Swordtail fish is one of the most unique fish species. They are a popular choice for all fish enthusiasts. One of the main reasons why swordtails are an absolute favorite is because they have pretty resolved tank requirements. I know swordtail can be very successful in an unfiltered tank, but what about swordtail fry? Can a swordtail fry live without a filter?
I’m glad you asked that question! All swordtails, whether they are swordtail fry, swordtail juveniles, or swordtail adults can live without a filter if the tank has enough filtration. However, many swordtail owners run duel filters outside of their main tank because swordtails prefer to live in slightly cooler water and the filter will help to ensure clean and healthy water.
I don’t run a filter on my tank because it has a lot of plants to help with biological filtration. So, how do those little swordtail fries survive? What should their water parameters be like? Let us find out!
Do Swordtail Fry Need A Filter?
Yes! The water parameters of swordtail fry should be the same as swordtail juveniles and adults. They may do okay without a filter, but swordtail fry grow very fast and it’s important that they have clean tank water to allow them to develop normally.
Swordtail breeders will usually tell you swordtail fry can live happily without any tank filters, but for swordtail fry beginners, this kind of statement is far from helpful. Why? Because how do we know if swordtail babies (fry) really can live without a filter?
Swordtail fry needs a removable, cleanable biological filter for various reasons. A filter will help clean out the waste produced due to such conditions and keep the tank water healthy. Some owners of small swordfish tanks use no tank filter at all; instead, they add 1/4 water change every day to bring ammonia down. The risk is having swordtail fry die from nitrite poisoning when left uncontrolled for too long; swordtail survival rate drops by 20% when nitrite builds up to 10 ppm in tank water.
Another good way for swordtail fry to get rid of their waste is through the plants in the tank since swordtails are from South America where plant matter decomposes quickly due to all the nutrients available from outside sources. In your aquarium, you can use swords, anubias, or java ferns for this purpose. Driftwood also works well if cut into small pieces so swordtails can hide in there when they feel frightened.
How To Keep A Swordtail Fry Healthy?
To keep swordtails healthy your pH level should stay around 7 and your temperature should match what a swordtail prefers which is between 73-82 Fahrenheit (23-28 Celsius). I highly suggest you use an aquarium heater to help control the temperatures if it’s difficult for you to maintain. A good swordtail owner knows that all animals need stable temperatures so keeping an eye on them is very important.
The swordtail fry should be put in a tank with swordtails since swordtails are communal fish. You can add more swordtail fry later on, but the tank will work best if you have around 2-3 swordtails per gallon of water and around 6 swordtails for every 5 gallons of water.
Assess whether or not your swordtail fry is eating by watching it closely! If your swordtail keeps eating their food, then they’re getting all the nutrients they need to grow strong. But if they don’t seem to eat much at all this might be because they aren’t feeling comfortable in their environment and that could mean there isn’t enough filtration for them.
Swordtail fry can live without filters. however, if we see that there isn’t enough filtration, we should add one without a second thought.
Swordtail Fry Tank Requirement
The swordtail fry tank requirement is a much-debated topic and swordtail fry tank setup is often confusing to the swordtail newbie. There are certain “rules” that you must adhere to when it comes to keeping swordtails as pets, such as sticking to the recommended swordtail fish tank temperature and keeping the pH range at the swordtail tank.
Swordtail fish tank filter is another swordtail care issue as to how your swordtail pet will see the world, I guess. Swordtails are livebearers which means they have babies inside their body and they give birth to baby swordtails in this state.
But do you know what happens after the little creatures (fry) make their way out of your swordtails fish tank water? They need some help from us humans to survive!
So here is my personal approach on how to set up a swordtail fry aquarium. Firstly there should always be at least one kind of tank filter although some people prefer not using it so much, because they believe running a swordtail tank without a filter is the best tank environment for swordtails to live in.
After that, setting up enough hiding spaces, like decorations from live aquatic plants, a suitable substrate, a tank heater, and tank lights are other requirements.
Similarly, appropriate water parameters are vital to set up the perfect tank for your swordtail fries. The temperature should be between 65-82 degrees Fahrenheit, pH up to 7, and hardness of 12-30 GH.
Given all this, your fries will thrive in your aquarium.
Why Filter Is Necessary For Swordtail Fry?
It’s no big deal if you decide not to use any swordtails swordfish tank filter at all (usually just carbon material, which can still be useful). However swordtail fry tank filter isn’t just to provide room for the swordtails babies to grow, it’s also useful in keeping them healthy and your swordtail tank water clean.
What tank filters do is break down waste from the tank before they enter into the fish tank water. Many people believe that swordtail fish (especially pet ones) release some kind of poison in the water that could kill fry if not broken down properly, but I guess this can be more related to how well you maintain your swordtail pet care.
Swordtail fry does not eat all the time. Swordtail fry need to be able to hide and breed when they are not eating; a tank filter can provide this service. Swordtail fry also needs good quality water because swordtail fry has sensitive skin.
Swordtail fry can get ill if the water quality is poor (they will swim in an exhausted swim-pool manner). The fries can get sick easily especially during the first 2 weeks after birth, but even adult fish can get sick if the water quality is bad for a long time.
For example overfeeding, too many kinds of food in one fish aquarium, and so on may lead to problems in baby swordtails growth. swordtail tank filter will help clear the tank water from harmful fish waste, excess nutrients, and so on.
What Tank Filters Are Best For Your Swordtail Fry?
Tank filters come with different types of media: some use sponges as biological filter media, others use ceramic rings or cartridges filled with biological “good bacteria” to control ammonia levels, nitrite levels, and nitrate levels. Still, others use chemical media such as activated carbon to remove chemicals from water.
Many tank filters also have mechanical media that either catches debris in the form of foam pads or pleated cartridges or has magnets at the end of an intake tube to catch ferrous metals (like a magnet) before they hit the biological filter media inside.
If you don’t have much time to spare on maintaining your swordtail fry (like other people), you should use a simple sponge filter instead that requires very little setup and maintenance; just place it at one end of the aquarium away from swordtail fry; choose a size that just fits swordtail fry tank and that swordtail fry can’t easily swim through.
As swordtail fry grows bigger, you may need to replace the sponge filter with a cartridge prefilter or more efficient type of mechanical media to avoid overfeeding swordtail fry as they fast-grow into adults.
Conclusion
Therefore, it is highly preferred that you add a tank filter in your swordtail fry tank. swordtail fry can live without a filter. However, adding one will ensure their good health and speedy growth.
A filter will help to keep the water clean that is necessary to keep your aquarium and your tank healthy. An alternative for a tank can be aquatic plants that help in biofiltration. Filters will help remove the toxins and cut your work in half too.
Good luck with your swordtail fry! I hope this article helped you out, if you have any more questions feel free to ask them.
