# underdeveloped fry



## kurka (Jan 2, 2012)

my swordtail gave birth this morning, this is the thing. its been 3 mths since she last had babies and has been lookin very prego for bout 2 mths. I noticed the dark thing under her belly was a lot bigger and put her in the birthing net. This morning she was having them and 4 out of 5 were dead, they just looked like round balls with eyes. So after she started eating what few were alive I put her back in the main tank. My questions is why is she having what looks like underdeveloped fry and some are normal when she was preg so long. She didn’t seemed stressed…..


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## Fishpunk (Apr 18, 2011)

How old is she?


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## kurka (Jan 2, 2012)

I honestly not sure. I got her from a pet store. Ive had her for bout 6 mths. this pic was taken 1/8/12 the orange swordtail
https://mail.google.com/mail/?ui=2&...isp=inline&realattid=1390643560377745408-1&zw


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## Sorafish (Sep 15, 2011)

It could be that she miscarried and reabsorbed the fry a few different times over the month, and this batch just wasn't healthy so she aborted most. The underdeveloped balls were likely eggs, which some females are more prone to throwing than fry. I have three female guppies in particular who's clutches are usually half eggs, half fry (belly skirters) 
Some females will just have bad batches. Some are just not healthy enough for pregnancy. Sometimes there is something wrong with the fry so they abort them. Stress can make a female abort, water quality can as well. Mineral deficiency is another reason. If there isn't enough minerals in the water, they won't have enough nutrition for the developing fry. Do you have any stats you can post? GH and KH are particularly important with livebearers.


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## kurka (Jan 2, 2012)

WOW Sorafish!! thank you!!! no i dont know the levels and stuff i usually take a sample to the LPS about once a mth and they tell me if everything is good and usually they just say "okay everything looks good" so maybe i need to buy my own stuff and do it myself


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