Swordtails are generally very peaceful and make excellent community fish.
Males can however turn aggressive towards each other once they reach sexual maturity
, so it is advisable to house only one male with several females in an aquarium.
Are swordtail fish fin nippers?
Swordtails are generally suitable for keeping in community tanks with other medium sized fish. It should be noted that when they are fully grown they can be very active and may out-compete some smaller or less active species for food.
Some adult Swordtails can be aggressive and develop the habit of fin nipping
.
Can female swordtails turn into males?
Can Swordtails really change gender?
No, female Swordtails can’t change their gender
. When there is a dominant male in a group of Swordtails, other less dominant males hold back their development, giving the appearance they are female.
How many Swordtails should be kept together?
Swordtail Fish Behavior and Temperament
The swordfish is pretty peaceful and friendly and will gel well with other tank mates. They aren’t necessarily shoaling species, but they should be kept in a group of
5-6
to help them feel comfortable in the tank.
Are swordtails and mollies the same?
Swordtails are part of the Xiphophorus family and mollies come from the Poecilia family
. Due to this reason, it is impossible for them to cross-breed as they are only able to interact with the species originating from their family.
Is a swordtail a goldfish?
Scientific name: Xiphophorus hellerii | Breeding: Livebearer |
---|
What does fin nipping look like?
In the early stages of fin rot, the edge of the fin will look ragged or shredded, due to the breakdown of the fin’s protective membrane. As the disease progresses, an increasing amount of the fin will be destroyed. As more of the fin erodes away, the fin may start to resemble
a semicircular bite shape
.
Are male swordtails aggressive?
Swordtails come in colors including red, black, neon, pineapple and marigold. The males’ long tail spikes give the fish their name, and
males can be territoriality aggressive toward one another
, especially when there is a female present.
Can female swordtails have swords?
Swordtail fish exhibit a striking sexual dimorphism in the structure of the caudal fin; males have a colourful, elongated caudal appendage, termed a sword, that is
absent in females
.
How can you tell if a swordtail fish is male or female?
Swordtails have specific characteristics to easily differentiate male and female fish.
Males have the characteristic “sword” on the ventral aspect of their tails. Females have a rounded tail edge and tend to have thicker bodies
. This comes from carrying all their live baby fry.
What is the lifespan of a swordtail?
The average swordtail fish lifespan is around
three to five years
. Fish kept in the best and most stable living conditions tend to live longer.
Do mollies and swordtails get along?
Swordtails are peaceful, active community fish, making them
great companions for mollies
.
Can Swordtails live with bettas?
They thrive on a varied diet of flake or pellet food along with freeze-dried brine shrimp, tubifex, and bloodworms. Swordtails also come in a variety of colors, but
darker colors are recommended to live with your Betta
.
What temperature do Swordtails like?
In their captive condition, swordtails seem to be at home best with water that has 10-15 DH, is moderately alkaline (at 7.2), and with temperature ranging from
72-79F
.
Is a swordtail a platy or Molly?
Biologically,
platies and swordtails both belong to the genus Xiphophorus of the subfamily Poeciliinae of the family Poeciliidae
(the same family that includes other popular aquarium fish like the guppies and mollies).
Are platies and swordtails same?
Platies and swordtails are both live bearers, both freshwater fish, and both from the same family: the genus Xiphophorus
. They may look different, but scientists deem them to have come from the same ancestors. They also have the same temperament, which means they’re compatible living in the same aquarium.
Can swordtails breed with guppies?
Guppies and Swordtails are livebearers which means that their babies come out swimming. Like most livebearers,
there is not much to getting your guppies or swordtail to breed
. If you have a male and a female then you will eventually have a pregnant female.
Can neon tetras live with swordtails?
Some species of tetra can live with red swordtails
. Since swordtails tend to measure between 4 and 4 1/2 inches long, larger tetras are better suited so they don’t end up getting bullied. Suitable species include bleeding heart tetras, Congo tetras, emperor tetras and red eye tetras.
How big do swordfish get?
Biology. Swordfish are one of the fastest and largest predators in the ocean. Their streamlined body allows them to swim at high speeds, up to 50 mph. They grow rapidly, reaching a
maximum length of 14 feet and almost 1,200 pounds
(although the average size caught in the fishery is 50–200 pounds).
How do you fix fin nipping?
How do you cure fin nipping?
Cool the action. Tropical fish become most active when water is at the warm end of their ideal temperature range. The solution to reducing aggression and fin nipping could be as easy as
lowering the tank temperature by a few degrees
. Warmer temperatures stimulate tropical fish to mate.
Is it normal for fish to nip at each other?
Fin nipping and tropical fish aggression is a common problem for aquarists
. Although we want our fish to get along, there are many reasons why your fish might become aggressive. Here are a few of the most common reasons why your fish are nipping at each other’s fins.
Can lyretail swordtails breed?
As with most live-bearers,
the Hi Fin Lyretail Swordtail is a prolific breeders that is easy to breed within the aquarium environment
. Swordtails can give birth to as many as 100 fry during a single spawn and will spawn roughly every 30 to 40 days.
How do swordtails mate?
Swordtails mate very quickly, so if you aren’t watching them you could easily miss it. Typically the male will approach the female, often from the side, and may flare his fins in an attempt to impress her. He then swims up close to her and quickly touches her on the underside, near her anal fin, with his gonopodium.
Do swordtails jump?
It is not uncommon for an inexperienced aquarium hobbyist to come home one day to find one or more of their fish have jumped out of the tank and dried up on the floor.
This behavior is particularly common in small tropical species like swordtails and guppies but it is certainly not limited to these species.