Swordtails won't breed. please help!!!

RLHam3

hey i've been keeping fish for about 5 years. i've had two marigold swordtails for about 4 months. i started with one male and 2 females, but one of the females bailed out and died on my floor. i decided to just leave those 2 in there together.
they are in a 10 gal gravel aquarium with 2 ghost shrimp. i have a 30 gal filter and plenty of Anacharis plants and even a flower pot. i test the water once every 1-2 weeks and everything is completely normal. temperature is around 78 F. i do a 20% water change at least once a week. i feed them tropical flakes with a treat of bloodworms every day or 2.
the male will chase the famale around and "flirt" with her but still no fry! i don't even think that she's been prgnent yet. maybe i'm missing it or something but i just have no idea whats goin on. are there any ways to identify a pregnant Swordtail? or maybe im just missing the fry being born and by the time that i look they have all been eaten?
i dunno. i think that i would have noticed SOMETHING by now.

Whats going on?!?!?!?!?

okiemavis

Are you sure you have a male and a female? I've never heard of someone having trouble breeding these guys. The only reason they might not breed (if you have both genders) would probably be very poor water quality- either high level of pollutants or the ph & hardness being very off. What are your full water parameters? Also, how often and what do you feed them?

It's possible the fry are being born and are just eaten before you see them, has she gotten larger or shown a gravid spot at any point?

RLHam3

Water quality is great. everything is what i needs to be. i've looked for both of those things and have found nothing. im very confused too. i thought they were supposed to breed very easily right?

okiemavis

Yes, they are easy to breed. What are your water parameters exactly though? Sometimes "great" turns out to be not so great...