# dying babies help!



## saskmel (Feb 6, 2006)

I HAD 42 SOWRDTAIL BABIES TWO WEEKS AGO AND ALL HAD SERVIVED THE FIRST WEEK AND A HALF. OVER THE LAST THREE DAYS I HAVE STARTED TO LOSE ABOUT TWO FISH A DAY. ALL WATER CONDITIONS ARE GOOD.FEEDING THREE TIMES A DAY.FEEDING LIQUID AND POWDER COMBINATION. CAN ANYONE TELL ME IF THIS IS NORMAL, SURVIVAL OF THE FITIST, OR IS THERE SOMETHING I AM DOING WRONG, PLEASE HELP! I LOVE MY BABIES!:sad: :sad:


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## ron v (Feb 24, 2005)

saskmel said:


> ALL WATER CONDITIONS ARE GOOD.


Please give details on water conditions. Test results.


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## craftyflalady (Jan 25, 2006)

I question what your feeding them. At this age they should be one BBS and crushed flake. What liguid are you feeding them? Are you sure they are getting enough to eat? 

Also, agree with Ron on water quality. In fry tanks, water needs almost daily water changes, because of how much food they need. 6 feedings a day. I also leave the lights on at night for my fry, so they can nibble all night long. At least for the first two weeks I do. 

Need more information to really get a handle on it, but there is some stuff to think about. 

Kathy


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## saskmel (Feb 6, 2006)

Ph 7.5
Temp 78
No Ammonia
No Nitrites
Water Changes Daily/ 30%
FISH FOODS-WARDLEY SMALL FRY (FOR LIVEBEARER BABYS)LIQUID
AND
NUTRAFIN BASICS FOOD FOR FRY


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## ron v (Feb 24, 2005)

Tests sound perfect. Maybe Kathy is right.


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## saskmel (Feb 6, 2006)

I Have Always Been Afraid Of Over Feeding After Reading Some Of The Threads On This Site, Maybe I Am Not Feeding Enough, I'll Try Increasing The Feedings And Leave The Light On, Hope This Helps, Thanks For The Quick Advice. I Just Gave Them More Food, A Little Early, But They Seem Hungry.


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## craftyflalady (Jan 25, 2006)

Baby fish need food almost all the time. Several small feedings a day work great for me. When the fry are freeswimming which livebearers are born that way, I also add 2 small Apple Snails to the tank. They clean up any food left over from feeding and they also produce inforsuia that the fry feed on. A win win situation. Also, you could try adding a chunk of Java moss from a mature tank, to the fry tank. There will be little critters living among the moss that the fry can snack on all day long. 

Keep us posted on how they are doing? 
Kathy


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## saskmel (Feb 6, 2006)

lost mom,losing babies,not sure why.tests are perfect,feeding is good,babies are dieing,and i think i am ready to give up. any advice for a breeder down on there luck would be great.


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## TheOldSalt (Jan 28, 2005)

Quit feeding the liquid food. They aren't eating it by now anyway, and it might well have gone bad on you, poisoning them.

Switch to Tetra-min flakes, finely ground, and add some spirulina flakes too. If you can provide baby brine shrimp, then do so for optimum growth, but don't panic if you can't.

Those 30% daily water changes might also be part of the problem, especially if the water is too soft. If you're absolutely certain that your new water is okay for swordtails and it's always the same, then daily water changes shouldn't be a problem, but why not eliminate the possibility? 35 baby swordtails don't make a big enough mess to require so much water changing, so try letting the water get a bit aged and see what happens.


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## micstarz (Oct 22, 2005)

overfeeding overfeeding overfeeding no liquid food.

oh yea why hasnt anyone mention GIH (growth inhibitor hormones)


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## Chazwick (Aug 24, 2005)

Are they in a breeding net / away from bigger fish?
(sorry if this has been mentioned before, just it's kind of relevant)


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## saskmel (Feb 6, 2006)

there in a ten gallon of there own


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## saskmel (Feb 6, 2006)

Filter Intake Is Coverded In Pantyhose And The Amount Of Flow Is Reduced To Very Little


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## ron v (Feb 24, 2005)

Try testing ammonia and nitrite again. How long has this tank been set up?


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## Cichlid Man (Jan 19, 2005)

saskmel said:


> I HAD 42 SOWRDTAIL BABIES TWO WEEKS AGO AND ALL HAD SERVIVED THE FIRST WEEK AND A HALF. OVER THE LAST THREE DAYS I HAVE STARTED TO LOSE ABOUT TWO FISH A DAY. ALL WATER CONDITIONS ARE GOOD.FEEDING THREE TIMES A DAY.FEEDING LIQUID AND POWDER COMBINATION. CAN ANYONE TELL ME IF THIS IS NORMAL, SURVIVAL OF THE FITIST, OR IS THERE SOMETHING I AM DOING WRONG, PLEASE HELP! I LOVE MY BABIES!:sad: :sad:


You and me both love. I've never had luck with livebearers. But don't let this detor you. You have to stick at it and don't give up for the babies sake.
What substrate are you using? If any. Maybe rotting food is causing an internal bacterial infection. That's how all my mollies/guppies/platies/swords died. I had full colonies, up to 300 livebearers in a 5 foot tank. They all caught a disease and I couldn't save them in time. The thing with livebearers is that they are very easy to keep and breed. Unfortunatly if a parasite gets essablished in the system, that's it, all gone, they drop like flies.


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## saskmel (Feb 6, 2006)

all tests are good tank has been well cycled


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## saskmel (Feb 6, 2006)

Babies Have Stopped Dieing And Everything Seems To Be Good, Not Sure What Was Happening But Am Glad The Little Guys Are Ok! Dont Know How To Breed Bbs But I Gave Them A Cube Of Frozen Adult Bs And The Little Guys Had A Hay Day Terrin Up The Stuff And There Little Guts Are Just Packed And There Sittin On The Bottom Havin A Nap. Lol
Thank You Everyone For The Quick Advice And Hope To Hear From You All Soon.
P.s. I Cant Hurt Them By Feedin Them The Adult Bs Can I?


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