Swordies Testing My Patience

[Angry_Platy]

My 2 neon swords are heavily pregnant living happily in their new 6 gall home. I know this is too small for 2 swordies but as soon as the fry are born they are being relocated to the 30gal. I know they are pregnant as they have been gettig steadily fatter for the last few weeks (since I got them)....they are SOOO purdy

I am checking them all the time to check for fry....to no avail. This includes early morning/late night etc. This morning when I checked them they were both hovering at the top of the tank....classic platy/guppy birthing behaviour. They are normally really active ALL the time. So I got pretty excited and went to work. I expected to come home to masses of swordy fry when I got home......

BUT.....I got home and they are still too active and still too fat Last time I fed them was the day before yesterday (I feed every 2nd day)....so I am still checking them. Every 2nd check I make they are displaying birthing behaviour, then I get excited and check more then they are being highly active again.

SIGH....

Why oh why are they doing this to me? Why oh why won't they give me some fry?

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

Hm....I wouldn't put them both in a 6gal because they are both probably delaying each others births and they are likely to eat each others fry too as they will be very hungry after giving birth.
I would take the one out which looks the least likely to give birth or who has the smallest tummy and you will probably get the fry much more successfully that way if you just have one in the tank.

 

[Polardbear]

I agree. I use 10 gallon tanks as maternity tanks and they do seem to get down to business much quicker when I have a single female in them. If I double the ladies up it seems like they hold on to the fry much longer. Are you doing frequent water changes? The better the tank conditions the more likely they are to relax and have the darn babies. Try keeping the lighting subdued as well.

My swordies are pulling for you Angry_Platy!