Territorial Swordtails?

[Sinuhe]

I've had 5 young Swordtails in a 10 gallon/ 41 liter QT tank for 5 days now, and am observing some interesting behaviour. They range from 1,5 to 3 cm (1/2 to 1 1/4 inches) in size, and are too young to sex (none have gonopodiums or "swordtails" yet). First I noticed the biggest one sporting some territorial behaviour, especially when feeding: when another fish came around, he'd spread all his fins, take a threatening stand, and then chase them away. Now I see even the smaller ones with the same kind of behaviour. I have 3 young Platies in another tank, and have never seen them behave like this. Is this typical of Swordtails?

 

[aernympha]

yup swordtailas and platy falre at other amales to ward them off and to impress females it make them look big very normal behavior ermmm... the bigger fry are around the size of changing sez

 

[snotirl]

I have swordtails and i notice the same the male swordtails allways trys to poke his swordtail at other fish he chases them fish around doing that but he never does it to a male silver mollie i have even dough he is smaller than the male swrodtail, they kind of friends the swordtail chases other fish with the silver mollie!

 

[Juggernaut22988]

Are swordtails harder to breed than platies?
If not, I might get some

 

[Sinuhe]

Thanks for the response, guys

As far as I know, Swordtails breed just as easily as Platies or Guppies. The family I got them from had raised the fry in a smallish community tank with grown up Swordtails and other fish, without many places to hide, and still several of them had survived.

 

[guppymonkey]

My swordtails are very competitive. The larger one is constantly chasing the smaller one. I am assuming this is normal behavior. It probably has to do with sexual reproduction, the less males around means the less competition for females.
I want to try to breed them but I don't have the room and my gf said "NO MORE TANKS!"