Swordtails are an interesting species of fish. They have a fascinating pattern on their body and a very active personality. When you set up your tank, there are some things that you should keep in mind to make sure they thrive in the environment. One of these considerations is planting density. Do Swordtails like densely planted tanks.
Small and active fish like swordtails would love to live in heavily planted tanks. Densely planted tanks will provide your swordtails and swordtail fry with proper hiding spots. Well-planted aquariums can also impact other factors like water quality or oxygen levels which keeps your swordtails healthy.
This blog post will explore what swordtail tanks need from a plant perspective and provide tips for keeping them happy and healthy!
Tank Set-Up For Swordtail Fish
The tank set-up for swordtail fish is one of the easier species to keep.
Swordtail fish need to live in water that is within a certain range. The pH levels should be between 6 and 8, the nitrite levels should be less than 0.2 ppm, and the ammonia levels should also be less than 0.2 ppm. You can also set the temperature of the water to 72-80 degrees Fahrenheit.
Apart from that, tank decorations also have a huge impact on swordtail fish’s health. It would help if you used a simple substrate like black sand or dark gravel. Decorating with plants is very important as swordtails love a well-planted tank.
Also, add rocks placed close together along the bottom, but leave enough space so that your swordtails can still swim freely from place to place in your tank.
Similarly, cover the top with either mesh or some lid that will allow airflow when you add food and clean out debris, but not so much where they might get out.
Do Swordtails Like Densely Planted Tanks?
Swordtails like heavily planted tanks. In the wild, these fish live in densely wooded areas of fresh and swampy waters, hidden from predators by overhanging leaves.
Swordtails like to stay close to the ground. They look like a horizontal line with fins sticking out on either side. Swordtails sometimes swim down with their nose. They do this because it helps them camouflage themselves and stop seeing birds flying above the ground.
This strategy is effective when you have other small fishes (or invertebrates) living in your tank since larger predatory species won’t see them hiding among all the “bushes.”
This also means that if your goal is to breed swordtails, your tank should be densely planted with mostly plant species taller than the adults.
Why Should You Keep Swordtails In Densely Planted Tank?
We should keep swordtails in well-planted tanks for the following reasons:
Replicates Its Natural Habitat
When setting up a tank for your swordtail, the most important thing to do is replicating its natural habitat.
This includes having plenty of plants, rocks, and driftwood – all in the same shape as we would find it naturally.
Hiding Spots
Swordtails need places to hide from other fish or predators that may want them for lunch!
In tanks with open space, swordtails are exposed and vulnerable because they can’t escape quickly if there’s nothing nearby; this means you’ll need lots of underwater plant life with hanging leaves.
Tall grass-like plants and thickly planted vegetation around the perimeter of your tank will provide your swordtail with shade when they are stressed due to illness or stress.
The more hiding spots they have, the better.
Filtering Systems
Heavily planted tanks can work as a good filtering system. In addition, plants can be a good solution if your filter is not strong or you don’t have one.
It works because some fish are too large to fit through small openings of an undergravel filtration system but will try anyway, which then clogs up the entire thing.
With heavily planted tanks, there’s less chance for things like that to happen–even when all four corners of your tank are densely covered with vegetation!
Although we recommend using both filters (undergravel and overflow) together, planting heavily can help those who only want one type. And regardless, adding plants is always a good idea.
Oxygenation
As mentioned above, plants can help with oxygenation. There’s more surface area for the fish to take in the air when you have a fully planted tank.
There are also some types of fish that actually live on top of the water and use their fins to bring it down for breathing purposes–getting back up is another matter, though!
Heavily planted tanks can be a good way to help oxygenate the water. Plants create nitrates that are then converted into nitrogen gas through the process of photosynthesis.
Plants and bacteria in your tank will give off more oxygen for your fish. They will also remove some of the bad things like ammonia from the water. Ammonia is created by decomposing things, like food or leaves, on the floor of your tank.
How To Care For Plants In Your Swordtail Tank?
Many aquarists who keep swordtails in heavily planted tanks make a few common mistakes. However, there are some things you need to bear in mind with the following tips:
The water is often dirty or cloudy due to overfeeding and plants clogging up the filter intake. A Swordtail fish like densely planted tanks but won’t do well if they don’t have obvious water for swimming around.
So, it’s important to clean out your tank every week or two just before doing a 20% water change (more frequently if needed).
You can also add an aquarium vacuum cleaner attachment on top of your gravel siphon tube when removing large amounts of detritus from the bottom of your tank, which will help remove all.
When selecting plants for an aquarium based on their height, take into consideration any large fishes that may eat smaller ones (such as two-foot-long catfish) and whether there is concern over other inhabitants of the tanks.
Best Live Plants For Your Swordtail Fish Tank
Live plants will keep the water fresh and oxygenated for your swordtail fish. Thus, swordtail fish need live plants in their tank to maintain proper water parameters. In addition, live plants will keep your swordtails active and healthy.
Some of the best live plants for your swordtails are:
- Java Fern
- Anubias Nana
- Dwarf Hairgrass
- Guppy Grass
- Java Moss
- Horn Wort
- Water Sprite, etc.
These plants will add color and texture to your swordtail tank, making it lively for both you and your fish.
Conclusion
This blog post talked about how densely planting a swordtail’s habitat has many benefits, including better filtering systems, increased oxygenation, and decreased chances for clogging up filters when four corners of the tank have dense vegetation!
We hope you enjoyed learning about these benefits and consider them when you decide to plant your own swordtail tank.
