Are swordtail platys aggressive?

What happens when a female swordtail mate with a male?

Same happens to female swordtails. On the other hand, when the female swordtails reach sexual maturity, the male counterparts always follow them for mating. During this time, scrambling occurs hence, the stronger male will dominate and develop aggressive behavior towards another male.

Why is my swordtail fish aggressive?

However, there are a number of reasons that can force your swordtail fish to exhibit aggressive behavior. In most cases, you will realize that male fish tend to become more aggressive to their male counterparts. This also applies to female swordtails. It is a territorial thing.

Can swordtail fish breed with platys?

These more aggressive fish can breed with Platys. Our aggressive Platy was very similar to this one, and may well be a Swordtail/Platy hybrid. Note the “sword spike” mark in her tail. Ours was even more pronounced. As upsetting as it was, we had to carry on as we still had Minnie and our Hong Kong Pleco to care for.

Do swordtails lay eggs or give birth?

Swordtails are livebearers. Instead of laying an egg, female swordtails produce a young one. As mentioned above, the optimum ratio is three females for every male. The reason for this is the energy of male swordtails.

Can swordtail fish mate with platies?

Yes, swordtails can mate with other closely related fish like the platies. Generally, female swordtails tend to mate with male platy. Hence, if you are looking forward to having mixed breeding, then you can rear these species of fish.

Why do swordtail fish change their sexes?

The swordtail fish actually changes to the opposite sex if there are not enough of its own kind. Under normal circumstances, a female swordtail can become a male swordtail when exposed to too many male swordtails in her swordtail tank. But why do they do so?

Do swordtails get stressed in a crowded tank?

Second, in a crowded tank, the swordtails remain stressed and always aggressive. To avoid overcrowding, you can go for a larger tank or keep recommendable number of fish in the available space. You should also not include many things in the tank in order to maximize the use of the available spaces.

Why do swordtail fish chase each other?

There are two reasons why a swordtail fish can chase the other one. One, an alpha-male can chase the female partner to mate. Therefore, it is very important to consider gender mix since it affects the overall behavior of the pets in the tank. The second reason why a swordtail may chase another one is during the verge of marking its territory.

Do swordtails give birth to live fry?

No, they do not. Swordtails are livebearers and therefore they give birth to live fry. They are easy to keep and easy to breed fish. That makes them a perfect choice for beginner aquarists.

How do you know when a swordtail is giving birth?

When a swordtail is almost giving birth, its belly will appear larger and the fish will struggle to swim around the tank. On the day before birth, the fish will be lethargic, will not eat, will be territorial and might hide towards the aquarium tank backside.

Can a female swordtail fish turn into a male?

Some people claim that they witnessed their female swordtail change into a male after they had kept it in a female-only aquarium for a very long time. Researchers contest the phenomenon with other theories such as those are the late-blooming males that develop genitals late in life. Females are also known to breed in the absence of males.

Can a female swordtail fish breed after changing sex?

Hi Laura I have to disagree with you about female swordtails not being able to breed once they have changed sex. In the absence of male fish, a dominant female swordtail (and other livebearers) will often change sex and become a fully functional male to keep the species alive.

Why do male fish change from male to female?

In protandy, the male changes to female to improve genetic fitness. One major example of this type of fish is the clown fish, which usually form monogamous relationships. Should the female die, the male will change sex rather than find another female, and then pair up with a single male clown fish.

How does a fish become the opposite sex?

The fish lives as a male or a female for awhile. But – when the fish reaches a certain age, or its mate dies – those initial reproductive organs wither away – and other reproductive organs mature, so that the fish becomes the opposite sex.

What happens to the largest fish when the male dies?

But when the male dies, the largest female takes on the male coloration, develops testes, and can even produce sperm, so becoming the male in the group. But in other fish, all are born male and the largest ones turn into females.

Are swordtails aggressive in a crowded tank?

Second, in a crowded tank, the swordtails remain stressed and always aggressive. To avoid overcrowding, you can go for a larger tank or keep recommendable number of fish in the available space. You should also not include many things in the tank in order to maximize the use of the available spaces. Remember, swordtails are excellent swimmers.

How much space does a swordtail fish need?

The average size swordtail will not require much space due to the small size, but considering the fact that they are very active, you will have to provide them with adequate space to swim. One adult swordtail will need a 15 gallons tank. If you need to add some other fish for company, you will have to plan for them and go for a 30 gallon aquarium.

Why do swordtail fish fight each other?

Secondly, the alpha male may fight other sub-males for mates. With time you will realize that there is this one male that swims closer to the female swordtails. This happens when the female swordtails are ripe for mating. It is the nature of the sub-male swordtails to remain in a specific corner, stressed and unable to retreat.

What do you need to know about swordtail fish?

The females have a round shaped anal fin. The gravid spots of the females become visible in this stage. The juvenile stage is the most important for swordtails, which means that you should feed them with high-quality feed and ensure that the water condition is right throughout the day.

Can fish change their sexes?

Some, like the wrasse tend to change from female to male whereas others, such as clownfish tend to change from male to female and some fish species, it’s thought, can potentially switch sex multiple times. Actually filming the story of a sex changing fish would prove to be a great challenge in itself.

How do you determine the sex of a swordtail?

In swordtails, the sex of an individual swordtail is determined by whether they have XX or XY chromosomes. The swordtail with two X chromosomes develops as a female, and swordtails with one X and one Y chromosome become males.