# Deformed Swordtail fry



## cucci67 (Aug 3, 2005)

I have 20 new swrodtail fry, but one is deformed. It has no tail, and its rear end is bent upwards. He is alive, but he can't really swim. He can bounce around and skid across the bottm, but thats it. Is this common and is there anything I can do to help the little guy?


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## fishboy (Feb 26, 2005)

well he will most likely die. If he does survive, you'll grow to love him or hate him but you'll always tell him apart. i don't know if it's your thing but you could kill it. Server the spine behind the head, quick, painfree, easy


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## Cichlid Man (Jan 19, 2005)

It will die within four days, so there is no point in trying to save it. If you force it to survive however, it will live a stressful life.


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## Georgia Peach (Sep 23, 2005)

I agree with CM


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## wildtiger (Jun 8, 2005)

I would say cull the little dude. If all the others are healthy it's your best bet to get rid of the one or ones that could have problems.


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## cucci67 (Aug 3, 2005)

The rest are healthy. I don't know if I should kill it, I would feel terrible for killing the little guy. Especially after I accidentally killed one when I used the wrong net and it slipped through the holes and back into the tank where it was chased and eaten by a white cloud . The others are swimming around well enough that I am about to let them into the fry tank as they are as big as 2 week old guppies. I will leave "stubby" (as my sister named it" in the breeder net where I put newborn fry.


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## wildtiger (Jun 8, 2005)

Rather than kill it, why not just release it with the others and let nature take its course.


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## cucci67 (Aug 3, 2005)

Well, I would rather not see it die, but I guess its not right ot force it to survive. It might be eaten by ghost shrimp or apple snails are it can only hobble around short distances and then must rest. I observed it for about 20 minutes trying to figure out its exact behavior. If it isn't disturbed it just sits on the bottom, but when it gets frightened (I move the breeder net it's in; he can jolt upwards very fast and zip around in various directions, then slowly drifts to the bottom when it feels at ease.


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## fishboy (Feb 26, 2005)

if it's where your heart is set then keep him to his full life, it's not our place to tell you what to do


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## cucci67 (Aug 3, 2005)

I do not want to keep him to his full life if his full life will be stressful. I might just feed it to my other fish and get it over with.


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## cucci67 (Aug 3, 2005)

Problem solved, one of my apple snails climbed into the breeder net two nights ago and ate the deformed swordtail.


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## Mobydock (Sep 6, 2005)

cucci67 said:


> *Is this common* and is there anything I can do to help the little guy?


It happens, but inbreeding and breeding for looks over health, increases the chances of problems. If you don't know how many generations your line has been inbred, you may want to introduce new blood from another source.


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## Doodles (Oct 2, 2005)

I had a guppy fry almost exactly as yours, the only difference was it could swim. It was hard to watch because he was severely deformed. I just let nature take it's course and it dyed within 3 days. I new it wasn't going to make it. If they are a little deformed that's fine, gives them character but if they are as you described it's best to cull them but Im not sure if I could do that either. I would probably get someone to do it for me.
Sorry you lost the little bugger but it's for the best!


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## Chazwick (Aug 24, 2005)

I'm so sorry Cucci 
At least his pain has ended.


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