Swordtail fish are a lovely addition to a communal tank because they love a compatible, engaging group. It is always mesmerizing to see a group of fish swimming together happily in the tank. Swordtail fish thrive in groups of similar kinds and should not be kept alone. But, what is the right number of swordtails to be kept together? How many swordtail fish should you keep together in a tank?
It would be best if you kept swordtail fish in a group of 4 to 6. A single swordtail fish needs approximately 15-gallon tank space. So, you need to make sure you have enough space for each one of your swordtail fish. Swordtail fish hate living alone, so always keep about 4 swordtail fish together.
One other thing you need to keep in mind while keeping swordtails together is their gender. Swordtail males are aggressive and should not be kept together. If you want to keep multiple swordtail males together, make sure to add female swordtails to outnumber them. The perfect male-to-female ratio is 1:4.
This blog post will talk about how many swordtail fish you should keep together in a tank and under which conditions they can coexist.
How Many Swordtail Fish Can You Keep Together?
The number of swordtails you want to keep solely depends on the size of your tank. Swordtails are not schooling fish, neither do they shoal. However, they love to be in well-suited groups of 4-5.
If you want to get Swordtail fish for your aquarium, it is essential to note their counts properly. This is because the more or less number of swordtail fish in a particular tank impacts their lifestyle.
When swordtail fish are in a group, they are active and happy. This keeps them happy and engaged and away from diseases. Therefore, the best number is 4 to 6 swordtails, depending on the size of your tank and the gender of your swordtails.
If you are unsure how many swordtail fish to keep together, given your tank size, a pair can work, but there are some conditions you need to fulfill. While we are at it, I recommend you not to keep two swordtail males together. Swordtail males can be aggressive regarding food and territory, and your fish tank will turn into a wrestling ring in no time.
Similarly, you should not keep one male with one female as there are chances your female swordtail will get harassed by your male for mating. Always keep more females than male swordtails so that the female swordtails can outnumber and calm the males.
How Many Swordtail Fish To Keep In A Community Tank?
If you didn’t know, swordtail fish is an excellent community fish. So, if you have a freshwater community tank, you can certainly add them to it with other compatible tank mates.
The number of swordtails to keep together in a community tank depends on the tank size. But, you can surely keep fewer swordtail fish in such tanks than specific tanks.
Community tanks already possess several different fish, and the tank space is occupied too. So, in a community tank, you can keep a single swordtail fish too. As a result, they will have good company and will be happier.
For example, a swordtail fish needs almost 15-gallon tank space. So, if you have a community tank of similar size or slightly more, more than one swordtail cannot fit in. Likewise, some swordtails are comparatively larger than others. In such cases, they will have problems fitting in.
If you increase the number, the tank will get overcrowded, causing various problems. It will stress and suffocate your fish. This can trigger aggression in swordtails or, worse, diseases.
Thus, it would help if you were careful enough to add swordtails in a community tank, considering the tank size, temperament, and other fish in the tank.
Why Is It Essential To Keep Swordtail Fish Together?
Swordtail fish prefer to be in groups. They are more happy and healthy with good company. They will thrive in your tank and live to the fullest when kept in appropriate numbers
It is essential to keep swordtails together in a tank because:
- In the tank, it makes them feel safe, comfortable, and happy.
- When their species is present, the breeding stage goes by without any hostile issues.
- When swordtails are kept together, their hostility and attacking behavior appear unlikely.
- They don’t take long to adapt to the tank, and it does not bother them.
- In the tank, they remain active, cheerful, and satisfied.
How Many Swordtail Fish Can My Tank Accommodate?
If you have a tank and are worried about how many swordtails you can fit in it, I have just the solution for you.
There is a general rule for fish that says 1-inch fish needs around 1-gallon tank at the minimum. Although a 15-gallon tank is the appropriate tank size for a swordtail, one can adjust in a 7-8 gallon tank as it measures 5-6 inches long.
However, Green Swordtails and Red Swordtails tend to grow longer than normal swordtails and need larger tanks.
With this rule, you can calculate the number of swordtails that your tank can accommodate. Remember this method:
The number of Swordtail Tank= Tank size divided by the maximum length of Swordtail Fish.
For example, if you have a 30-gallon tank, and the swordtails are 5.5 inches long, using this method: 30/5.5= 5.
So, you can keep 5 swordtails in a 30-gallon tank. But, the problem with this is swordtail fish can turn territorial and start fighting for space. So, while 5 fish can adjust together in a 30-gallon tank with proper hiding spots, it is still not recommended.
In conclusion, your tank size determined the number of swordtail fish that it can accommodate.
What Is The Minimum And Maximum Tank Size Suitable For Swordtail Fish?
Swordtail fish should be in a group to flourish. Therefore, the ratio of 1 male to 4 females is necessary to maintain so that both your male and female swordtails can live a peaceful life.
The minimum tank size to keep 4-5 swordtail fish is around 30-35 gallons. In a tank that is less than 30 gallons, swordtails cannot co-exist peacefully. If you can reduce the numbers by 3 swordtails with 2 females and 1 male, maybe they can adjust. But, you need to take proper care of the tank and your fish’s behavior.
The maximum tank size has no particular limits. The bigger the fish tank, the more fish it can accommodate, and the happier the swordtails will be. You have to make sure not to keep swordtails in a tank smaller than 30-gallons.
Make sure you don’t overcrowd your tank, thinking you have a large tank. Swordtail fish are active swimmers and need a lot of free space to swim around. That is why add limited fish no matter how big your aquarium is.
Things You Should Keep In Mind While Keeping Swordtails Together.
Swordtail fish will benefit if you keep them together. They will be happier, less stressed, and will be free from diseases or any other ailment. However, there are certain things you should consider while you keep swordtail fish together in a tank.
The factors to pay attention to are:
Avoid Overcrowding
It is essential to keep swordtails in a group of 4 to 5 for their betterment. Swordtails are more active and happy in groups.
But, overcrowding easily occurs if you do not keep track of the fish count. Swordtails usually need more space to swim around as they are quite territorial. In such a case, even one tiny addition can overcrowd your tank leading your fish to stress and irritation.
If you add swordtail fish continuously without considering your tank size, it can overcrowd your tank. This will also cause a lack of oxygen which can suffocate all the fish in your tank.
Maintain Male-Female Ratio
When keeping swordtails as a group, it’s important to keep the male-to-female ratio low.
It would help if you did not keep more male swordtails with fewer females together in a tank. This is because male swordtails are relatively aggressive when reproducing; therefore, they are likely to fight between themselves.
Also, if there are more male swordtails in the tank because of the mating drive, they will chase and disturb females. They become violent and nasty if they are unable to procreate due to a lack of females.
To avoid this problem in the tank, retain a higher proportion of females and a lower proportion of males. If there are more male swordtails, the tank situation is usually unhealthy because they are more inclined to fight and chase.
The appropriate ratio is 3 to 4 females for 1 male swordtail.
Avoid Aggressive Tank Mates
Swordtails are a calm, active, and sociable species of fish. They get along with most fish species that share comparable characteristics. On the other hand, fin nippers and aggressive species like Sharks and Cichlids do not get along with them.
Aggressive fish species chase and bully swordtails in the tank. So naturally, your swordtails will be distressed by this condition, which will affect their health and behavior. In addition, the presence of such tank mates might make swordtail fish poisonous and weak.
As a result, keep your swordtails away from aggressive tank mates that may harm your fish and your tank’s tranquility.
Add Hiding Spots
It is important to add many live plants and other decorations in the swordtail tank to provide your swordtails with proper hiding spots.
Although maintaining ratios and other conditions can calm your fish, you never know when they turn out aggressive and start attacking each other or other fish in the tank. For this reason, you should add hiding spots.
Swordtails are delicate, and things like fluctuation in water parameters, pregnancy, etc., can stress them out. Swordtail prefers to be alone when they are stressed, so hiding spots will make them safer.
On the other hand, live plants will also keep the tank water well-filtered and well-oxygenated, which is vital for more fish in the tank.
Tank Mates For Swordtail Fish
You can surely consider finding tank mates for swordtails because they have polite manners and nice attitudes.
However, you should avoid fin nippers and aggressive tank mates such as Sharks and Cichlids. Such fish species can chase, attack, and harm your swordtails.
As a result, you must seek out tank mates with similar characteristics to swordtail fish. It will make them compatible and enable them to live peacefully together without causing harm to one another.
Some best tank mates for swordtails are:
- Guppies
- Mollies
- Neon Tetra
- Platy Fish
- Minnow
- Zebra Danio
- Dwarf Gourami
- Endlers etc.
Essential Tank Conditions For Keeping Swordtail Fish
While keeping Swordtail fish together is recommended, the tank must meet a few tank criteria. When properly maintained in the tank, these requirements make their life simple and healthy.
They are as follows:
- Manage the tank’s absolute water parameters for swordtails. Maintain a water temperature of 65 to 82 degrees Fahrenheit, a pH of 7.5 to 8.5, and an aquarium water hardness of 20 to 30 dGH.
- Add some live plants to the tank to give your swordtails somewhere to hide. It also aids in the tank’s oxygenation process.
- When you add plants to your aquarium, you’ll need more lighting. As a result, keep tank lighting on for at least 8 to 10 hours per day.
- Maintain a clean and pure tank environment to help your swordtails thrive and persist longer. Remove any dead plant pieces, leftover fish meals, fish excrements, or other unwanted items from the tank. Cleaning up can be done with a spinner or a net.
- Weekly aquarium water changes of 20% to 25% are recommended to maintain water quality and prevent filthy water pollution. However, be cautious and carry out the entire procedure without upsetting your fish. Otherwise, it may cause them to become stressed.
Can Swordtail Fish Live Alone?
It would be beneficial if you did not keep swordtail fish alone for an extended period of time. Swordtails are highly clever, gregarious animals who require the companionship of other members of their species. If you maintain swordtails with friendly companions, they will live a happy and healthy life.
Swordtail fishes require greater activity, which they can only get by interacting with one of their own species or other fishes such as betta fish or platyfish.
If a swordtail lives alone, it may have a variety of problems. That is why the swordtail must be kept in a group of swordtail fish or another swordtail. Swordtails are lively creatures who require the companionship of other swordtails.
FAQs
Can Two Male Swordtails Live Together?
You must be aware of the risks if you want to keep two male swordtails together. When it comes to mating, food, and territory, Swordtail males are aggressive. Because swordtail males are combative and compete for supremacy, keeping two of them together can be problematic.
Within minutes, one of the fish can die as a result of this assault.
Can Swordtails Live With Guppies?
Yes, swordtails and guppies get along fine. However, to do so, you must ensure that the tank is precisely positioned, considering both of their preferences.
When putting any fish in a tank, the most important thing to remember is to change the water temperature. As a result, when keeping two fish together, it’s important to consider both of their temperature preferences. For example, guppies and swordtails are both tropical fish that prefer warm water. As a result, both can coexist peacefully.
Conclusion
Always keep an eye out for the correct number of swordtails to establish a group in a particular tank. I understand if it perplexes you, but it is, without a doubt, critical.
As a result, you may keep up to four swordtail fish together in a 30-gallon tank. If you have a smaller tank than the one mentioned, keep them in with some hiding places and maintain tank water and oxygenation. Similarly, You should not keep swordtails alone.
I hope you found this post useful in locating the answer to your question. Happy Fish-keeping!
