The swordtail fish are freshwater tropical fish. Most of us identify swordtails as beginner fish as they are the first choice of fish for novice fish keepers. They are easy to care for and do not need much attention in daily activities like breeding, diet, etc. But, are swordtail fish a perfect fit for you? Let’s find out.
Swordtail fish come in different colors such as red, orange, and yellow. The swordtail fish has a very long sword-shaped tail that it uses for protection. They feed on food scraps they find inside the water bodies or by following their owners to eat leftovers from dinner time. However, if you are interested in acquiring swordtails at home you need to know the basics.
This article gives you all the basic knowledge on swordtail fish and what you should do to maintain them. Read further to find out if swordtail fish is a perfect fit for you.
General Profile
The swordtail fish are bottom dwellers and among the larger species of livebearers. They have a maximum height of 5 inches/ 12 centimeters.
Their tail sword is approximately 20 cm or 8 inches long and we can compare their body size to that of an adult human’s finger. The female swordtails are an inch and a half longer than the males but they lack the long elongated tail.
The swordtail species generally live for five years but if you keep them in captivity, they can live longer. Make sure you plan before acquiring swordtails at your home because they grow rapidly during the first two years and reach maturity during their fifth year.
Swordtail Tank Requirements
The swordtail fish are usually small in size so you don’t need a large tank to accommodate them. You can keep swordtails in tanks as small as 5 gallons/ 13 liters but if you plan on having several swordtails at your home, it’s better to have larger tanks of 10 gallons or more.
Swordtail fish need good filtration as they produce large quantities of waste and the water gets dirty quickly. You should have weekly water changes unless you have established bacterial colonies that can break down the waste products into nutrients and food for the swordtails.
If you do not properly maintain the water quality by performing regular water changes, swordtails will grow weak and die of disease or parasites within a few days.
Swordtails like to have plenty of sword plants and some floating plants in the tank. They need these sword plants for spawning as well.
If swordtail fish is a perfect fit for you, you should prepare yourself to spend a little time on them every day checking if their water is clean and if they are eating enough food. Be alert that you may have to move swordtails into a larger home once they start growing up. However, swordtail fish are very easy to care for and can live happily with other tropical freshwater species so swordtail fish tanks make an ideal home for your swordtail fish family!
Are Swordtails A Perfect Fit For You?
Swordtail fish are a cool choice because they can swim fast through the water and give you a break from most of the other tropical freshwater fish species which are not very lively when kept in captivity.
In fact, swordtail fish have their own special appeal and fun factor for both novice owners as well as experienced aquarium keepers!
They also make a great choice for the swordtail fish tank as swordtails can live long lives with lots of interesting fish with similar behaviors.
Swordtail fish are very easy to care for but there is one aspect that you need to consistently watch out for: swordtail tank maintenance. Make sure you plan before acquiring swordtail fish so that they have the best possible home and they do not overwhelm your time or resources!
Routine Maintenance Of Swordtail Fish Tank
To own one, one must be willing to carry out regular cleaning of their tank since they make use of up all available oxygen in the water through the production of ammonia nitrogenous wastes, thus making it necessary to replace the water in their tank.
You must change the water at least once every week. Swordtail fish are not prone to infections like other freshwater tropicals since they have developed very hard skin that can tolerate low levels of medicines.
Swordtail fish can live for a very long time if you take special care in keeping them healthy.
The swordtails are filter feeders and so they eat up the food that falls along with the plants to the bottom of their tank during meals. If swordtail fish is your perfect fit, then you will also need to give swordtail frozen foods once every two days!
Swordtail fish tank should have ample plants since it helps keep the water clean as well as spawning grounds for swordtail fry after maturing into adults. The swordtails scatter out when the sun rises to make it very hard to spot the hatched swordtails.
How To Take Care Of Swordtail Fish?
Swordtail fish are easy to take care of once you get the hang of swordtail tank maintenance.
All swordtails produce a lot of waste in form of ammonia nitrogenous substances which can cause nitrite and then still more problems with the swordtails if not taken care of properly.
Once it starts building up, swordtails will start developing health issues like rashes or sensitivity to sunlight, thus requiring regular swordtail tank maintenance as well as weekly water changes! The first indication that your swordtail aquarium needs cleaning is when the pH level drops to 6 or lower.
This is because swordtails do not like acidic waters and therefore it indicates that there is something wrong with their environment that would require immediate action! Therefore keeping tabs on your swordtail tank levels is very important.
You have to keep your swordtail tank clean and there should always be plants in the swordtail fish tanks as plants will give them something to eat when they are hungry. The live aquatic plants also provide a place for them to hide away from the predators hunting swordtails since we know that swordtails are not a good food choice.
Can You Manage Time For Swordtail Fries?
Most aquarists complain that swordtails, after maturing into swordtail adults, tend to breed all over the plants if kept in an aquarium.
Therefore swordfish tank maintenance will require you scooping them out of the tank or just hoping for the best when swordtails decide to spawn.
You should only decide to keep swordtails if you can manage time to look after swordtail fries during breeding. Swordtail fries are small and bigger fish can easily prey upon them. You need to set a separate breeding tank to take care of these fries until they are big enough.
Can You Manage Space In Your Swordtail Fish Tank?
You can keep most types of swordtails in a 20-gallon tank but some species need at least a 30-gallon container for comfortable living. However, many swordtail fish keepers agree that it is better to have multiple high-quality swords planted tanks than one large low-quality tank and so a 40-gallon tank would be good enough for two swordtails. The swordtails are very social and thrive when kept in swordtail groups.
Swordtails, unlike other swordfish types, do not prefer living alone but they will live a healthy swordtail fish life in an environment with sword plants. The sword plant acts as food and a spawning ground for swordtails!
Can You Afford A Swordtail Fish Tank?
Some swordtails fish species cost less than $5 while others cost over $25. The price depends on the quality of the sword plant tank, size of the sword plant tank, and ease of maintaining certain swordtail kinds over others.
Some beginners may find it better to start by buying cheaper swordtails since there is always a lot to learn about proper swordtail fish care. However, you should buy swordtails in pairs to avoid swordtail fish loneliness.
Conclusion
If you’re not sure what type of fish is right for your tank, the swordtail may be a perfect fit. We know that they get along with other species, they can live in small spaces and thrive on low light.
The most important factor to consider if you want to know a fish is right for you is the maintenance of their tank. If you can maintain a liveable tank with the right water parameters and other requirements, that fish is definitely perfect for you.
