Sometimes, we do not know what to do with a fish and then keep them in a fishbowl without a second thought. But, we have to understand that fish bowls are not an ideal home for many species. One of them is swordtail fish. So, if you ask me can swordtails live in a fishbowl? My answer is NO.
No, swordtails cannot survive in a fishbowl because swordtails need lots of space to swim about and grow healthy. In addition, swordtails produce a lot of waste, and a fishbowl cannot comprehend it. If a swordtail is put in a fishbowl, it will start pecking its own fins until it dies from infection, if not starvation.
Saying that small fish like swordtails cannot live in a fishbowl might seem like an exaggeration. They can survive, but can they thrive? No. Why? Because a glass bowl cannot cover all of the swordtail requirements.
Let’s see if it is appropriate to keep swordtails in a fishbowl.
Can Swordtails Live In A Glass Bowl?
How much do swordtail owners really know about swordtails? They may think that swordtails can live in a fishbowl. That is not true.
Careful consideration should be made when choosing a home for swordtail fish because they need lots of room to swim around and make sure it has enough filtration to keep the water clean.
Swordtails are lively and active fish that do better in larger aquariums than small bowls or tanks since they have been known to jump out of very shallow bowls. So swordtails need a lot of room to move around and are well suited to a larger aquarium.
Keeping swordtail fish in a glass bowl is as brutal as it gets. The minimum space a swordtail requires to swim around actively is about 10-15 gallons. So now, either get a bowl that can hold 15-gallons of water or drop the idea.
Why Shouldn’t You Keep Swordtails In A Bowl?
Swordtails are one of the most common fish in fish tanks; they are pretty, cheap to buy, and their sword-like tail and sword-like fins will make their reflection in your tank look quite beautiful. However, despite this swordtail fish’s beauty, many people have been led into thinking that swordtails can live in a fishbowl or small aquarium because they are so gorgeous! But that is wrong for so many reasons.
Here are some, for instance.
Not Enough Space
Fish need space, and swordtails especially need it to live healthily. A swordtail fish’s tank should have at least 10 gallons per swordtail. The more swordtails you put in, the bigger the tank needs to be.
Bowls are too small for fish. It isn’t kind for a fish like a swordtail to live in a tiny bowl. In addition, swordtail fish are very active swimmers and will need room to swim about to use up all of their energy; if swordtails aren’t swimming at top speed, they are going nowhere, fast!
Too small a bowl for swordtails will mean the fish will constantly bump into the sides of it, such as their sword-like tails (which could result in an injury) because there isn’t enough space!
Too Less Oxygen
Unlike most other fish, swordtails need plenty of oxygen to survive. If the oxygen level drops too low in a bowl, your fish will not be able to breathe, and they will die.
What’s more, bowls are tapered at the top and, as such, have much less airspace for your fish than tanks or aquariums do up to ten times less!
In the same way, a fishbowl will not have enough space to fit filters or air pumps which increases the oxygen content in your bowl.
Thus, there will be too little oxygen for your swordtail to thrive.
Can’t Maintain Proper Temperatures
Swordtails are tropical fish. Do you know what happens when swordtails are exposed to cold temperatures? Swordtails will become slower and less active (as evident in the swimming pattern of swordtail fishes in fish tanks); they will not swim well.
Most swordtails would actually die during the winter months if kept in a bowl or small aquarium. It isn’t easy to adjust heaters in a fishbowl. Swordtail needs two heaters to flourish in a tank. Thus, keeping swordtails in a heater would not be fair.
It Takes A Lot of Effort To Keep Up With The Fish
With swordtails in bowls, you’d have to do water changes regularly because swordtails produce lots of waste which means dirty water. If they are exposed to anything else nasty, the swordtail could become ill because sometimes it may take up toxins into its body when using water from unclean drains.
Swordtail fishbowls should be cleaned every week because swordtails do not like eating or playing in dirty water. Swordtail fish bowls need almost daily cleaning because swordtails are messy eaters, so they might end up spilling their food all over the tank.
Too Easy To Make Mistakes With
It is easy to make mistakes when keeping swordtails in small tanks due to two things: (a) there’s less room for errors, and (b) when its small size makes it hard for you to see inside the water easily. Swordtail fishbowl owners cannot see the swordtails as easily, so it is harder for them to check up on their swordtails’ health.
Swordtail fish like quiet and peaceful places with a plant cover where other fish cannot bother them. Swordtails require specific types of food for them to remain healthy.
If you keep swordtail fish in a small bowl or aquarium, the food will easily go into the water even when the swordtail is not feeding, and everything will end up floating at the top, so swordtails may starve to death because they cannot access its food (this also applies if there’s no filter).
What Is The Right Tank Size For Swordtails?
You should only keep swordtails in a tank with at least 10 gallons of water, and the tank should have proper decorations and hiding places to make your swordtail feel comfortable and safe. In addition, they need room for swimming, schooling, and more space to help them be less stressed out because they won’t bump into each other as much.
If you want an aquarium full of swordtails, get yourself a 15-30 gallon glass fish tank with the lid on. Swordtails need a tank with enough space to be happy. You will find that there is much less aggression in swordtails when you keep them in a larger tank. It also allows the swordtail to grow its sword longer and healthier, leading to less bully.
Swordtail fish also need heavily planted tanks so that they have enough hiding spots during spawning and breeding. Similarly, swordtail fish prefer heaters, filters, and tank lights to live in a stable environment.
How Can You Adjust Your Swordtail In A Bowl?
If you choose to keep swordtails in a bowl, you will need to do daily water changes. If you don’t keep up with daily water changes, swordtails can get ich very easily, which is a deadly disease.
Likewise, put fresh aquatic plants (such as Egeria densa) in the bowl for them so they can provide proper filtration in your bowl.
Also, you will want to remove all sharp decorations such as rocks since swordtails like to peck at stuff, and they can injure themselves.
Maintain proper oxygenation because fishbowls have low oxygen content due to less surface area.
Get at least a 5-gallon bowl so that your swordtail can have a little space and stay active.
Read Also: Can Swordtails Live In A Pond?
Conclusion
You’ll be ruining your swordtail fish’s life if you keep them in bowls or small aquariums! And swordtails might get aggressive if they live in a bowl. Swordtail fish bowls are not healthy for swordtails! After doing a bit of research, I have found that most people who put their swordtails in so-called “Fish Bowls” usually don’t last for very long until they end up dead or sickly.
Swordtail fish cannot live in bowls or small aquariums because it is too dangerous. If you think about it logically, it makes SENSE.
