Are swordtails herbivores?

Why is my swordtail not breathing?

Ammonia poisoning is the most popular reason why Swordtails stay low. Under exposure to access ammonia, your pet will start breathing while gasping. This is the first symptom to watch out for. You will notice that the pet breathes with a lot of difficulties.

What do Baby swordtails eat?

As the parents, baby swordtails are omnivorous. They will start eating whatever you provide immediately after birth. Moreover, they do not need the help of adult swordtails in this regard. Provide them with live food to facilitate faster growth and to maintain proper health.

Why is my swordtail tail stuck in a corner?

This happens when the female swordtails are ripe for mating. It is the nature of the sub-male swordtails to remain in a specific corner, stressed and unable to retreat. When they are smaller and haven’t grown the longer sword-like tail, you may confuse them to females.

How many female swordtails should I keep?

As mentioned earlier, you must keep more females than males. The recommended ratio is four females to a single male. Beyond other swordtail fish, you have a lot of options as far as tank mates go. Stick to similarly sized fish with the same easy-going temperament.

How do you tell if a swordtail is male or female?

Female swordtail fish lack the sword-like protrusion and have a normal rounded caudal fin. Likewise, another way to distinguish male swordtails from female swordtails is gonopodium. Sometimes, a male will bloom late and develops the tail sword later in life. In such a case, gonopodium plays the part to identify male and female swordtail fish.

Can swordtails mate with other fish?

Yes, swordtails can mate with other closely related fish like the platies. Generally, female swordtails tend to mate with male platy. Hence, if you are looking forward to having mixed breeding, then you can rear these species of fish.

Why do swordtails breed so fast?

Swordtails are known to breed faster than many other fish species if the males dominate. The males harass the females and try to mate with them severally. That is the reason you will have to maintain healthy males to female ratio in your aquarium. If the ratio is not optimal, the result will be illnesses and distress.

Why does a swordtail fish chase the other one?

There are two reasons why a swordtail fish can chase the other one. One, an alpha-male can chase the female partner to mate. Therefore, it is very important to consider gender mix since it affects the overall behavior of the pets in the tank. The second reason why a swordtail may chase another one is during the verge of marking its territory.

Do female swordtail fish need males for mating?

Just like any other animal, female swordtail fish needs the male ones for mating. However, they develop preferences for specific males due to their body size and skin color. According to research, females prefer large-sized alpha-males for mating.

Why do swordtail fish die after birth?

Many swordtail females die after birth due to stress. Being in labor is very stressful for the female swordtail fish. Tank mates or bad water parameters can also cause more stress for the pregnant female. Even though everything seems normal, there could be complication while giving birth and fish can die.

Why is my fish lying at the bottom of the tank?

There are quite a few reasons for a fish to be lying at the bottom of the tank: The Nitrogen Cycle establishes 2 groups of bacteria which convert ammonia into nitrites, and nitrites into nitrates. Any amount of ammonia is deadly to fish.

Why is my swordtail fish sleeping on the bottom of tank?

Fish sleeping on the bottom of the tank is not a problem. They normally do it in a group at the bottom of the aquarium. However, when a swordtail fish seems restless, tired and always sitting on the bottom, you should raise an eyebrow. It may be sick, scared or pregnant.

Can a female swordtail turn into a male?

In the absence of male fish, a dominant female swordtail (and other livebearers) will often change sex and become a fully functional male to keep the species alive. However, the majority of fry will be female and only a very small percent turn out to be males. Click to expand… 100% agree with what Colin has put.

Why does my fish keep dying after giving birth?

If so, you may be getting pH swings. Rapid changes in any water parameter can stress the fish. Although the stress of giving birth is much greater for mammals than fish, it’s still there. Add this to environmental stress and it could make a fish very sick.

How do you know if a swordtail Fry needs to be moved?

If your fish stops eating, stops swimming or slows downs, it is time to transfer it to another tank. The fish might also sink to the bottom or remain in one spot for a very long time if it is pregnant. After it pops the fry, you can move it to the community aquarium tank to keep the swordtail fry safe.

What causes infertility in swordtail fish?

Infertility in swordtail fish can also be caused by damage to the gonopodium. In such a case, the organ will lack the hold-fast mechanism hence rendering it faulty. Such damages can be caused by injury, disease or microscopic infection of the caudal fin.

Why do pregnant swordtails die?

Inert water conditions and poor aeration results to death of the pregnant swordtails or unhealthy fry that die immediately after birth. Foods such as baby brine shrimp usually foul the water quickly. Therefore, if the water is not changed, the pregnant swordtail may suffocate and die before or immediately after birth.

Can swordtail fish give birth?

A sexually mature swordtail fish can give birth any time of the month. They may not necessarily require males for mating. Therefore, to prevent gobbling down of the live births, it is advisable to keep the pregnant swordtail fish in a separate tank. You can easily spot a pregnant swordtail fish through the black gravid spots and bulging bellies.

Can swordtails swim?

Fish can only assume a healthy life in a good sized tank and favorable temperatures. Swordtails are normally large and best swimmers. Thus, you will need the right sized tank with adequate swimming space and lots of plants.

What is the least size for a swordtail fish?

The least size for a swordtail fish is 15 gallons. In case you need to raise more swordtails in the same tank, you will be required to go for tanks with capacities of up to 30 gallons. This ensures adequate room for easier movement within the tank.

Why is my swordtail fish lying on the bottom of the tank?

Stress is another reason why your swordtail fish may be lying on the bottom of the tank. In fact, it tops the list of causal factors. During the upkeep, stress can be caused by: Fish can only assume a healthy life in a good sized tank and favorable temperatures.

What is the perfect water pH level for swordtail fish?

The perfect water pH level for swordtail fish is 7.0 to 8.4, which means they thrive in neutral to alkaline water conditions. So, ensure that you check the water pH every few days with a pH paper to prevent the water from getting too acidic or too alkaline.