has anyone ever seen a male guppy try to impregnate a female sword. ??? My horn dog of a male seems to think that it doesn't matter... poor guy. Is this normal ??

I swear a Guppy came on to ME once! LOL Yes, they'll harass any female, including eggers if the urge strikes them. I had one who repeatedly lost his tail to a female Betta, but he never learned.

Hey Al, this is just a healthy male guppy. You might have the temperature set a little high. This speeds up the metabolism ,causing them to be more active . Sometimes we raise young males that grow unusually large. They outgrow all their brothers, and even though they have the male sex organ ,they will not breed. We call these males “mule’s” .What do you call your male” Horn Dog” LOL

My temp is at 80 Degs...too high ???

Hey Al, the guppy can accept a wide variety of water temperatures ranging from 72 to about 82 degrees. The most important thing is to keep the temperature constant. The warmer your water, the more active the fish will be. The main problems with warmer water seem to be a shorter life spans and increased bacteria, 78 F(25 C) may be an ideal temperature for fry. Older fish should be lowered a few degrees to extend their lives. This will help your guppy grow and develop faster, but a fish raised in the 80 plus temperatures range will tend to die younger than a fish raised in the 72degree range.

So what temp should I maintain in my 35G and still hope for fry's? In reading on this subject, it seems like that number is all over the place ...so please from you experience what temp should I keep them at.

Al, I keep my full grown guppies and swordtails at 75F and my fry at 78F.

Thank you I'll make the adjustment

Yes Bigal41, it sometimes doesn't matter with a healthy male Guppy in his prime. Of course this doen't mean Guppy/ Swordtail hybrids will result.

Darrell

BigAl, the reason that the recommendations are all over the map is because different people have different objectives. If they are focused on the best health and a long life, they are likely to tell you 72F or something around there. If they are interested in quick reproduction and fast growth, like a typical commercial breeder might be, they are going to recommend temperatures of at least 78F. You need to decide what your own priorities are and choose the right temperature for your needs.
For me, I run my guppies at about 75F. They are very healthy at that temperature and don't have their lives cut short much by having the water warmer than it should be. It also gives me a decent gestation period for the fry but does not push the female too hard to get the fry ready quicker. It is just my personal compromise temperature and may not be the right place for you to be.