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Well, I had quite a surprise this morning just before I left for work...6 (maybe more) baby swordtails swimming around in the 20G Long with Mom and Dad. I had suspected that the female was pregnant but I didn't know for sure as I have never had swordtails before. I didn't have time to make any special preparations for the fry but I did as soon as I got home this afternon. I have a recently vacated 10G that I have continued to keep running and clean so I added a few extra fine and leafy plants, anchored a piece of zucchini to the floor and dropped in an algae wafer near one of the more sheltered corners of the tank. I was able to catch 2 of the fry and move them to the 10G and there is at least 1 more that eludes me. I don't know if the others fell victim to the power filter or if they were snacks for Dad (are swordtails cannibalistic?) during the day while I was gone. Any additional advice or things that I didn't think about????? Thanks!

Congrats on the fry

For the most part livebearers will eat their young given the chance. There still could be more in your 20g since they will hide even in the gravel.

Livebearer fry are large enough to handle crushed flake. Fry should be fed small meals several times a day. Do you have a filter running on the 10g?

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There is water at the bottom of the ocean

The 10G has an undergravel filter so there is no danger of the fry getting sucked into anything in there.

Since my last posting, I have captured 1 more fry for a total of 3 transferred to their own tank.

Yes, they do indeed hide in the gravel...wriggling into the smallest spaces imaginable!

Thanks for the tip on the crushed flakes. 2 of the fry came out of hiding and sampled the flakes. #3 is (I think) inside the "cave" while the others seem to gotten quite brave in exploring their new home.

I combine staple flake, spirulina, and freeze-dried bloodworms in a plastic bag and crush it. I've found it easy to feed with a toothpick first dipped in water.

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There is water at the bottom of the ocean

All 3 are doing well and have braved their new habitat. They all seem to be feeding from the crushed flakes on the surface, the dissolved algae wafer on the floor and some algae on the rocks and walls. I may try to incorporate some crushed bloodworms in with the crushed flakes in the next few days.