Livebearers are a popular choice of fish among aquarium hobbyists. Livebearers are the kind of fish that retain eggs inside the body and give birth to live fry. Swordtail fish is a popular livebearer fish and Platies, Guppies, Mollies, Endler’s Fish, Mosquito Fish, etc. Swordtail fish prefer staying in groups. But, is it true that swordtails can’t live with other livebearers?
No, it is not true that swordtails can’t live without other livebearers. On the contrary, swordtail fish are peaceful amicable fish that love to be surrounded by similar fish.
All livebearers are found around the tropical regions around the world. Therefore, if anything, other livebearers can be excellent tank mates for your swordtail fish, given their same temperament and requirements.
Your swordtail fish will only benefit when you keep them with other livebearers. Swordtail fish can even cross-breed with Platy Fish. Compatibility makes every community tank environment possible. And since livebearers belong to the same family, they will enjoy each other’s company.
This blog post will talk about all aspects of swordtail’s compatibility, including temperament, diet, etc., with livebearers and other fish.
Livebearer Fish: Characteristics
Livebearer fish belong to the Poeciliidae family that give birth to live fry instead of laying eggs. This quality to give live birth has made livebearer species a popular fish in the aquarium industry.
In general, livebearers favor tropical temperatures (60 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit) with slightly hard (12-30 GH) and alkaline water (pH ranging from 7-8).
Similarly, livebearers are easy to feed as they accept a wide range of diets as an omnivore. They will take veggies, meats, and even quality flake foods.
Is It True That Swordtails Can’t Live With Other Livebearers?
No, it isn’t true. Livebearers might be the best tank mates for swordtail fish. There are several reasons why swordtail groups should mainly consist of livebearer fish.
However, many livebearers are reared as aquarium pets, but all of them can’t live together.
Overall, since all livebearers have similar temperaments and tank requirements, there might be no better tank mates than livebearers like platies, guppies, and mollies.
Is It Possible For Swordtails To Coexist With Other Livebearers?
Yes, swordtail fish and other livebearers can coexist. However, having only livebearers in the tank is ideal because they will not injure one other and get along seamlessly.
You can expect a lot of kids if you don’t have any live plants in the tank. Livebearers are also not discriminating eaters, eating anything from flakes to algae wafers.
You may also clean out the bottom of your tank by adding bottom-feeders like Corydoras catfish.
They are calm fish that You can keep with other livebearers. They cannot, however, be housed with any predatory species due to their small size.
Why Might Livebearers Be The Perfect Tank Mates For Swordtails?
There are a variety of reasons to keep livebearer fish together. To begin with, sharing their tank with other livebearers will make it easier to manage their tank size.
For example, if you have a large tank with two male and female livebearer fish, you will only need to clean it once a month.
Second, keeping swordtail fish with other livebearers makes swordtail fish care easier.
For example, determining whether they are male or female can be difficult because their sex organs may not become visible until later. When there are multiple people of each gender present, however, this is impossible.
Finally, grouping different livebearer fish together is a good idea since it prevents them from becoming lonely.
When their surroundings grow safer, they can also learn from one another and gain confidence.
In the long run, this implies they are less likely to hide or become anxious. Keeping multiple types of livebearers together will also make the tank safer as a whole.
Some fish, such as aggressive cichlid species or giant predatory fish, can always protect others from predators.
Therefore, it isn’t true that swordtails cannot live with other livebearers.
How To Set Up A Livebearer Tank For Your Swordtail Fish?
Here’s a step-by-step guide on how you can give your livebearers an amazing home:
Tank Size
Your fishbowl or aquarium should be at least 30 gallons in size to allow adequate room for the fish to swim around freely and hide in order to feel safe.
Water Conditions
In a livebearer aquarium, you’ll want to keep soft, slightly alkaline water. The water should have a medium-hard to soft range and the temperature should be between 60 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit.
Male-to-Female Ratio
The ideal male-to-female livebearer fish ratio is one male for every three or four females.
There will be too many babies if you add more men than are required! So you want a few extra hiding spaces in your livebearers tank, but not too many.
If you wish to breed your livebearer fish, you’ll need to get a breeding tank for them.
The babies can easily be pulled into the filter and killed if they reproduce in an aquarium.
For best reproduction, you need have one male swordtail with at least three females!
Diet
The diet of a livebearer fish should include both protein and plant sources. Bloodworms or brine shrimp in tiny amounts three times a week are the ideal live food to feed your swordtail if you want them to grow quickly.
Once a week, you may also offer them with live brine shrimp or daphnia. You can also feed them frozen peas, worms, and freeze-dried bloodworms.
Keep Live Plants
Live plants are necessary in a livebearer fish aquarium because they give shade for the fish, making them feel less threatened.
Hiding Places
Provide hiding places for your fish in the tank so that they feel safe whether you are around or not, especially other fish bully their fish.
Tank Maintenance
Ensure that you keep track of the amount of water in the tank and replace it as needed. To avoid bacteria buildup, clear out any uneaten food or plant debris that accumulates at the bottom of your aquarium on a weekly basis.
It would be beneficial if you performed regular water changes to ensure that your water remained balanced.
Do Swordtail Reproduce With Any Other Livebearer?
Livebearers from different species will not reproduce with each other. However, they may be able to do so, however this is a rare occurrence, and you should not anticipate your fish to breed together.
Keep in mind that the male-to-female ratio is also vital, as some fish can’t breed unless there are more females in the tank than males at the same time.
Swordtail can breed with platy fish. Any other livebearers aren’t compatible with a mate. Since, swordtail and platy belong to a close family, they are capable of cross breeding. Swordtail-Platy hybrids are evidence that they can cross-breed.
What Other Fish Can Swordtails Live With?
The peaceful and friendly character of swordtail fish makes them best mates for a lot of fish. They will enjoy being in groups of similar fish.
Some other compatible tank mates for swordtails are:
FAQs
Can Swordtail Live With Goldfish?
Yes, swordtail fish and goldfish may coexist. Goldfish and swordtails can harmoniously live without causing any problems. Both of these fish are friendly creatures who like being in the company of others. As a result, keeping this group of fish together would not be a problem.
It will not, however, be easy. Consequently, it would help if you took some precautions to coexist harmoniously with your swordtail and goldfish.
Can Swordtails Breed With Guppies?
Swordtails and guppies are both lovely fish, however, due to their different genera, swordtails and guppies cannot breed. Guppy fish belong to the genus Poecilia, while swordtail fish belong to the genus Xiphophorus.
Conclusion
Therefore, swordtails can coexist successfully with livebearers. In addition, these fish can coexist with other fish in a tank as long as they are compatible. However, this does not mean that you can keep any livebearer together because if the adult-to-baby ratio isn’t perfect, some may devour their fry.