Swordtail fish is a freshwater fish that has become a popular choice in the aquarium industry. They are easy to care for and inexpensive, making them an excellent choice for beginners and children. However, if you do not maintain swordtails properly by giving them adequate food and environment, they may show strange swimming behavior. For example, if your swordtail fish is swimming up and down or vertically, they might be uneasy in your tank. It’s a common occurrence among freshwater fish species, but it can be an issue. So, why do swordtail fish swim vertically?
There may be various reasons why swordtails start to swim strangely in your tank. Poor water conditions, disease, irritation, genetic imbalance might all be causing your swordtail fish to swim vertically.
Along with showing strange behavior, swordtail fish may also get sick due to poor water conditions and an unhealthy tank environment. So, if you see even the slightest imbalance in the water parameters like cloudy water, increase in ammonia and nitrates, and rotten smell, you should take immediate action like water change and other tests.
In this blog post, we will go over some of the most common causes of why and when swordtails swim up and down or vertically and discuss the ideas to solve this problem. So, keep reading!
Do Swordtail Fish Swim Vertically?
Swordtail fish usually swim in the middle region of the tank. However, you might find your swordtail fish swimming vertically at times.
Swordtails show unusual swimming patterns when they feel threatened by another fish or when they have their last breath. This can also happen if the tank water temperature is not warm enough and too cold for them. Swordtail fish like warmer waters (around 65-82 degrees Fahrenheit).
Why Do Swordtail Fish Swim Vertically (Or Up And Down)?
Swordtail fish are an excellent addition to a freshwater community tank. They are friendly and peaceful, they do not need much space or food, and every keeper loves to have them.
However, as mentioned earlier, tiny changes in maintenance can affect swordtail fish, leading them to show strange behavior in your tank. Unfortunately, swimming erratically is one of those behaviors.
The various reasons why swordtail fish swim vertically are:
Poor Water Conditions
Unhealthy water conditions can cause illnesses in all sorts of fish. Swim Bladder Disease is frequently caused by poor water quality (particularly, high ammonia levels).
Read: Ideal Water Parameters For Swordtail Fish
Inappropriate Temperatures
Like any other cold-blooded species, the temperature is critical in helping swordtail fish manage their internal body functions (like breathing). This is especially true if you’re dealing with exotic species that aren’t native to your area.
Fungal Infections
Plants, substrates, and rocks that have been exposed to water outside of the aquarium can cause fungal infections in swordtail fish. Fish afflicted with fungus have trouble swimming and may bend sideways in an attempt to move horizontally.
Injury
Any physical injury to your fish (such as a broken tail) could cause it to swim inappropriately. However, if the damage is minor, it may heal on its own with proper care and patience.
Inadequate Diet
A diet lacking in various nutrients can also cause swimming at odd angles, resulting in malnutrition and the inability of fish to swim normally. Feed flake food and frozen brine shrimp, daphnia, and blood worms to your fish.
Swim Bladder Disease In Swordtails
If your tank water parameters are at proper levels and your fish is eating fine but are still swimming vertically, it might be a swim bladder disease. This fish disease manifests itself in various ways, including fish that are unable to swim horizontally or vertically, trouble swimming to the surface for air, and a tendency to dwell towards the bottom of your tank.
Defects in the DNA
Some fish species, like humans, are born with abnormalities and malformations that can limit their ability to swim normally or even lead to an early death. Fish with deformed spines, for example, frequently swim at strange angles.
Thus, these might be some possible reasons why your swordtail fish might be swimming vertically. But, how do we prevent it or stop it? Let’s find out!
How To Prevent Swordtail Fish From Swimming Vertically?
When keeping fish in a tank or an aquarium, there are many things we should bear in mind so that they do not show unusual behaviors, get sick, or die untimely.
To prevent swordtail fish from swimming vertically, you should check your water temperature (it should be between 65-82F), make sure you have good water circulation, and that your swordtails eat and stay healthy.
Some of the prevention measures are described below:
Maintain Ideal Temperature
The temperature has a significant impact on your fish’s happiness and health. Maintain a temperature of 65-82 degrees Fahrenheit in the water. If you can’t keep your tank’s temperature under control, invest in an aquarium heater to help you keep it there.
When the water isn’t warm enough, they get enough oxygen to flow through their bodies. This makes it more difficult for them to swim horizontally as they would in nature, and if left untreated, it might even result in death.
Maintain High-Quality Water
As previously stated, poor water quality with high levels of ammonia or nitrites will make swimming difficult for your fish. Make sure you change the water at least once a week (at least 25%) and use a decent filter like a HOB, canister, or trickle system.
Your filtration system helps keep debris and chemicals out of the water. The idea is to have a high-quality aquarium filtration system that can keep up with the demands of your tank while not pulling trash into the water.
Also Read: What Kind Of Water Do Swordtails Need?
Include Variety in Diet
Make sure you feed your fish various nutrients to prevent starvation and the inability to swim normally. For example, you should supplement flake meals at least once a day with frozen brine shrimp, daphnia, and bloodworms. This will also give them vitamin C, which will help them stay healthy by boosting their immune system.
Fish, like all living things, require nutrition to stay strong and healthy. A healthy diet will give them all the nutrients they need to live a long and happy life.
Prevent Stress And Diseases
Stress and diseases can be significant factors why swordtails start to swim abnormally around the tank. The most common symptom of all freshwater fish diseases is erratically swimming.
Therefore, be careful with the pH and ammonia levels, fish diet, and tank cleanliness so that your swordtails do not contract any diseases.
Also Read: Swordtail Fish Diseases, Stress In Swordtail Fish
Prevent Injury
Avoid all such substances in the tank that could injure your fish. Likewise, keep your tank free from sharp objects and rigid solid substrates.
Likewise, avoid keeping your fish with aggressive tank mates so that they do not injure your delicate swordtail fish.
Thus, these are a few measures by which you can prevent swordtail fish from swimming vertically.
FAQs
Here are some of the related questions related to swordtail fish’s stress, diseases, and death.
How To Tell If A Swordtail Fish Is Stressed?
Loss of coloration or hunger, swimming at weird angles, breeding activity when it shouldn’t be breeding, hiding, and a hazy look are all signs that your fish is stressed.
You can tell whether your swordtail fish is stressed by looking at its eyes and watching how it swims.
If they appear to be always gazing down or their body stance is not correct, they may be anxious. Another way to know whether your fish is stressed is to look at how they are responding.
If you find them wandering around and not concentrating on anything, in particular, likely, the water conditions aren’t ideal; or that something is wrong with their surroundings, such as sharp pebbles or bad water quality.
If you find your fish chasing other fish or swimming erratically, it’s likely that they’re stressed and looking for a haven because something in their surroundings is hurting them.
How Do Identify A Sick Swordtail Fish?
If your swordtail fish exhibits the characteristics listed below, they are unhappy and maybe ill.
Loss of appetite, weakness, and inactivity, loss of buoyancy, floating sideways or upside down, staying at the bottom of the tank, erratic/spiral swimming, staying alone in a corner, distancing itself from other fish in the tank, staying near the surface, gasping for air, scratching themselves against tank glass or other objects, clamped fins, and other symptoms may indicate that your swordtail fish is ill.
These changes in behavior could indicate that your swordtail fish is sick. The symptoms listed above are early warning indications of illness.
How Do You Know If Your Swordtail Is Dying?
You should pay great attention to your swordtail fish’s behavior if you want to know if it’s dying. If your swordtail appears inactive, lies at the top or bottom of the tank, swims in weird patterns, has a sickness or parasite, and doesn’t eat as much as before, it’s time to say your final farewell.
Swordtail fish do not die quickly. They’re tough and can withstand a wide range of temperatures—their ability to tolerate permits them to cope with little stress and illnesses. However, a few novice errors on your part could result in the death of your swordtail fish.
How To Save A Dying Swordtail Fish?
The best way of saving a sickly or dying swordtail fish is to take care of the tank condition as a first-aid measure. If your swordtail fish is in the early stages of illness, cleaning the fish, cleaning the tank, monitoring and maintaining the water quality, and checking their food may be enough to save them.
However, if your swordtail fish has been sick or acting abnormally for a long time, the home cures may be too late. As a result, it’s critical to get medical help from a reputable veterinarian.
Conclusion
To summarize, these are some of the most common reasons swordtail fish swim vertically, and if you observe them doing so, it’s crucial to check your tank to see if anything is causing them stress. The problem could be the water temperature or their environment if you notice them acting strangely and looking for a place to hide (such as sharp rocks).
If they’re chasing other fish frantically, it’s most likely because they’re stressed and hunting for a place to hide.
You may avoid all of these by keeping your fish in the proper temperature range, using a decent filtration system, and feeding them healthy food.