 2 males and 3 females (they're in a ten gallon tank - i plan on switching them to a 30 i have, but it needs to be changed to freshwater & set up)

Anyways - i got them thursday. Friday morning, i noticed on of my females dropped some fry. Okay - i knew that was probably going to happen. I've had swordtails and other livebearers before, but its never happened so soon after i'd gotten them! Then, Saturday morning my other female dropped her fry!WHAT!? So my tank was over run with them - and they were all starting to get eaten! So i quickly set up a smaller (3 gallon, i think) tank,(i filled it with water from the ten gallon) and put as many of the fry as i could catch into it. I caught a little less than 50 of them. but i know there's still some in the main tank.

I really don't know what I'm supposed to do from here! i want them to live, obviously! My parents went out and got me some fry food - so I hope they'll eat that. I crushed up some flake food and dried bloodworm earler and gave them a tiny bit and I'm pretty sure they ate a little.. Should i be feeding them like 4-5 times a day?

I just really need some advice about how to care for them. I dont know how soon i can set up the gallon tank.. Its still full of saltwater & rocks and i need new filters for it, not to mention new lighting! I want to put the adult fish in the big tank, completely empty the ten gallon except for a few plants,and raise them in that, but i dont know if i can and i've read its not good to move them around too much! and the tank they're in now is dirty and needs to be cleaned already! ugh, completely lost.


Sorry for such a long post!

FIRSTLY congrats on your fry.
SECOND I believe 4-5 feeds a day is right, make sure bloodworms are cut up tiny as the fry can choke on it, finely powdered flakes, and liquifry seems to be going down extremely well with my platy fry, hope that helps

as the fry are so small being in a small tank for a few weeks wont hurt, but setting up your other tanks from marine will take 2 months. the ten gallon will be big enough while they are tiny, but once they are 3 months old, they will be approx 1 inch ( ish) in length, so a tank may be able to be cycled in that space of time if you start soon as poss.
If you are setting up the larger 30 gallon tank for the adults, then you can get that sorted in 3 months with a bit of luck, then put the adults into the 30 g and then the babies can go from the 3 g to the 10g, if that makes sence. You need to get the 30g tank all set up for freshwater asap, to get it fishless cycling ( there is a description of this on this site if you are unfamiliar with it) and hopefully they will all be ready to move up a size at the right time.
If I am wrong, I'm sure someone will correct me. good luck

 

[joanne_464]

i know how you feel my pinapple swords have just given birth 3 days ago iv been waiting for about two months for mother to drop and she does it when i least expect it i had to catch over 30 fry before they became lunch lol im feeding mine on luiqifry No2 like lilly rose said then after 3 weeks i move on to No3 which is a powder it goes down a treat Good Luck with everything !!!

 

[biokid101]

my guppy fry are a little over a month old and i have fed them crushed flake food and crushed freeze dried bloodowrms and they r still alive and healthy..my 3 swordtail frya re almost 3 weeks old and i have fed them the same thing.