female swordtail

Question
hi chip,
i recently got 2 coldwater swordtails, a male and female. the female pineapple swordtail is getting a fat belly. i think she might be pregnant. how would i know if she was? I've only had them for a few days and didn't know if she might of been impregnated by another male. does this matter in any way. the male is fully mature as he has a very long sword. i also put them in a live plant and set up a little part of the tank so they can get away from the other fish. is there anything else i can do. i was also wondering about how to take care of the fry. hope you can answer my question

Answer
Hi Lauren, most probably your swordtail is pregnant. They are very easily impregnated and they are livebearers. When she is close to having the fry her belly will look very squarish and you will see black spots right by her anus. When she has the fry separate them from the other fish by putting them in a breeding net or a separate tank. Feed them hikari first bites or brine shrimp either of which you can purchase at your local pet store. Good Luck!