# Platy and Swordtails.



## Guest (Mar 9, 2009)

hey,

i had this weird though cross my mind watching my mickey mouse platy being chansed by one of my red sword tails.......what are the chances of the male swordtail mating with the female platy? is that something possible? if so what are the fry goin to be called??!?!?!?!?

cheers.


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## tiffmedema (Mar 5, 2009)

well i know its possible. i think if they develop a sword they're a swordtail? idk.. but it is definately possible. i'm sure someone will know the scientific answer tho.


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## Guest (Mar 9, 2009)

apparently liveaquria is selling Marigold Mickey Mouse Swordtails! lol i just read it up on their website.....well dang it! i though i could have a rare fish!  lol.....now that i know i can get my self Mickey Mouse Swordtails, i just need to figure out how on gods good earth do i get my swordtail to breed with a White Molly giving me a Koi Swordtail!(or something close to that)!!!!!!

cheers!


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## Guest (Mar 9, 2009)

tiffmedema said:


> well i know its possible. i think if they develop a sword they're a swordtail? idk.. but it is definately possible. i'm sure someone will know the scientific answer tho.


yupp your right.....but Swordtails also are a lil bigger in size to a platy and the best way to ID a Swordtail is by it upturned mouth!  i hope my fry have up turned mouths!  lol

cheers!


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## tiffmedema (Mar 5, 2009)

yeah. well i hope my platy has babies.. ha.. maybe in ten years...


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## jones57742 (Sep 8, 2007)

Zakk said:


> hey,
> what are the chances of the male swordtail mating with the female platy?


Very good.

TR


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## COM (Mar 15, 2008)

^^Officially Ron's shortest post EVER.

There are lots of hybrids between commons swords and common platys. Actually the swordtails are just a platy variant. They used to be referred to as 'swordtail platys' in the pre-PetSmart era.


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## jones57742 (Sep 8, 2007)

COM said:


> ^^Officially Ron's shortest post EVER.


COM: roflmao     but 
hummmmmmmmm: not exactly as there have been a few "Yes" and "No" responses!

Folks: I once read an excellent treatise concerning the breeding of the Green Swordtail with the Southern Platyfish which resulted in the pretty Platy's and Swordtails which we can now purchase and breed.

I Googled for this article for like a hour and a half with no joy before I posted previously.

Hopefully someone can find this article and provide a link.

Please note that one of the traits which was sought in this breeding process was a female which was very attracted to virtually any male (and visa versa): hence the ease of propagation in our tanks.

TR


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## Guest (Mar 13, 2009)

TR,

you're right....some one else was telling me about this a long long time ago. 

will try and find the link sometime tonight/today.

cheers!


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## jones57742 (Sep 8, 2007)

Zakk said:


> TR,
> 
> you're right....some one else was telling me about this a long long time ago.
> 
> ...


Za:

I would very much appreciate it!

I am typically decent "at this Googling business" but I just got "smooth wore out" after an hour or so and believe that further attempts by me will yield no joy but only a bunch of additional frustration.

Thanks
Ron


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## Obsidian (May 20, 2007)

http://www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=193526

http://www.fishforum.com/fish-breeding/cross-breeding-livebearers-253/

Both are pretty decent discussions, the second one is better.


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## Felicia (Jul 17, 2008)

Many livebearing fish can hybridize and produce fertile offspring. Common swordtails are Xiphophorus hellerii and common platies are Xiphophorus maculatus. They can and do interbreed. Many of the platies and swordtail color variants you see at your LFS are hybrids. There is sometimes a problem with melanistic tumors in these hybrid fishes.

Swordtails can't reproduce with mollies or guppies, however. There is already a koi swordtail variant on the market, they were expensive at first but are coming down in price. Check aquabid.com for koi swordtails.


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