Swordtail Fry

[ripil]

hello
any idea on how old the fry have to be before i'll see which ones have the sword? ie are male at all? i've never kept the swordtail fry before as i've always sold them after a few weeks or given them away but i'm keeping some of the 30 swordtail fry i've got now and before i put them in the main tank i wanted to know so i keep the ratio of one male to 3 females ok. thanks alot rich

 

[OldMan47]

It is not unusual to have a male swordtail finally start showing its gender at over a year old. I bought 6 female wild type swordtails at an auction that were over 2 inches long. Each one in turn decided to show it was a male and a full 2 years later the last of those 6 finally showed it was a male. This is an extreme example but not all that unusual among swordtail breeders.

 

[ripil]

oh so i'm in for a bit of a wait then. their only about 5 weeks. if they don't show their gender do they not bother the females at all? be my guess they wouldn't. really want to hybrid my really really red swordtails with my black dragon guppy. thanks for the reply mate.

 

[pezmanw]

swords we change sex if there is no males in the tank, but if you have fry it should be about week 6 I think that's when I start to see the swords on the 3 batches I have had.

 

[OldMan47]

Swordtails do not change sex ever Pezmanw, it is a genetic thing with them. Some fail to show their sex until they have reached an old age.

As far as crossing your red swords with your guppies,it is futile to try it. The Xiphophorus genus (swordtails and platies) cannot cross with the Poecilia genus (guppies / mollies) at all, ever.

 

[Dieses Madchen]

I can guarantee that you did not see a sword as early as week six. It was four month at least before any of my fry even began to show chnages in that area.

Sources: I breed swordtail and platys.

8 week old fry:

 

[ripil]

yeah i knew it was impossible but really wanted to see the colour they'd come out. my fry are now around the 8 week mark and still nothing so i'll keep waiting.