Swordfish

[Kitikat]

I bought 2 swordfish today, but, I didnt notice in the shop because I didnt see the man get them out of the tank, but two of them have got split tails, could someone explain to me how this may have happened?? Also I have one swordfish in my big tank (I think it is) it looks like a placy but its black but it keeps seeing them off, hes ok with tetras, the swordfish i bought today are in the quaranteen tank with a variation of placys and the placys seem to be territorial with them, I dont think they nipped their tails cos I noticed it soon after they were in the tank, and they were in seperate transporter bags on the journey. I have nightmares of when they get in the big tank a big war going on between the placys added and swordfish added - are they not compatible, fish shop said should be ok??

 

[WILDER]

Split fins are quite normal with livebearers, good water quality and they will heal on there own.

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

Swordtails can breed with platy females, and you shouldn't really mix swordtail males in mixed gender groups unless you have tons of females(like 15+, which would overstock most normal tanks), its likely then that they are fighting over the platy females if you have platy females- removing one of the males so you have only one remaining is the only way to get rid of the agression, make sure though that even if you just have one swordtail male, that you have enough females for him(he will need around 3 or more females) or have no females at all.

The agression though unless you do somthing about it, is very unlikely to go own its own accord, as wilder said though good water quality is usually more than enough to heal split/torn fins(unless they get infected, by which then you will have to medicate- the most common infection to set into damaged fins is finrot).

How many male/female platys do you have? I take it that you just have male swordtails and no females? How many gallons is the tank ?

 

[Kitikat]

thank you for your replies, I dont know how to tell if platys and swordtails are male or female any idesa how i can find out?

 

[Annastasia]

Swordtail males will obviously have the long sword. But the easiest way to tell the sex of any of those, is to look at the anal fin. The female's will be fan-shaped, and the male's will be pointed.

 

[millym]

hi
if you have a look at the front page of this forum at the top theres a section that has a fish index list, if you look up the livebearers/swordtails there a couple of good pics of the differences between boy/girl swordies there - the pics are of different coloured swordies but you can see clearly the difference in body shape.

 

[clepsir1235]

my two swordtails fight all the time lol