Swordtail fish is one of the most popular aquarium pets. They are favorites among both new and experienced aquarists because they are super easy to take care of. You only need to prevent your swordtail fish from stress to give them a long, happy, and healthy life. Unfortunately, the stress in swordtail fish is a primary reason for illness, diseases, and death. So, what are the ways to identify stress in your fish?
There are sure signs that swordtail fish show when under stress. They usually show behavioral changes like gasping at the surface, staying at the bottom of the tank, not eating correctly, being lethargic, inactive, lying on their sides, and swimming strangely.
Likewise, various causes lead to stress in swordtail fish. For example, poor water conditions, temperature fluctuation, overstocking, incompatible tank mates, overcrowding, pregnancy, etc., are a few factors that trigger stress in swordtail fish.
It is hard to understand these non-verbal friends of ours, so we must know how to identify their stress. Thus, this article will be an ultimate guide to identify stress, work to solve it and prevent it in the future.
What Is Stress? Can Your Swordtail Fish Feel Stressed?
Stress in fish is defined as an alarm response to an external impact that disrupts the living environment or interferes with normal functions and processes behaviorally (such as growth, reproduction, etc.)
Yes, swordtail fish do feel stressed, just like us humans. Stress in swordtails is induced through various reasons, and all of them have dire consequences. It affects your swordtail fish’s appetite, immunity, breeding, digestion, and many more. Stress is harmful and, if not treated, can even cause the death of your fish.
Thus, it is crucial to identify the signs and the causes of stress in your swordtail so that you can eradicate it as soon as possible.
How To Identify If Stress In Swordtail Fish?
Swordtail fish are sensitive. Although they are considered hardy, which they are, improper tank conditions easily stress out swordtail fish.
If you do not take proper care of your swordtails, you will end up stressing them. Stress opens up the gate to various other infections and diseases.
Some signs that show your swordtail fish is stressed are:
Poor Appetite
Swordtails are known for their ravenous appetites. However, if they aren’t eating, you must treat them due to stress or illness. In addition, a variety of factors can cause a lack of appetite.
This isn’t an issue if your swordtails are always hungry. However, if your fish aren’t eating, it might be due to various factors ranging from poor water quality to overcrowding, or they could be suffering from an illness.
Since stress induces all diseases and infections, the loss of appetite in swordtails is a primary way to identify stress.
Gasping At The Surface Of The Tank
Stress can cause fish to have trouble breathing, causing them to pant for air at the surface of the water at the top of the tank. This usually happens when the environment changes, such as temperature, new tank mates, or new food sources.
If your fish is gasping at the surface, it’s a sign that they are in a stressful circumstance and needs to be removed from it. You may be gasping for air because you’re overstocked or don’t have enough oxygen.
Other stresses, like incorrect water temperature, unpleasant tank mates, an undesirable environment, or too much stimulation, could also be blamed.
Lying At The Bottom Of The Tank
Your swordtail may become stressed and lie at the bottom of the tank, unable to move. If they start acting like this, it’s usually a sign that they’re not feeling well or that something else is wrong with their health, so keep an eye on them.
Swordtails are said to slumber near the bottom of the cave. However, it is short-lived. Therefore, it’s a concern if your swordtail fish stays at the bottom for longer than usual.
Discoloration
Stress can also change the color of your swordtail, resulting in discoloration of body parts. Stress, for example, causes a fish’s body to become pale or to have spots on it that are lighter or darker than the rest of the scales.
If the color of your swordtail fish fades or gets patchier than usual, it could indicate a problem. But, on the other hand, it could also be a sign of stress or disease.
They will become paler or lose their color entirely. This can happen when you place your fish in unsuitable habitat, or it could be an indication of illness, so keep this in mind if you see any changes in your fish’s colors.
Unusual Swimming Patterns/ Spinning
If you observe your fish swimming differently than usual, it could be an indication of distress.
It could be a symptom of stress if your swordtail begins to swim differently than usual. They may, for example, swim in an irregular pattern, indicating that they are attempting but failing to flee from something.
Your swordtail may swim in circles or appear to be having difficulty getting around as they usually do. This could signal various issues, and if it persists, you should consult a veterinarian or a pet store professional immediately away.
Some swordtails find it more difficult to swim when they are stressed.
Inactiveness
If you detect an apparent lack of energy in your swordtail, they may be hungry because they don’t have enough food when they’re stressed.
Stress makes them tired and reduces their activity; some swordtails’ activity and feeding patterns shift during focus.
Swordtails tend to stay in one corner of the tank and move around less when stressed.
As a result, You must carefully examine strange habits like moving in the water too often or keeping still on the bottom, eating too much or too little, and so on.
Hiding
Looking where your swordtails choose to hide out is one of the easiest ways to tell if they’re stressed. For example, if your swordtail is continuously hiding in a small space, they could be scared or worried.
Fish feel vulnerable and exposed to their surroundings; therefore, if you observe your fish hiding, it could indicate several things, including a problem with them, such as an infection or parasite or stress from the environment.
It’s an indication of stress if your fish stays at the bottom of their tank and doesn’t move around much. This behavior frequently indicates that they are attempting to conceal something. It could also reveal the presence of illnesses.
Weight Loss
If your fish is losing weight, it could indicate several factors; stress being one. First, this could mean that something in the tank has contaminated them, such as parasites. When you consider where ich and other diseases are found, you’ll see that you can frequently associate them with dirty water.
A sunken stomach shows malnutrition as a result of anxiety-related stress eating. Because this usually results in lethargy, look for other indicators of stress in swordtail fish.
Strange Behaviors
Swordtails will feel threatened when stressed. Thus they will hang out on the tank’s side near the filter/heater. As previously indicated, hiding is another common symptom of stress in fish, but it’s also worth noting when you notice other signs like these.
You can stress a fish out by various things, including tank mates, changes in habitat, and food sources.
Similarly, swordtail fish scrape at aquarium rocks and decorations regularly. Stress may lead them to scratch more than usual, which, if left addressed, can result in damage or wear over time.
Clamped Fins Through Fights
Swordtails are pretty aggressive and can rage when stressed. They can easily pick up a fight if other fish harass and bully them too much. Therefore, when stressed, swordtail fish can show rage and become hostile.
Such conditions can lead to injured body parts like clamped fins, tore fins and tail, etc.
Therefore, these are some of the signs that help you identify stress in swordtail fish.
Causes Of Stress In Swordtail Fish
Now that we know the signs of stress in swordtail fish let’s see what causes the stress. Various factors trigger anxiety in swordtail fish.
Some of the most common causes of stress in swordtail fish are as follows:
Pregnancy In Swordtail Fish
The impregnation of swordtail fish might cause stress. Hormonal shifts and higher cortisol levels affect pregnant fish. In addition, the increased activity in their brain increases their stress, causing them to experience more frequent seizures.
Stress makes it more difficult for the baby to survive in a healthy form, and if you do not treat it, it may result in the death of the fry or the mother fish.
Illness And Disease
Swordtail fish will become anxious if they catch disease or illness. They may develop ill as a result of it. Health problems make your fish susceptible, causing them to become agitated. Stress lowers the immune system, thus stressed fishare at an increased risk.
Dietary Issues
Feeding your swordtail average fish food isn’t always enough. They will require additional minerals in their diet, such as algal wafers or shrimp pellets. This could become an issue if you don’t feed your swordtails the right kind of food because stressed animals don’t eat properly, making things worse.
Poor Water Conditions
When the water quality isn’t good enough for swordtail fish to survive, they become easily stressed.
Fish can quickly become anxious when there is a lack of oxygen. This frequently occurs when you do not clean the water properly or add too many chemicals (such as cleaners).
Water that is too cold or too hot, unclean water, and a filter that is of poor quality can all harm your fish.
The more frequently you clean your tank/pond, the less likely this will occur. Cleaning away old plants or adding new ones should also help.
Inappropriate Water Temperature
Swordtails can’t take cold temperatures in the tank or pond, which causes stress because their body can’t handle it.
Because your fish cannot adjust to their surroundings, water that is overly hot or cold directly impacts how they behave.
Not Enough Room
Overcrowding swordtails into a tiny space, assuming they’ll like having each other for the company, will stress them out. In reality, you will end up with a stressed-out fish that furiously swims around. Furthermore, because stress makes swordtails more susceptible to illnesses and infections, it is important not to overcrowd them.
Similarly, swordtail fish might feel stress if there are too many different types of fish in one area. They will begin to act out because they believe they are in a crowded place.
Incompatible Tankmates
If you have aggressive tank mates, your swordtail fish may become fearful. You can stress your swordtails out by incompatible tank mates, and you may even end up having dead fish.
A swordtail fish is incompatible with the other varieties of fish in its environment. This might result in anxiety and tension, which in turn can lead to disease or bad health.
Make sure they don’t have any natural predators living among them who could hurt them. You can stress your swordtails out by such things, and as a result, they become ill and unhappy. Unfortunately, stress can also lead to swordtail fish behavioral difficulties, which are difficult to resolve and require patience.
Therefore, these are some of the causes that cause stress in swordtail fish. You should try to identify the root cause and solve it ASAP!
Ways To Calm Down Stress And Prevent It Altogether
Stress severely affects the health of swordtail fish, making them susceptible to various diseases and ailments. Therefore, after you see signs of stress in your fish, you should work towards calming them.
Here are some ways:
Check And Correct Water Parameters
Make sure the water in your tank has plenty of oxygen, is between 65 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit, and has a balanced pH level.
Add Compatible Tankmates
You can give your stressed fish some new tank mates, which can help it feel more comfortable in its surroundings.
Avoid Overstocking
To avoid stress, keep the number of swordtail fish in proportion to the tank’s size. Before stocking the tank, remember to use the one inch/1 gallon guideline.
In a large tank, keep a group of 5 or fewer swordtail fish (about 30-gallon). Make sure your tank doesn’t have too many.
Relaxed Setting
When there are too many stimuli in the environment, like loud noises or several predators to watch out for, stressed fish will perform differently.
Oxygenate the Water
You can add live plants and bubblers to the water to offer oxygen, which will help the fish feel less stressed.
Stop Having Pregnancies Over And Over
You can prevent your fish from reproducing if pregnant, so she doesn’t have any more babies to look after. This will assist her in reducing her stress levels.
Acclimatization Is Essential
Make sure you don’t put fresh swordtail fish into a tank with other fish when you first obtain them. The acclimation phase is stressful.
Therefore, these are some of the ways to control and prevent stress in swordtail fish. Keeping swordtails happy is vital for their longevity of life.
Conclusion
Finally, observing your swordtail fish’s behavior is the most effective approach to determine stress. If they’re always hiding, gasping for air, or afflicted with diseases, it’s possible that something is wrong with them, and you’ll need to figure out what it is so you can help them get better.
To keep your fish as stress-free as possible, ensure the water quality, tank mates, and temperature are all in good working order. The best chance of having healthy and stress-free swordtails is to keep them in a good environment.
Many factors contribute to stress. However, recognizing it is an essential first step in assisting swordtail fish in being healthy and living longer. Always remember, Happy pet, happy life!
