Many aquarium hobbyists keep swordtail fish as a widespread freshwater fish. They’re also known as starter fish because they’re an excellent choice for someone new to aquarium fish maintenance. They are ideal for you because they are simple to maintain. However, if you want to raise swordtails at home, you must first learn the basics. So, what kind of fish is a swordtail?
Swordtail fish are colorful fish that come in different colors, such as red, orange, and yellow. They are unique in appearance and characteristics. The answer to the question “what kind of fish is swordtail?” is many. Swordtails are tropical freshwater fish. They are livebearers and hardy. Likewise, they are community fish that prefer to stay in groups.
Swordtail fish are also omnivorous and foragers. Moreover, their behavioral characteristics are defined by aggressive and fin-nipping nature. Swordtails are fast-growers and reach sexual maturity at the age of three months.
In this article, we will discuss what kind of fish a swordtail is and whether they are a perfect fit for you.
Swordtail Fish: General Profile
The swordtail fish is a mid-dweller and one of the largest livebearer species. They can grow up to 5 inches (12 cm) in length.
Their tail sword is around 20 cm (8 inches) long, and their body is about the size of an adult human’s finger. Female swordtails are an inch and a half longer than male swordtails, but they lack the long, elongated tail of the males.
Swordtails have a five-year lifespan in the wild, although they can survive up to ten years in captivity. Before bringing swordtails into your home, make sure you plan because they develop quickly for the first two years and mature in the fifth.
Here’s a tabulated description of swordtail fish:
| Experience Level | Beginner – Easy to care for, hardy fish, easy to breed, and are undemanding. |
| Appearance | Small and elongated, males have a sword-like tail extension and an anal fin. Females lack those and have rounded tails. |
| Adult Size | Male Swordtail Adult Size: 5.5″ Female Swordtail Adult Size: 6″ ” (an inch longer than males) |
| Water Condition | Hard, Alkaline water(12-30dGH) Freshwater |
| Water Temperature Range | 65-80 Degree Fahrenheit |
| Temperament | Social, Hardy, Community Fish |
| Tank Region | Usually found dwelling along the mid and top section of the tank |
| Tank Size | At least 15-gallon (45L) or larger |
| Food | Omnivorous (Algae, Bloodworms, Baby shrimps, etc.) |
| Lifespan | 3-5 years |
What Kind Of Fish Are Swordtails?
Swordtails have unique features, and we cannot consider them as one particular kind of fish. However, the following features best describe a swordtail fish:
Livebearers
Any freshwater or marine fish that gives birth to alive progeny is known as a livebearer.
Egg layers are not included since they deposit eggs that are not living when they hatch. However, because they generate their progeny inside eggs, livebearers are also called ovoviviparous or viviparous fish.
Within a few days to weeks, the young will hatch from the egg and continue to develop inside in the safety of their mother’s body.
Guppies, platies, mollies, and swordtails are examples of live-bearing species.
Swordtail fish are livebearers that give live birth, mostly at night.
Hermaphrodites
Swordtail fish belong to the protogynous hermaphrodite family of fish. This implies that if they are unsatisfied with their tank configuration or the swordtail population, they can change gender. A female swordtail will take on male characteristics when this happens, while male swords will begin to grow ovaries.
Because their sex is determined by the temperature at which they are born, rather than their chromosomes, swordtails have a more complicated sex determination process than most other fish. Swordtails can alter gender.
This means swordtails can switch genders as needed to keep their aquarium and swordtail fish population healthy.
Freshwater Tropical Fish
Tropical fish are of two kinds: tropical freshwater fish and saltwater tropical fish. Freshwater tropical fish can be found in freshwater bodies near the equator line, as the name implies. Similarly, marine waters near the equatorial area are home to salty tropical fish.
The swordtail fish is a popular tropical freshwater aquarium species. They can be found throughout Central and Northern America along the equator. They prefer a warm environment with water temperatures between 65-820 degrees Fahrenheit.
You must provide a tank for your swordtail that depicts its natural habitat. Warm water and rich vegetation characterize tropical places. As a result, your tank should have warm waters with all of the necessary characteristics, as well as dense vegetation, to give your swordtail a tropical homey feeling.
Community Fish
In general, a community can be defined as a group of living organisms that live together in an area and share a shared interest.
Similarly, in fish, community fish are fish that live in a group and share similar traits. A communal aquarium is a name given to the space where they reside together.
The swordtail fish is a common communal fish. They enjoy interacting with the other fish in the tank, making them excellent community fish.
Swordtails enjoy exploring the tank, and their calm demeanor makes it easy for them to make friends. Your swordtail will be the center of attention for all of the other fish in the aquarium. They are pretty social and like being in the company of other passive animals and their kind.
Hardy Fish
The word “hardy fish” refers to a live aquatic organism that can withstand extreme conditions. When it comes to picking which fish to put in your aquarium, choosing sturdy species is vital since they will withstand harsher conditions than more delicate ones.
Because swordtail fish are resilient and adapt well to aquarium living, they make better aquarium pets than other freshwater fish. In addition, swordtails do not require too warm water for other freshwater fish species because they reside in tropical temperatures in their natural habitats. They’re also small and don’t require a large tank.
Swordtails are incredibly hardy creatures. They can survive in a wide range of water conditions and are at ease in various settings. This contributes to their ability to coexist with other fish species that have slightly different needs. Swordtails are an excellent communal fish because of this.
Omnivorous
Swordtail fish are omnivores, meaning they eat everything. Algae, insects, and larvae found in water plants are among the items they consume. Swordtail fish are found in tropical climes from Mexico to South America, but they can be raised as aquarium pets anywhere.
They are not allowed to leave the home tank in search of food. As a result, adequate supplements must be given to them, taking into account their nutrient requirements. Swordtail fish are omnivores. However, they do prefer a protein-rich diet.
As a result, flake foods should be the primary source of nutrition, combined with vegetable-based foods like peas and blanched vegetables. In addition, swordtails will eat live feeder fish, brine shrimp, krill, daphnia, and other small fish.
Aggressive
Swordtails aren’t usually hostile, but if you keep them in poor conditions, they’ll attack. You can tell if your swordtail is becoming aggressive by watching how it interacts with the other swordtails in the tank. So what is the behavior of a bold, bully swordtail fish?
In the tank, an aggressive swordtail fish will chase other innocent and timid swordtails. In the tank, these bullies frequently mark their territory. And they strive to fight anyone who tries to infringe on their part.
If you have more than two or three male swordtails in the tank, they will most likely compete for the attention of the female swordtail. The other purpose of violence is to attract a mate.
Related Questions
Here are some more related questions that define what kind of fish swordtails are.
What Are The Behavioral Characters Of A Swordtail Fish?
The most noticeable behavioral qualities of swordtail fish are their calm, kind, and gregarious natures. They are little tropical community fish that prefer to be in groups with other fish of the same species.
Even though they congregate in bunches, they never form a school or a shoal. They are instead friendly freshwater fish that can be a great addition to your freshwater community.
Are Swordtails Schooling Fish?
No, swordtails do not form schools. Swordtails are strong swimmers who prefer to be in groups, although they are not schooling fish. They enjoy going on adventures and interacting with other fish. As a result, you can always find them in groupings with which they are suitable. They will not, however, be depicting schooling conduct.
Swordtails get along well with other swordtails and similar species, such as platies. They do not, however, form schools. Instead, they associate with other fish mainly for mating or in quest of food. However, unlike other schooling fish, they do not travel in groups.
Are Swordtail Fish Dirty?
No, swordtails are not dirty fish. Most aquarists tell swordtails are contaminated fish because they create more waste and devour tank trash. Swordtail fish, on the other hand, are not at all filthy.
In truth, they instinctively clean themselves of any filth or debris detected on the body with their mouth and fins before it may cause injury.
Do Swordtails Clean Tanks?
Swordtail fish are not tank-cleansers. However, they help to clean the tank up to some extent because of their foraging nature. Not only swordtails, but practically all livebearers contribute to tank cleaning by scraping algae off of the glass and ornaments. However, these livebearers, including swordtails, cannot be classified as effective tank cleaners like shrimps or other algae eaters.
Swordtails are lovely fish that, as scavengers, can help keep the tank clean. However, they generate a lot of trash, depending on how often you change the water in your aquarium!
As a result, they are not tank cleaners, although they do assist in keeping your tank clean by consuming algae and other residues.
Conclusion
Therefore, we consider swordtails the best aquarium fish species and are loved by all aquarists due to their easy maintenance and peaceful nature. If you are planning on getting a pet fish, swordtail fish might be the best option.
Swordtail fish are livebearers that give birth to live fry instead of laying eggs. Similarly, they are tropical freshwater fish that love warmer water temperatures. In addition, they are hardy and can tolerate a wide range of temperatures. And lastly, they are omnivorous and accept all kinds of meat and plant-based food.
I hope this article was informative and you learned about what kind of fish a swordtail is. If you have any queries, feel free to leave a comment below. Happy Fishkeeping!
