Pregnant Swordtail

[Marvin4o9]

Okay so here's the deal, my swordtail gave birth to like 10 fry yesterday morning, I had put her in the breeder box around 4am and I had taken the top off of the box and she jumped out around 6am and was swimming around normally and didn't seem like she was gonna drop the fry anytime soon, but around 8am I saw what looked like a piece of rice fall to the substrate and thought it was just poo until I saw it swim to the surface and around the gravel, I quickly put the momma sword in the breeder box and tried to get the one fry. Well I thought that was the only one till I saw several others come out of hiding and I was able to catch 7 out of maybe 10 that she dropped? My question is, she still has what seems like a lot of fry left inside waiting to be born, do swordtails usually drop all their fry at once or can they give birth to some and take another day or two to drop the rest? I didn't leave her in the breeder box as to not stress her out. Instead I put her and the other fry in a small 5 gallon tank with sand and a lot of fake decor. The fry I put in the breeder box to keep safe while the momma is in the tank with them. She hasn't dropped anymore in 24 hours. Anybody know how long it might take for her to drop the rest? Thanks in advance!!!

 

[Paradise3]

She does still seem to have some fry left inside to drop but I think the problem is that you instantly moved her into the breeder box when you saw fry... I personally leave them to give birth in the main tank, you'd be surprised how easily fry can survive if they have somewhere to hide.
 
So you stressed her out in the middle of labour both by moving her into a breeder box and then into a 5 gallon tank. if you really want to save the fry you could leave her to give birth in the tank and then catch the fry later. However, with how many fry livebearerers have it's not wise to try saving all of them... You'll soon be overrun.

 

[arielsworld17974]

Another member gave me advice on my pregnant swordtails. Let her be in the tank. Turn out all the lights so she can't see and she won't necessarily be able to see her fry. And yeah it doesn't hurt for her to eat some. They have a lot. You should never try and move her in the middle of labor. Just let her do her thing. If she's in the tank put lots of plants especially floating plants like maybe some ferns, real or fake. They will hide in them and your mama won't be able to find them. Hopefully this helps a little. I've had a lot of questions answered about mine her recently so just ask
Another great idea is take a piece of Styrofoam or a sponge and stick lots of toothpicks in it. Then stick it somewhere like on the bottom. The fry will hide in the toothpick forest where big fish can't get to them.
Have yet to try this but everyone says it really works.

 

[Hairy_Trev]

When I assumed my female sword was well into her pregnancy, I moved her into a breeding trap, floating in my nursery tank where she stayed for another week or more. I came home from work one day and was puzzled about why the waste food/poo etc was floating about 1cm above the bottom of the trap.... "and why is it moving around?!!"
 
BABIES!!!! maybe around 20 of them...
 
The mother was moved into a separate isolation as I assumed she had finished although she still displayed the gravid spot. Research tells me that females can store sperm from a single mating for further pregnancies, and I've also heard that a female can self impregnate even before her first pregnancy has finished. This would suggest that she could give birth to one batch of babies, while the second batch are still developing... don't know if this is true? Anyone confirm or deny this? In the following month, she has shown no further signs of giving birth but still looks fat and has the gravid spot.
 
Due to my own carelessness, poor techniques and inexperience, many died but 6 have survived to 2 months old and now are happily living with my brother.
 
Greater care was taken with my other female ( silvery grey with a black tail) who had also bred with the same father. She was transferred into the breeding trap early to avoid stressing her out and she gave birth to around 30 babies. (on my own 50th birthday!!) However, unlike the first mother, she quickly regained her figure and the gravid spot faded.
 
Sadly she died a couple of weeks later, but 26 babies are still healthy, happy and have the freedom of the nursery! Curiously, all the babies are orangey red in colour, with varying amounts of black mottling. No silver at all!!!
 
Anyway... that gives my own comments on breeding swordies