Swords and Platy's...

[Mugwump]

I thought for sure that someone here would raise these neat little fish....I think that most aquarists started out with some...

[Mir]

I've never had any swordtails but I used to have some red and orange platies. They were awesome. I'm planning on getting some blue ones in the future.

[BallAquatics]

I came very close to bidding on some Montezuma Swordtail (Xiphophorus montezumae), that Rusty Wessel was auctioning after giving a talk at one of our local club functions a couple of years ago.



Dennis

[BillT]

When I was a kid in the late 60's and 70's, I was raising a lot of swordtails. The males in my opinion are one of the most active of livebearers n their courting of females and interacting in their dominance hierarchy.
I now have some platies because I found some interesting mini-platies (which I have since made normal size). Platies males are much less active by comparison, but are nice little fish anyway with some great colors and breed well.

[Mugwump]

When I was a kid in the late 60's and 70's, I was raising a lot of swordtails. The males in my opinion are one of the most active of livebearers n their courting of females and interacting in their dominance hierarchy.
I now have some platies because I found some interesting mini-platies (which I have since made normal size). Platies males are much less active by comparison, but are nice little fish anyway with some great colors and breed well.

Yes, the colors have always been what drew me to them initially...remember the 'true' red brick swords??...gorgeous creatures. I remember the 'scarf tail' guppies too...you'll have a hard time finding a real scarf tail now....only the best guppy breeders still have them for shows....the 'delta's' can still be found tho....

[P4Angels]

I came very close to bidding on some Montezuma Swordtail (Xiphophorus montezumae), that Rusty Wessel was auctioning after giving a talk at one of our local club functions a couple of years ago.



Dennis

Dennis do have them?  I so want some of these..

[BallAquatics]

No, Rusty was saying that they grow very large and need a 75 or bigger tank and at the time I wasn't set-up for them so I didn't bid.  They were very nice fish, two pair or two trios I think.... they went for less than $30

Dennis

[Jo]

They are really cool fish. Just don't have room for them now. I have kept them in the past.

[PaulineMi]

I had the infertile lyretail male sword but he was so pretty.  No one told him about his limitations and he was constantly courting the female.

[Mir]

Beautiful!!! <3

[BallAquatics]

Those are drop dead gorgeous Pauline.

Dennis

[Jo]

Those really are gorgeous! :O

[BillT]

I had the infertile lyretail male sword but he was so pretty.  No one told him about his limitations and he was constantly courting the female.

I had some of these when I was a kid. They are great looking. I was very frustrated with their lack of breeding back then.

It is now my understanding that the reason they don't breed is that their overgrown anal fins makes their gonopodium ineffective for sperm transfer. I read an article a few years ago about how someone is collecting sperm from swordtail males and artificially inseminating the females.

[PaulineMi]

Thank you.

And yes the males have an overgrown anal fin which interferes with breeding. They're not actually infertile, just unable to reproduce.

These guys were in a tank with dwarf neon rainbowfish and diamond tetras. Being a darker low light  tank with plants and driftwood the fish really brightened things up.