Swordtail fish are small beautiful fish which makes them one of the favorite pets among aquarium hobbyists. They are the perfect fit for you, even if you have little to no experience in fish keeping. They are easy to care for and proliferate. But, what are the growth stages of swordtail fish?
The growth stages of swordtail fish can be divided into four phases. Week 1-4 is called the Fry Stage, week 4-12 is called the juvenile stage, week 12-24 is the young stage, and week 24+ is called the adult stage.
Each stage has its unique characteristics, so it is important to differentiate every stage of swordtail fish so that you can take care of them as required.
In this article, I will explain the growth stages of swordtail fish and how to take care of them in each stage.
What Are The Growth Stages Of Swordtail Fish?
Swordtail fish are livebearers, meaning they do not lay eggs. This means that the larval stage doesn’t exist. Instead, a baby swordtail starts its life directly as a fry.
The main swordtail fish growth stages are as follows:
Fry Swordtail
When a pregnant swordtail gives birth, you will see almost 50-100 tiny fry swimming around the tank. The fry is free swimming from birth. The mother will not look after the fry, so the first thing you need to do is add hiding spots for the fish.
Swordtail fry is small and measures up to 0.25 inches in length. Unfortunately, the small size makes them prey to other larger fish in the tank, including their parents. To keep your swordtail fry alive, you need to add a lot of live plants in the tank and maintain the water parameters.
You won’t have to change the diet of your fry, as they will eat whatever their parents eat. However, you have to make sure that the food is more miniature as fry has a small mouth.
If you use flake food as a part of their diet, make sure you crush it into a powder so that the fry can eat it. Baby brine shrimp can be one of the most nutritious diets for swordtail fry as it helps to grow faster.
If you want your swordtail fry to grow quickly into a juvenile, you need to leave the tank lights on for 12-16 hours a day. Likewise, regular water changes, clean water, and a nutritious diet in safe portions multiple times a day are essential requirements to keep the fry healthy.
After a month or a few, they turn into juveniles.
Juvenile Swordtail
Juvenile swordtail will grow in size and reach up to 0.6-0.8 inches in length. It is in the juvenile stage that the swordtail will start showing colors. Similarly, you can also differentiate the sexes of your fish.
The juvenile stage is considered an important stage in the life of a swordtail. It would be best if you provided your juvenile fish with the best food and water conditions. You can give those brine shrimp, blood worms, high-quality flakes, and some veggies by preparing them at home.
Swordtails can be put into the main tank after they are juveniles. At around two months of age, the juveniles become sexually mature and turn into young swordtails.
Young Swordtail
The third growth stage of a swordtail fish is the early stage. At this stage, they are about 1.2-2 inches in size.
There is still a long way to reach its full size. However, they are sexually mature at this stage and ready to mate and breed. If you are not looking to generate your swordtails, separating the male and female juveniles is vital because swordtails are prolific breeders. The spawning needs no external initiation and happens in a flash.
The separation also helps in the growth of the males as they will focus on feeding and not mating.
Young swordtails need a little different diet than swordtail fry and juveniles. It would be best if you lower their fat intake and offer them more protein and fibers. Brine shrimp and blood worms being the primary diet; they should also eat plankton pellets, algae, and other green food sources.
Proper food and well-conditioned water will make your young’s life more happy and healthy. It will also help them develop more bright colors.
At around six months of age, your swordtail will turn into an adult.
Adult Swordtail
This is the final stage of swordtails. In this stage, the swordtails will have been fully grown. The male swordtail will measure about 5.5-6 inches in length, and the female will be an inch or two longer.
At this stage, at around the two-year mark, the growth will stop. However, male swordtails might still grow their tail extensions, depending on the genes.
You will have to take proper care of your swordtail fish to help them thrive and live to the fullest. It is best if you provide them with a variety of good quality food to keep them happy. Happy swordtails will develop more vibrant colors and become healthier as they age.
The swordtails also get old and become infertile around this stage. Infertility means your swordtail won’t be able to reproduce anymore.
Do everything to keep your swordtails happy to give them longevity of life. The swordtail fish have a lifespan of three to five years. Good food and a good mood will help your fish live through all the years.
For that, feeding them correctly and regularly testing their water parameters and other living requirements is pretty crucial.
Therefore, these are the primary growth stages in a swordtail fish.
Best Food For Swordtail Fish At All Growth Stage
Swordtail fish need different diets in different growth stages. Therefore, there are few food sources suitable for swordtail fish in all or any growth stage.
Meat
Although swordtails are omnivorous, their diet consists of more significant meat portions. Therefore, you should offer your swordtails meat at all stages. However, the amounts may vary.
At the fry stage, the inclusion of meat is a daily requirement as it helps fasten growth. At the same time, a mature swordtail may eat meat two to three times a week.
The best sources of meat protein are brine shrimp, daphnia, mosquito larvae, bloodworms, etc. You can feed them both live and frozen food.
Vegetables
Although swordtails love meat, they should also eat vegetable supplements to a balanced, nutritious diet.
You can feed them spirulina, plankton pellets, and algae as the green part of their diet. Similarly, you can prepare veggies yourself at home to provide to your fish.
Peas, mushrooms, pumpkin, cucumber, cabbage, spinach, etc., can be a good source of fiber for your growing swordtail.
Along with veggies, you can also feed those fruits like grapes, apples, and bananas.
Good quality food and a nutritious diet is the gateway to the healthy growth of swordtail fish. Thus, make sure always to provide balanced nutrition to your fish.
How To Increase The Growth Rate Of Swordtail Fish?
Providing ideal conditions for your swordtail will ensure rapid growth and development for your swordtail fish.
Some of the instructions are:
Separating The Fry
The primary way to increase the growth rate of your swordtail fry is to separate them into another tank until they are juveniles.
Keeping your fry in a separate tank will help you pay close attention to the fry, and your fry will also get enough food and care.
Providing Good Nutrition
Providing a healthy diet for your swordtail fish will ensure it grows and develops commonly.
You should provide foods high in Omega-three fatty acids and calcium, proteins, and vitamins A & D.
Bloodworms, Brine Shrimp, Mosquito larvae, Algae wafers are some of the most liked diets of swordtail fish.
Maintaining Water Parameters
Swordtail fish can grow and develop only if the water parameters are maintained. You should keep a 73-80 degrees Fahrenheit temperature, with a pH level between six to eight, alkalinity levels at or below 50 ppm, and hardness less than 20 dGH.
Keeping Your Swordtail Fish in an Appropriate Size Tank
It is advisable to keep your swordtail fish in a tank that has the capacity for its maximum size.
This will ensure that the fish does not become stunted and its growth is not hindered.
It should be kept in a tank with at least 50 gallons of water, lit from below to create a natural flow through the top layers of your aquarium.
Maintaining the Right Level of Light
Swordtail fish thrive in an environment with moderate levels of natural light, so you should make sure that they are not kept under excessively bright conditions for too long.
For example, if your swordtail is being raised indoors, it will require at least eight hours per day of light.
In this way, you might be able to influence the growth rate of your swordtail fish.
Reasons Why Your Swordtail Fish Isn’t Growing
There might be some issues if you have a swordtail fry and it is not growing as the stages estimated above.
Here are some of the reasons for the delayed growth of a fry:
Bad Water Parameters
Swordtail fish are pretty sensitive to changes in water parameters. Therefore, keeping them in the most unfavorable environment according to these factors will stress them out.
This stress can inhibit your swordtail from growing any farther.
Overcrowded Tank
Like I’ve told you already, your swordtail tank can get overcrowded soon. So, if you haven’t controlled their population, high nitrogen levels and lack of area to swim around can invite stress on your fish, delaying their growth.
Insufficient Nutrition
Perhaps the worst thing is letting your swordtail go hungry for weeks.
But wait! Fatty food like heart, beef, and so on are equally bad for the growth of fry and juvenile swordtail fish.
Moreover, if you’re giving low-quality food to your swordtail fry, chances are they’re not going to grow properly.
Genetics
Unlike all the reasons above, which are caused by negligence, this reason is that your swordtail may be bred to be a dwarf swordtail!
What Is The Minimum Tank Size for Swordtail’s Better Growth Rate?
Swordtails are a perfect community tank species. But did you know that swordtails adore living in fast-moving water? Swordtails can reach lengths of over 6 inches in their natural environments, owing to the ample room.
The size of your aquarium tank will considerably impact the growth and size of your fish. For example, they grow slowly when you keep swordtail fry in a breeding trap or a tiny breeding tank.
You’ll need a 20-gallon community aquarium tank – the minimum suggested size – plus a 10-gallon tank for the swordtail fry to aid faster growth and ensure that your swordtails are healthy.
What Is The Lifespan Of Swordtail Fish?
Swordtail fish that live in tanks live for three to five years on average. In rare situations, they can live a further year or two if you keep them in optimal conditions.
However, this will rely mainly on where they are reared and also their DNA. It is an exception that the strongest of these fish can survive longer than their usual lifespan if appropriate care is offered.
FAQs
How Big Do Swordtails Grow?
Swordtail fish are small tropical livebearers. The gender of the swordtail fish affects its size. A male swordtail fish can reach a maximum length of 5.5 inches, while a female swordtail can get 6.3-7 inches.
Swordtail fish fry is about 0.25 inches long when they are born and can reach a maximum size of 5-6 inches under ideal tank conditions.
How Fast Do Swordtails Grow?
Swordtail fish are livebearers, meaning they give birth to live young. However, they take around six months to mature into adults because they are born as miniature adults.
The fry is around 0.24 inches long when it is born and grows into a 6-inch adult swordtail in about six months. After three months, though, they are mature enough to breed.
These small infants don’t take long to mature into adults, but their development is fascinating to observe in the meanwhile!
Conclusion
Therefore, swordtail fish grow into beautiful adults encompassing fry, juvenile, and early stage. Therefore, swordtail fish require a different level of care in the various growth stages.
Offering good food and keeping them in well-conditioned water will ensure the healthy growth of your swordtail fish.
Make sure your swordtail fry grows into healthy adults.
