# Prego Swordtail



## bchbum16 (Jun 21, 2011)

Hey so i've got a prego swordtail who currently is just chillin under a rock and hasn't moved from the spot for the past maybe 2-3 days. This will be her first drop. I have her in a 10 gallon tank at the moment to keep her away from the male. Can anyone tell me how much longer (approx) that i'll have to wait til she drops? Thanks!


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## Fishy Freak (Jun 1, 2011)

Hard to say, I just had a platy that hid for 2 weeks before i fished 24 fry from the tank, while I've had others that will only be a day or 2 before the big event


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## bchbum16 (Jun 21, 2011)

hmm... well i hope it's soon cause i've been waiting for a little while... i moved her into the ten as soon as i noticed her gravid spot (and it's been a little while). Plus i'm really excited to have some baby swords!!!


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## Pandapop (Dec 29, 2009)

When the female begins to form a 'box-shaped' belly, she's close to giving birth. Also, the closer the gravid spot is to the vent, the closer she is to having babies. Some fish are really stubborn, and simply won't give birth if they aren't happy with their current living conditions. If it's too crowded, she may feel as though it isn't safe for her or her fry, and will refuse to give birth. This can lead to the female 'absorbing' her fry and reverting them back to eggs... 

Give her a tank of her own with a heater and filter, and plenty of places to hide... and leave her alone. Check once a day to see if there are any fry, but try not to disturb her too much... otherwise you'll just make her wait longer. If you feed her (and if she eats) she won't feel it's necessary to gobble up her babies as quickly, since she'll be full. If she's hungry, she'll hunt them down. I unfortunately owned a platy that would eat her babies even if she had a full meal before she'd give birth... she was a monster! lol


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