Nowadays, there are many hybrids and crossbreeds in the fish shops to the extent that it could be very rare to spot any aquarium fish that’s not either hybrid or crossbreed. Petshops do this to get more beautiful and colorful fish that will sell at a much higher price. There are many aquarium fish that could crossbreed with other different fish. In this article, we will be discussing the possibility of Swordtail fish breeding with Platy fish.
Can Platy fish and Swordtail fish breed? Yes, both Platy fish and Swordtail fish belongs to the family of Xephophorus. They share many things in common and could breed if kept together.
Different fish breeding is not a rare thing, it’s very common today to the extent that crossbreeds and hybrids have taken over so many species of fish.
Swordtails and platies are both different fish from the same family of Xephophorus.
They both came from America and are warm water lovers too.
Their ideal water temperature is 65-80°F, and they are both livebearers.
The truth is, both of these fish are like the same fish. They have everything in common, including eating the same food and almost the same temperament and they eat the same food too.
Although both have different names and tiny differences, all the same, they are almost the same fish.
So, asking if swordtails could breed with Platies, the answer is yes.
If a male of any of these fish or a female is kept with the opposite sex of each of these fish, they will mate as time goes on and will deliver fry.
Many people believed that any fry that comes from crossbreeding will be sterile, fragile and ugly, etc and some believe that if Platies breed with Swordtail fish, their offspring will be ugly.
Well, first, Platy and Swordtail are almost alike and in the same family too, so, it’s not like that in this case. Although it is true, it could only happen when two different fish that do not relate are forced to do so.
In the case of Swordtails and Platies, they could breed and their offspring will neither be ugly nor sterile, not to talk of being fragile as many people are made to believe.
The only thing is that the offspring will share the traits of both fish, which is barely noticeable, as both have almost the same behaviors.
The fact is that many of those fish you might have in your aquarium, including your swordtails and Platies might be hybrid or crossbreed and they are still okay.
So, Platies having babies with swordtails won’t change the babies as portrayed by many.
How to Breed Swordtail and Platy
As you have learned, it’s possible and okay for Platies to interbreed with Swordtails.
But the question is, how will you do that and achieve the desired results?
Well, to make these 2 fish interbreed, you need to keep them at the ratio of 1 male Platy fish and 2 female Swordtails.
Keep them in a well-planted and warm tank that has a heater, filter, and also many hiding places.
Feed them healthy and nutritious foods.
Why you should make them feel comfortable is because, when many livebearers are comfortable, they tend to reproduce so fast.
This is very simple because you need nothing special to do for them to mate and have fry, they will just do it naturally.
When the female Swordtails become pregnant, you will know by looking at their stomach.
The stomach will bloat and become curvy too.
If you want to keep their fry and rear them, then you need to relocate their parents once they have given birth because both Platies and Swordtails care nothing about their young ones.
They will feed on them if they are not relocated or have the tank divided with a tank divider.
Another remedy is to have the tank heavily planted, and many hiding places put in place so that the fry will always hide and have a high chance of survival.
Although this is very effective, there will) still, be a high rate of cannibalism in the tank by their parents.
So both Swordtails and Platies could feed on their fry, so look out for it.
Conclusion
Platy fish and Swordtail fish could interbreed and have good fry.