Should I Or Shouldn't I Get Another Female Swordie?

[FishBlast]

Today or maybe tomorrow, I will go to the aquatics pet shop to get java moss, nitrite tester and dechlorinator.
Should I also get a small lyretail female swordtail to keep Cracker the male entertained?

Things to consider: tank volume: 76L (probably filled at 70L now due to fry cage)
tank length: 85 cm (about 3 feet)
width: 30 cm
height: 30 cm
current occupants: 1 adult hoplo, 2 teenage swordtails (male, female), 3 fry of 1 cm in size (not exactly sure but might be 1 male and 2 females, or 2 males and 1 female), 2 small apple snails.
Filtration: 300 l/h internal sponge + powerhead.
Water changes: 1.5L every day or every other day, 20L-30L once a week.


And what kind? Koi? Completely white? Yellow? Orange? (I already have enough red and black ones anyway due to their 3 fry and the 2 parents being those colors).

 

[Alm0stAwesome]

I vote yes! Maybe they will be feisty and knock that Bee down a peg or two lol

 

[FishBlast]

I vote yes! Maybe they will be feisty and knock that Bee down a peg or two lol

Bee and Cracker seem to have calmed down though, but there's no more interest between them. They just mind their own business now. Oddly, Bee is not pregnant this month as well. Either she's going to just grow a tail and no longer mate, or maybe they had some argument or something, as the male seems to get the "cold shoulder" whenever he swims up to her. Poor guy.

 

[Alm0stAwesome]

Poor Cracker, he needs another love in lis life

 

[FishBlast]

Poor Cracker, he needs another love in lis life

Yeah, just hope Bee won't be jealous... She fought her rival and scared her so much she refused to eat till she died, even when separated. -.- But then again, Dia was the bigger female dog, picking on Bee for no reason.
So if I get a lyretail, it should be a calmer version, maybe a white or yellow one.

Last time I went there, they had some really odd specimens... Their tail looked more like a goldfish's. And others had what seemed to be a mix between pin-tail and 2 lobes, looked so strange... And most of them were pink, but not too cool-looking, a rather pale pink, my Pinky looks like them at the moment, only that her tail is round and her dorsal is shark-like.

Looks like Bee and Cracker are some of the best from that shop, their colors are so awesome.

 

[Alm0stAwesome]

Fingers crossed that they have some nice ones in for you today! I bet you're excited about going shopping for new fish stuff

 

[FishBlast]

Fingers crossed that they have some nice ones in for you today! I bet you're excited about going shopping for new fish stuff

I'm happy that I can get the nitrite tester (though by now the tank is most likely cycled already. But if I'll add new fish, best to have that thing along with my ammonia kit).
Also the java moss. Log looks kind of empty since all my water sprite went afloat. At least it stays where I wanted that plant in the first place anyway.

Just hope that my dad comes home early enough, as there's a long way to Coralis shop. Not settling for the crappy mall's pet shop, too many risks there.

 

[FishBlast]

So tomorrow I'll go there, weather has been all rain, no sun and my dad wasn't home either these days, but he said tomorrow we're going to the shop.

Added poll for what kind of lyretail.
I'd need something to be totally different from the swordtails I already have. So no blood-reds or black swordies, as those are already here + variations of them. Something light colored, but not transparent though or black + transparent.

 

[FishFanatic04]

I voted white! But they may have something very interesting and pretty when you get to the store. Hope you have fun

Your tank is looking awesome Btw! I haven't seen it since you added the wood.

 

[FishBlast]

I voted white! But they may have something very interesting and pretty when you get to the store. Hope you have fun

Your tank is looking awesome Btw! I haven't seen it since you added the wood.

Yeah, white is most likely to be available (in their koi sword tank). I have too many dark-colored fish.

Thank you.
I will update the picture when I'll add java moss to it. And my fern already is growing new plants on a leaf. They have long roots, it looks like an octopus just grew on it.

 

[Alm0stAwesome]

Get 2 more! You've got room right?

 

[FishBlast]

Get 2 more! You've got room right?

Yeah but I have to take into consideration when they all grow.
If I were to consider everything as adult fish, I'd have:
5 Swordtails (no idea how many exact male to female ratios except that I know for sure 1 is a female and 1 is a male)
1 adult hoplo (13 cm)
2 apple snails.

Tank dimensions 85x30x30 long, max capacity 76L.
So I think adding a 6th swordtail's already taking it to the or near the limit. I'll also have to worry about excess of males when the fry grow up, as I think at least one of those (Ninja) is a male due to his frequent courtship displays towards Pinky (who I suspect of being a hi-fin pink or blood-red female with black eyes).

However, I do have that 150L, which I may use next year if my dad will make an extra room in the attic. But knowing him, that can take more than a year. X_X

 

[OldMan47]

You do have room for more fish in that 20 long so, if you want another female or two, get them.

 

[FishBlast]

You do have room for more fish in that 20 long so, if you want another female or two, get them.

Even assuming that the swordies would reach let's say 8 cm in length? Because they'll be staying there for up to 5 years since they won't be sold or given away. This is why I'm trying to keep balance in the stocking. But it is a species-only tank (excluding the hoplo, he's kind of like a center piece and also keeps things clean and isn't messy).

The bioload seems to be quite small, so an increase would also help plants grow even faster. I'll get 1 female for now and see if I'd need another female once the fry start showing their true genders. Or, I could breed that new female and get another fry from her but not sure if white + black swordtail will yield anything cool. Yellow + black on the other hand, would look as awesome as a bumblebee.

 

[OldMan47]

That load will be fine except that there is no way you will be able to keep all of the fry from even one female swordie for 5 years. They just expand their numbers too fast for that.