Feeder swordtail question?

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acea091489

Gambusia
MFK Member
Jul 13, 2008
288
2
18
East Coast
hello,

My little sister got her a 30g tank for Christmas, and she wants to buy some kind of feeders to keep. I was looking online for feeders, and this certain fish store had feeder swordtails for sale, and they were all red? They look just like the ones you can buy in lfs. I though all feeders didn't have any color. Do feeder swortails have color? Oh yeah, the appox. puchase size is 1-1 1/4".
 
well lots of people consider all swordtails feeders, so im not too sure about what you mean my feeder swordtails, and yes all swordtails are colored. correct me if im wrong, you may be thinking of guppies as not being colorful
 
Feeders is just a loose term that can really be used for any fish being fed to bigger predatory fish. ANY small fish is a feeder...even baby Aros.
 
I have swordtails in one of my backyard 60 gallon pvc "ponds" and they breed like guppies. Well not as fast but you do get larger feeder fish

If you keep atleast 1 male (males can fight)and few females with places for the tiny glass sliver looking young to hide like floating plants live/plastic, etc.
You will have tons of feeders in no time .

Your sister will like them as they are colorfull thus a pretty feeder fish.
 
"bushy" plants or large gravel give the fry a place to hide/chance to live.. the parents will eat them.. i kept platys for a few years.. the moms will eat the fry soon as they finnish birthing them as will any/all others.. they are live bearers which makes them really nice and simple.. and if you get good looking parents you will end up with good looking young

the males have the "swordtail" hence the name... they are just as colorful as the females.. aggression between males is not so much of an issue.. but do what you can to have 2-3 females for every male just to keep the males from (how to say this gently) "humping the females to death".. their attempts to breed wont kill the females.. but the constant pestering will stress them till they stop eating.. the males are horndogs they will "display" to a female while she is giving birth..
 
I am helping her get all her decor as well. She is only 12 years old!! She has a few tiny clay pots, like 5 of those, I think their called "baby hide-out" plants. It looks almost like grass!! She also has a few taller plants. I use to breed plecos, so I gave her the pleco breeding brick that I bought off AB as well. The poor girls!! I will try to request a 1:3 ratio of males to females. Even if I have to pay a little extra!! How many do you think would fit comfort. in her 30g. I was going to buy 10 of them. Would this work out fine. If so, I will see if they can get her 2 males, and 8 females. Thanks again.


chesterthehero;2627591; said:
"bushy" plants or large gravel give the fry a place to hide/chance to live.. the parents will eat them.. i kept platys for a few years.. the moms will eat the fry soon as they finnish birthing them as will any/all others.. they are live bearers which makes them really nice and simple.. and if you get good looking parents you will end up with good looking young

the males have the "swordtail" hence the name... they are just as colorful as the females.. aggression between males is not so much of an issue.. but do what you can to have 2-3 females for every male just to keep the males from (how to say this gently) "humping the females to death".. their attempts to breed wont kill the females.. but the constant pestering will stress them till they stop eating.. the males are horndogs they will "display" to a female while she is giving birth..
 
sounds like a good plan.. just be sure to put a block of sponge filter over the intake of the filters to keep the fry from getting sucked up/stuck to it
 
chesterthehero;2627825; said:
sounds like a good plan.. just be sure to put a block of sponge filter over the intake of the filters to keep the fry from getting sucked up/stuck to it

Okay. They do not sell any at out pet stores, but I did see a fry guard for filters on ebay. Thanks so much.
 
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