Swordtail fish are a very popular type of tropical fish for home aquariums. These beautiful little guys can be a perfect addition to your tank, especially if you are a beginner, because they’re easy to care for and add color and beauty to the tank. However, there are certain things you need to pay attention to. Like, the tendency of your swordtail fish to jump out of the tank!
Swordtail fish are extremely active swimmers who often jump out of the water in their tanks while chasing food or exploring around the tank. If you have swordtails in your aquarium, you must take proper precautions so that your pet doesn’t escape its home!
In this article, we’ll explore the reasons behind the jumping behavior of swordtails and how we can prevent it. So, let’s get started.
The Jumping Behavior Of Fish
Fish are a naturally curious bunch of animals. So it is no surprise that one day, the fish will jump out of the water and become a tasty meal for your cat.
Fish have an instinct to explore their environment, which can sometimes lead them out of the water! This behavior is widely seen in freshwater tropical species like Bettas, Guppies, and Swordtails. However, it’s not limited to only these species.
Most fish in the wild jump out of the water as a survival strategy. They jump either to change environments, for food, or to chase other fish around.
However, in the aquarium habitat, fish will jump out if they are not satisfied with the environment like tank conditions, water parameters, etc. So it is also a survival strategy, but it might not go as planned in a home aquarium.
Do Swordtails Jump Out Of The Tank?
Yes, swordtail fish jump out of the tank. Experienced aquarium hobbyists know that swordtails might jump out of the tank.
Swordtails are pretty good at jumping, and they do it mainly to pursue food, explore better environments, or chase another fish that has gotten near the surface.
When these little guys leap from the water, they usually react very quickly and head back under the surface to swim around a bit.
This is because swordtails have an excellent sense of balance, but they are still susceptible to injury from jumping out of the water too high or landing on something sharp outside the tank.
However, this might not succeed at home aquariums as the tank has only limited space, and your swordtail can fall out of the aquarium to find death.
What Prompts Swordtail Fish To Jump Out Of The Tanks?
Your fish can jump out of the tank for many reasons. One major reason might be that they are not happy in the tank environment you have provided.
They could easily change their water body in the wild by jumping from one puddle to another. But, in the tank, it’s basically a suicide attempt.
Research has shown the following reasons as to why swordtails jump out:
Small Space
Your swordtails might jump out of the tank because it has too little space to swim about. Not only swordtails but many other fish might also end up jumping out of the tank because you provide them with small space to live in.
Swordtails are small species that grow only about 5-6 inches long. Nonetheless, they need enough space to swim around. Therefore, the appropriate tank size for one swordtail fish is about 15 gallons.
But, many people think they can live in small tanks, which is wrong. If your swordtails do not get enough space to swim around, they will jump out.
Overcrowded Aquariums
Overcrowded tanks are another reason for swordtails jumping out of the tank. In over-populated aquariums, there is too much competition among fish about food and space.
Swordtail Fish will jump out to get some more food or swim around in a different water body with sufficient room for them to grow healthy and not be bullied in the tank.
Poor Water Quality
Swordtails are strong swimmers, and they can survive for up to six days out of water in a dry environment with good airflow. However, if there is not enough oxygen or too much carbon dioxide, your swordtails will jump out because it’s better than suffocating inside an unsuitable environment.
It’s not an attempt to escape but a survival strategy.
The preferred water temperature, hardness, and pH for swordtail are 72-82°F, low to medium hardness, and around neutral.
If you do not provide swordtails with optimum water conditions, they will jump out of the tank.
Stress
Stress is another reason why swordtails jump out. Fish need to feel comfortable to stay healthy.
Like any other fish, you can easily stress your swordtails given bad water conditions, overcrowded tanks, bad tank mates, pregnancy, etc. All these reasons can lead to your swordtail fish jumping out of the tank.
Similarly, swordtails are timid fish that do not like strangers coming into their territory disturbing them while they explore or eating the food, which causes stress and makes them jump out of the tank.
They might even try to escape when you come near with a net because it’s too much for them.
Exploration
The last reason for swordtails to jump out of the tank is perhaps they are just exploring.
Swordtail fish have an instinct to explore, and all that’s stopping them from doing so in your home aquarium is the glass wall preventing their exploration.
They might be trying to find an escape route or reach higher grounds which could mean jumping out of the tank.
So if your swordtail fish starts jumping out, think about what could be wrong in your aquarium and fix it. To protect your swordtails from jumping out of the tank, we should be careful about the aforementioned reasons.
What’s the Threat Of Swordtail Fish Jumping Out Of The Tank?
As mentioned before, swordtails have an excellent sense of balance, and they are also fast in the water. This means that it most likely won’t take much time for them to return to the tank when jumping out of a tank because they can swim fast.
However, if a swordtail jumps out of the tank and you are not home to let them back in, your fish will die because it doesn’t have any survival skills outside of water.
The threat of a swordtail jumping out is that they might get lost or killed when they jump into an unsuitable habitat like chlorine-filled water or the bottom of a pool.
What Can You Do To Prevent Your Swordtails From Jumping Out Of The Tank?
It’s not a big mystery why they are jumping out; it is just that you didn’t provide them with an environment that satisfies their needs and triggers the instinct of exploring.
Here are some of the best ways to prevent your fish from jumping and to stay inside the aquariums:
First, make sure your tank provides plenty of space for entertainment and exploration along with lots of fun objects like plants or rocks, so they don’t get bored.
Secondly, if you have other small fish in the tank, it’s important not to overcrowd the tank.
This will help reduce their desire to move about too much while still giving them plenty of space for exploring!
Moreover, the good news is that many owners have had success keeping them inside their tanks by putting some plants outside and near the top edge of the aquarium glass. This gives your pet something tempting to look at but doesn’t allow them to get too close and potentially jump out.
The last thing you can do is cover the top edge of your aquarium with a lid, plastic wrap, or a mesh net, but that will require an opening to exchange tank water.
This prevents any swordtail fish from jumping because they never have a chance at escaping again!
Conclusion
In conclusion, It may not come as a surprise to you, but it turns out that swordtails jump out of the tank for several reasons. It includes poor water quality, too little space, or stress from lack of food or companionship. Unfortunately, when your pets start jumping around all over your home, things tend to get messy quickly!
The good news is there are ways you can prevent this problem. Make sure your pet has plenty of room, adding more plants to its habitat, and ensuring cleanliness.
