December Featured Fish: Swordtail
Every month this year, we’ve featured a different tropical fish and talked about some of its features and care requirements. This month’s fish is the swordtail.
Swordtail fish are pretty fish that are fairly popular in the aquarium hobby. Let’s take a look at what people love about them…
Many swordtail morphs
Like many freshwater aquarium fish, swordtail fish come in a variety of morphs. Some color types of the swordtail include:
Black swordtail
Berlin black swordtail
Koi swordtail
Berlin koi swordtail
Pineapple candy swordtail
Blood red swordtail
Hi fin albino swordtail
Kohaku swordtail
All swordtail photos by AquaJay TV
There are also many other varieties of swordtail.
What distinguishes a swordtail?
As you can see, color can vary a lot with swordtail fish. So what distinguishes a swordtail from other fish? The most obvious visible trait among swordtails is the long, narrow lower tail fin that juts out like a sword on the male fish.
Female swordtails do not have the elongated tail fin. Swordtail fish otherwise look a lot like platies, though they are quite a bit larger, reaching around five or more inches in length.
Female swordtail fish are more likely to exceed five inches in length, whereas the males are somewhat shorter, even with the flashy tail.
How to care for swordtail fish
Swordtails prefer to be kept in groups with one another, and given their size and activity level, they do best in a tank that is at least thirty gallons.
They are highly adaptable to various water types, and their preferred environment is slightly alkaline, very hard water at a temperature range of 75 to 79 degrees Fahrenheit. That being said, they can tolerate temperatures outside of that ideal range.
Swordtails are perfect fish for aquascaping enthusiasts. They inhabit many different environments in the wild and can adapt to a variety of live plant setups. When creating an aquascape for swordtails, just keep in mind that they need both room to be active and places to hide. Plants work better for cover for these fish than caves or other décor.
Swordtails are omnivores and do well with nearly any kind of fish food. Check out our fish food options here. And come into The Tye-Dyed Iguana in Fairview Heights if you have questions about feeding or caring for swordtails.