If you are breeding your swordtail fish, you should have accurate information on what is best for the pregnant female and eventually the fry when they are born. The route to the birthing of healthy fry is a healthy pregnancy. It would help if you took care of your pregnant swordtails to prevent any unwanted complications. The best way to do that is to separate your pregnant swordtail fish.
The answer to the question “should I separate my pregnant swordtail fish?” is YES. Pregnant swordtail fish can get stressed in a community tank, and the fry born in a community tank is easily preyed upon. Thus, it would be best to separate your pregnant swordtails to ensure their safety and also of their fry.
The male fish often torment the pregnant swordtail fish. This can lead to stress and even diseases which is not suitable for babies. Similarly, swordtail fry are born live and already free-swimming. This will put their lives in danger as the parents, and other fish in the tank will try to eat them.
So, in this blog post, we will talk about why you should separate a pregnant swordtail fish and how to do it.
How To Identify A Pregnant Swordtail Fish?
Before we learn why and how to separate pregnant swordtails in detail, we must understand the signs of pregnancy in swordtail fish. You can only separate and care for a pregnant swordtail fish if you know that she is pregnant.
Now, if you have experience in fishkeeping, you might identify that your fish is pregnant immediately. However, if you know, you might have some trouble. Do not worry; I’m here to help.
To identify and separate a pregnant swordtail fish, you should take notes of when they mated. You might indeed have a swordtail female with sperm stored in her pouch, which becomes a whole new scenario. Often, if male and female swordtails are together in a tank, they mate without initiation. Thus you should carefully observe if they mate so that you can immediately separate the pregnant swordtail fish.
Here are some sure signs to help you identify a pregnant fish:
Swollen Belly
The most apparent sign that swordtail fish is pregnant is a swollen belly. After mating, internal fertilization, you can see their abdomen bulging.
It could also be that your fish has dropsy which also causes your fish’s belly to swell. Thus, you should also know if your swordtail is just fat or pregnant.
Once your swordtail is pregnant, your swordtail will start developing a thick, square belly.
Dark Gravid Spot
There is a tiny gravid spot on the underside of the belly. During pregnancy, the gravid spot darkens and becomes bluish-black—the dark spot in the fry’s eyes, as per some aquarists.
The gravid spot is, therefore, a significant way to identify a pregnant swordtail.
Inactiveness And Hiding
If a female swordtail fish, soon after mating, tries to hide behind the plants and other decorations in the tank, it might be the sign that they are pregnant.
Likewise, they also tend to be less active and confine themselves to one corner of the tank. So, if you see any such behavioral changes in your perfectly fine swordtail, she might be pregnant.
Aggression And Aggressive Eating Behavior
Swordtail fish, when pregnant, can get stressed and irritated for no reason. They might get annoyed by other tank mates and get a little hostile and aggressive.
Similarly, when pregnant, your female will also start eating voraciously. They have to eat for themselves and their babies, so they need a slightly heavier diet.
Swordtail fish are tiny and should eat only twice to three times a day. So, if the signs of constant hunger, it might be because they are pregnant.
Therefore, these are some signs you should look for to identify if your swordtail fish is pregnant.
Should I Separate My Pregnant Swordtail Fish?
Separating the pregnant fish is the best option if you want your swordtail to have an uncomplicated delivery and for all your swordtail fry to live.
If you separate your pregnant swordtail fish, they will be less stressed, and you can take care of them even more closely. In addition, swordtails need a relaxing, peaceful environment which will be impossible if you leave them in the main tank.
Separating will ensure that you fulfill all the necessities of your fish, and in the same way, you can also save the fry from other tank mates.
Here are some of the reasons why you should separate the pregnant swordtail fish:
To Avoid Harassment From Male Bullies
Swordtail males tend to be aggressive maters. And, their intense sex drive makes them want to mate all the time. So, as a result, they will chase around and harass the female swordtails in the tank.
The male fish will have no idea about the pregnancy and will tirelessly chase the female around. It could even lead to biting and fin-nipping.
All the harassment can be fatal to your pregnant fish as their physical and mental health is compromised. For this reason, it would be best if you separate the female swordtail fish.
Saving The Fry
Another reason why you should separate pregnant swordtails is that the fry cannot survive in the main tank.
Swordtail fry is tiny and free-swimming from birth. They will start swimming around the tank as soon as they come out. Unfortunately, this will make them prey on almost all fish in the tank, including their parents.
Swordtail adults will not think twice before eating their babies, let alone the other unrelated fish in the tank. That’s why it is best if you separate a pregnant swordtail fish.
The babies won’t grow and develop properly in a crowded, dirty tank with the constant fear of eating. To protect the fry, you should separate the fish.
Peaceful Delivery
Pregnancy is a delicate time for all female organisms. However, since swordtails give liv birth to around 100-150 fry at a time, they suffer more trouble.
In such situations, you will want to give the best possible environment for your swordtail female. The main tank will have plenty of other fish that will annoy your pregnant female. The water parameters are fluctuated due to waste, and of course, the aggressive males.
Thus, if you separate the pregnant swordtail fish, they will have a peaceful environment and deliver healthily in peace.
For the following reasons, you should separate the pregnant swordtail fish.
How To Separate Pregnant Swordtail Fish?
I have been talking about how it’s beneficial to separate pregnant fish for quite a while now. But where to separate them? How can you separate the fish, and where can you keep them?
Here are some ways on how you can separate female swordtails:
A Separate Breeding Tank
To aid swordtails to breed, a separate breeding tank would be a must. After all, you’ll need to separate swordtail fry once they’re born, so why not start now?
Yes, you can keep a separate tank for pregnant swordtail fish to keep her safe. It will undoubtedly save your fry in the future and look after the pregnant swordtail during her pregnancy.
Even in the isolated tank, however, multiple tank conditions are required. This tank will also serve as a fry tank; therefore, understand how to put up a fry tank.
In the tank, you will need to maintain the ideal water temperature, pH level, and aquarium water hardness, along with diet and decorations.
Putting Up A Breeding Box
Installing a breeding box can be a good idea if you want the pregnant swordtail fish to dwell in the main tank but separately. However, separating and saving swordtail fry after birth is one of the most acceptable options.
A breeding box is a container designed to safeguard pregnant swordtail fish by separating them from the rest of the aquarium.
The tank water travels through a water pump in this box without bothering the fish inside. As a result, your fish will have no trouble surviving in the box.
Take the pregnant swordtail fish to the breeding box and keep her there until she gives birth. The babies will fall into a different portion of the breeding box once she gives birth, leaving the mother alone.
How Long Should I Separate Pregnant Swordtail Fish?
As soon as you notice the pregnant swordtail fish is pregnant, it would help if you separated it using the numerous ways listed above.
The sooner you separate the pregnant fish, the greater the fish’s chances of surviving the pregnancy.
How long you should keep the fish apart depends on how long the swordtail is pregnant. Separate her till she gives birth to her babies. The answer is “as long as the fish gives birth to her babies.” Separate the mother as soon as you observe the pregnant fish giving birth to fry. Then, return the mother swordtail to its main tank with the other fish.
After the swordtail fry is born, you must keep the pregnant/mother fish in a separate tank because she may devour the offspring.
FAQs
How Long Should Baby Swordtails Be Separated?
You should keep baby swordtails apart from the main tank until they are old enough to survive independently.
Swordtail fry are small and can be mistaken for live food by larger fish in the tank. Therefore, separating them until they were large enough, around 3 to 6 weeks after birth, would be beneficial.
Do Swordtails Die After Birth?
Swordtail fish do not usually die after giving birth, and it is an unusual occurrence.
Female swordtail fish can die after giving birth to their young for various causes, including problems during labor, multiple pregnancies, harassment by males and other females in the breeding box, low water conditions, or disease.
Do Swordtails Give Birth At Night?
Swordtail fish are live-bearing fish, meaning they give birth to live babies. I performed some research and discovered that livebearer fish such as mollies, guppies, platies, swordtails, and other similar species give birth at night, in the dark.
However, these fish have also been seen to give birth during the day. As a result, all livebearers, even swordtails, give birth when they are ready, usually at night.
Conclusion
As a result, you should keep the pregnant swordtail fish separate from the other fish in the main tank. You can save swordtail fry from other fish when they are born by doing so. During the gestation phase, it also protects the pregnant fish against various forms of stress and bullying.
Separate the fish from the others as soon as you see pregnancy symptoms. The sooner you isolate the pregnant swordtail and her pups, the safer the fish and her offspring will be.