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Would anybody happen to know why my redeye swordtails turn all white after they are breed and than they die. I cannot seem to get one spawn out of this type of sword?????? I would greatly appreciate a answer to this mystery. Just to let everyone know I have several other redeye swordfish and they are fine. My water is fine and I've had these fish for several months now. I have heard someone else also has this problem. Everytime you try to breed the redeye swordfish they get ick and die. WHY??? I live in Calgary, Alberta Canada.

Ich is a parasite that is always present in the water. It will effect the fish when they are stressed and have a weaker defense system. If it is ich you should be seeing small white spots on the fish much like grains of salt. If you don't see the grain sized white spots/bumps it's not ich but possibly something else.

You say they turn all white. Is it a white on the surface of the fish like a coating? is it fuzzy? spotty? or is it as if they've lost all color in their scales but nothing on the fish?

What is the male female ratio in that tank? male swords can be somewhat aggressive.


Also, knowing size of the tank, filtration and what your ammonia, nitrIte and nitrAte levels are will help us more than just 'water is fine'.


^_^

I just said the water is fine because the fish store tested it and told me there was nothing wrong with the water. Unfortually I did not write down the numbers they gave me on the water. I will next time.

I have one male and two females together in a 50g tank because I took a common red female out that has had several sets of babies with no problems and one green lair a tail sword that also has several sets of babies with no problems. I left the redeye and another common red sword in with the male and the redeye was starting to fill out as is she was pregnant and than after about one week she started to turn white. What I mean by this is a thin coat of white film started appearing on her body. But it wasn't fuzzy like cotton.

I also have a 30g tank set up and I have one male redeye high fin sword with five females and not one of them is pregnant after being with this male for four months???? I just don't get. If by chance one of the redeye females start to breed with this high tail redeye male and get sick with this white film I will than take pictures and post them so you can take a look at it. Unfortually I wasn't thinking about taking pictures of the redeye that died. I will however be prepared this time.

Hi,
A white film on the bodies of the fish is a symptom of
a disease.
Check out this link:
http://animal-world.com/encyclo/fresh/information/Diseases.htm#Diagnostic

Your problem is among the symptoms along with the culprit
and the medication to resolve it.

Your tank is the host for the problem and it won't do any
good to pull the sick fish out and treat them in another
tank. I believe you will have to treat the main tank
and probably any others you have if you use the same net,
for instance, between them. If you have more than one
tank, I believe you will have cross contaminated them.

As far as them being with the same male and catching it
from him, I believe its more the tank the male is kept in.
As for why he does not exhibit the same problems, I suspect
he is in better physical shape and is able ward off the
problem. After treating the tank(s), the next time you
purchase some females, be sure and quarantine them for a
month at least, and during that time feed them enriched
foods to build up their strength and at the same time make
them more ready for his advances. Then slowly acclimate
them to the tank the male is in. Perhaps by the drip
method, taking at least a day or two before placing the
new fish in the tank with the male.

Frank


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