Swordtail fish are beautiful freshwater aquarium fish that are loved by all aquarists. They are pretty active and friendly, which means you will often see them swimming around the tank interacting with the tank mates. Swordtail fish aren’t shy, but sometimes you’ll see them hiding behind plants or other decors. So, why do swordtail fish hide?
There might be several reasons why your swordtail fish will start hiding in the tank. Some may be sickness, disease, aggressive tank mates, stress, incorrect water parameters, and more.
It is not easy to live in a space as small as a fish tank. There will be problems with your tank water and other factors that will lead your swordtails to hide.
In this blog post, we will discuss all possible reasons why swordtail fish may go into hiding and the measures to prevent swordtails from doing so.
Do Swordtail Fish Hide?
Although swordtail fish do not fall under the category of shy fish, they do hide. Therefore, swordtail fish will avoid any dispute in the tank and may hide if you introduce another swordtail into the mix. Alternatively, if there are other tropical fish species with whom they cannot compete for food.
When a swordtail fish feels threatened, it hides typically. Because they have a natural desire for self-preservation, they frequently seek shelter when they are terrified or agitated. Considering your tank is such a secure haven for swordtails, you’ll likely see them hiding under plants and rocks.
Reasons Why Swordtail Fish Hide
There are various reasons why your swordtail fish might be hiding. Let’s see some of those reasons in detail below:
Sickness And Disease
The most obvious cause for your fish’s hiding is the illness.
If your swordtail appears ill or its belly seems to have grown more significant than usual, it could be pregnant. In addition, the female swordtail can get severely unwell if she is stressed during her pregnancy.
The presence of fungus on your swordtail fish indicates that the tank is too contaminated. Also, if your fish appears to be rubbing up against objects and scratching itself, they likely have parasites or another disease.
Swordtail fish lose their appetite and hide in corners or among plants when they are in this situation.
Predators And Bullies
This may upset or terrify other fish in the tank, which is considerably larger than your swordtail. The same goes for any predators that come into contact with your swordtail fish, such as herons and cats.
If you have large fish in your tank that might devour swordtails, the swordtails will hide until the giant predator has passed. This could be because it’s feeding time, and their hiding spot is close to where the food comes out of the tank! On the other hand, perhaps there are too many large fish in the tank for them to feel secure.
Similarly, if two or more male fish are in the tank and one is a bully, the others will typically hide behind the plants to avoid the bully.
Increase In Ammonia Levels
You can easily trigger an ammonia rise if you don’t make regular water changes and clear away debris on the bottom of your tank.
When the quantity of ammonia in your fish tank rises too high, it becomes harmful to your fish and causes aquarium ammonia poisoning. This commonly happens when you haven’t done any water changes for a few days or weeks (depending on the size of the aquarium). If this happens, it’s even more crucial to remember to take action right away.
Increase In Temperature
Swordtails are a species of tropical fish that does not perform well in colder water. As a result, if you keep them in colder water, swordtails may begin to hide near the heater because their bodies are complex.
New Environment
Swordtails are sensitive fish, and attempting to move them into a new tank can result in their death. In addition, the water’s bio-load will be different from what your swordtail fish is used to in its natural home. As a result, it may pose significant health risks to this species.
Swordtail fish dislike abrupt changes and will avoid any unfamiliar surroundings. As a result, it’s crucial to introduce them to your tank gradually or introduce the entire group of swordtails only after a week of acclimatization.
If you insist on putting swordtail fish in their place, make sure you remove all of the swordtails after at least three days.
Pregnancy
Swordtails are livebearers, meaning they give birth to their young rather than laying eggs like other fish. So, if you have a pregnant female in the tank, she will most likely go into hiding during labor and release her offspring at any time!
This can be a stressful scenario for both the mother and her children. In addition, if you have any other fish in your tank which would perceive this as an opportunity to devour newborn swordtails, she will probably hide until the delivery is complete.
Stress
If your swordtail fish is feeling agitated, it may seek refuge in a hidden location. This could be due to various factors, including having too many tank mates that annoy the small fish, not having enough food to feed all of their hungry mouths, tank water conditions not being as excellent as they should be, or any other reason you are unaware of.
If this is the case, they must endeavor to modify their tank living conditions as soon as possible!
Sleeping
While they are tired or sleeping, swordtail fish may hide. So if you have a shy swordtail fish, it may be sleeping in a different part of the tank or another corner.
If your swordtail fish hovers around at the surface, barely moving, that’s one clue swordtails are sleeping.
This may be typical of them, particularly in cold weather or at night when they need to stay warm.
Thus, these are some of the possible reasons why your swordtail fish may hide in the tank.
How To Prevent Swordtails From Hiding?
It could be for a variety of reasons that your swordtail fish is hiding. Swordtail fish, in general, will hide if they are terrified of something or if the water conditions aren’t conducive to their comfort. When a swordtail fish is hiding, you can do the following things:
Regular Tank Maintenance
When a fish’s tank isn’t properly cared for, it might cause them to get stressed. So, if you have a pet fish tank, you must keep it clean to maintain high water quality.
Correct temperatures and chemical levels will keep your swordtails happy and away from hiding.
Friendly Tank Mates
You’ll also want tranquil and easygoing tank mates, as aggressive or territorial tank mates will stress your fish out even more. They may also return to their hiding area if they feel threatened by other fish in their surroundings.
Swordtails that get along in a community tank, rather than fighting each other, are ideal. Not only will this make it safer for your fish, but it will also make it more comfortable and pleasurable for you.
Adequate Diet
You’ll also want to make sure your fish are eating well and getting the nutrition they require so that their immune systems are strong enough to fight off infections, parasites, and diseases. Another reason swordtails hide is that having sick fish makes them uneasy, so do your best to ensure they do not experience this dread.
It’s also crucial to feed your fish nutritious food since if they don’t have enough nourishment, this will give them the boost they need to emerge from their hiding place. So it would be beneficial if you fed them a variety of veggies and other things such as Omega One sinking pellets or algae wafers.
Treat Illnesses
If your fish become ill, you must treat them as soon as possible. They won’t come out of hiding if they’re not feeling well, so it’s up to you to keep them healthy enough that they won’t have any cause or incentive to hide in the first place.
Maintain A Proper Male-To-Female Ratio.
Another item to consider is if your fish tank’s male-to-female ratio is adequate for swordtails. Males will become anxious if there are too many of them, and if their habitat isn’t large enough, they may not feel safe or secure.
In this way, you can keep your swordtails from hiding under stress and terror.
What Is The Best Plant To Hide Swordtails?
Swordtail fish use a variety of plants to hide from predators.
The melon sword and the Amazon Sword provide good shade for swordtails, but they are taller than most other plants, making them stand out rather than blend in. Java Fern, Anubias Nana, and Java Moss are some additional good choices.
Will Swordtails Hide In Plants That Aren’t Real?
Swordtails will often swim right by a fake plant.
There are numerous reasons for this, but the main one is that their sensory systems and balance organs can determine it’s not absolute. As a result, they perceive themselves to be more vulnerable to predators.
Hence, it is better to use live plants as swordtails love a densely planted tank.
Conclusion
Even though swordtails are resilient fish that can survive in various conditions, they prefer their area. When they’re stressed or sick, they’ll hide to protect themselves, which is why you need to keep an eye on them, so any changes in behavior are seen before it’s too late. This is an excellent location to begin your research because it will show you what symptoms indicate fish behavior issues and address them.