Swordfish: maintenance and care

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

If you or your kids are thinking about getting a pet, start with fish. To begin with, the sword-bearer will be the best choice. For children, caring for these fish will be an interesting fun that will not cause much trouble. This species is one of the most unpretentious and popular aquarium fish. They got such an interesting name because of the unusual shape of the fin, which looks like a sword. These fish are distinguished by an interesting appearance and a variety of colors. If you are planning to get fish, then start with this species, since keeping aquarium swordtails is not particularly difficult. They are unpretentious and quickly bring offspring.

Appearance

As noted above, the hallmark of the swordsman is a fin in the form of a sword, which only males can boast of. Their coloration is very different: they are red, orange, black and yellow. Sometimes the color of the body of the fish may differ from the fins. But as a rule, with its brightness and unusual beauty it can attractmostly male. The female, on the other hand, fades against his background, although she is larger in size. A fairly common case is the transformation of a female swordtail into a male. She has a tail in the form of a sword and her behavior changes: she begins to care for females, but at the same time she is barren. The reasons for this joke of nature are still not clear.

Types of swordtails

There are a huge number of species of these fish, which are different in color and shape of the fins:

• Green swordsman. This variety has an olive brown color and thin red stripes along the body, and the sword has a colored border. Only this species exists in its natural habitat, other varieties are obtained by crossing with other fish.
• Lemon. It differs from the green swordsman only in color. Breeding of this kind is a rather problematic process, since the offspring do not always retain parental traits.
• Bulgarian white. It is an albino, but keeping and breeding swordtails of this species is a simpler task, unlike lemon ones.
• Red. This variety is obtained by crossing a green swordtail with a red platy.

Black. A hybrid of the green swordtail and the black platy. It is a rather rare species, because due to an excess of pigment, these fish often get sick and die

• Calico. It differs from other species in tricolor coloring. As a rule, it has spots on a white main background.black and red.
• Rainbow. The grey-green torso has an orange tint, and reddish stripes run along the body.
• Brindle. This species is red with black spots, and his sword is always black.
• Mountain. It has a creamy hue and has light zigzag stripes on the sides.

Dwelling in nature

The birthplace of these fish is Central America. Their natural habitat is the waters of countries such as Mexico, Guatemala, and Honduras. Unlike aquarium and breeding species, the original swordtail is much paler.

You can meet these fish in nature in various reservoirs - they are suitable for both fast rivers and quiet fresh waters. It is preferable for them to be in shallow and abundantly overgrown places with rich vegetation, necessary for the nutrition of the swordsmen. The main food of fish in these conditions are various algae, insects and detritus. In the wild, swordtails differ in size from aquarium ones. The length of the male, excluding the sword, is about ten centimeters, and the female is thirteen.

The most common types of swordtails in nature are:

• Montezuma;
• microsword;
• Cortez;
• Clementia.

Maintenance and Care

Despite the fact that these fish are peaceful and unpretentious, breeding and keeping swordtails in an aquarium with other smaller relatives is undesirable. This is because larger fish will terrorize the smaller ones. In addition, do not add toaquarium to the swordsmen of sedentary neighbors. As a rule, male swordtails are quite snobby, so there is a chance that they will be able to damage the fins of other fish.

It can be problematic to keep swordtails in one aquarium. As a rule, males are not particularly friendly towards each other. In pursuit of leadership, two cocky males will fight all the time. The optimal composition of swordtails in the aquarium is as follows: three females and one male. But it is also possible to have three or more males in the aquarium. Thus, the attention of the swordsman will not be directed to a specific opponent, in connection with this, the degree of conflicts can be significantly reduced.

Features of keeping in an aquarium

It should be noted that the swordtail aquarium fish is not too difficult to maintain and care for. For children, an aquarium with these fish will be a good gift. But still there are certain nuances that are worth considering.

Due to the fact that fish like to group in the upper layers of the water, the composition and color of the soil do not really matter. It can be sand, gravel, coral chips. But it is worth considering that the growth and general condition of plants depend on the quality of the soil, but vegetation for the swordsmen is fundamentally important. They need plants for shelter, so you should choose several types at once. The following options are great:

Vallisneria. It is a fairly popular plant that does not require special care. There are three types: dwarf, giant and spiral. Their length can reach up to two meters. This plant is recommendedplant in the corners of the aquarium

Elodea - it grows in rivers, swamps, ponds and lakes of North America. Recall that it is there that you can meet wild swordsmen. This plant is used for decorative purposes and does not require special care

Hornwort is a hardy and common plant that also serves as an aquarium filter. It helps to enrich the water with oxygen, as well as eliminate nitrates from it. This plant does not need to be planted in the ground, as it has no roots. It can float in the water column, but if desired, it is recommended to fix it with a stone or driftwood

Duckweed - this plant is used both for decorating an aquarium and for feeding fish. As a rule, it floats on the surface of the aquarium, which gives the fish a sense of security. Duckweed is excellent for hiding during spawning, and is also used as food, which is rich in nutrients

And this is not the whole list of plants that are perfect for keeping swordtails. But it is worth considering the compatibility factor of fish and plants in a particular habitat. For example, swordtails require water with a pH of 7-8 and a hardness of 8-25 °dH.

It is also important to monitor the absence of changes in temperature, acidity and hardness of the water, so as not to cause stress to the inhabitants of the aquarium. For the maintenance and breeding of swordtails, it is necessary to maintain a hydrogenindex at a stable level. To keep the water clean, it is worth changing it partially once a week. You can replace approximately one third of the total volume. Among other things, aquarium filtration is necessary. For swordsmen, it is enough to get one internal filter. It is also worth considering aeration if the aquarium is crowded with inhabitants. As mentioned earlier, these fish are picky in keeping, so they feel good in both fresh and brackish water.

To keep swordtails at home, it is advisable to purchase a spacious elongated aquarium. Its length should be at least thirty centimeters, and each fish should have about three liters of water.

Proper lighting in the aquarium will help create plants that tend to float on the surface of the water. Such green spaces will help create diffused light and also provide shelter for the fry during the breeding season. It is worth noting that male swordtails tend to periodically jump out of the water. Therefore, in order to avoid such situations, the aquarium must be covered with glass. There are so many different aquarium accessories that will please not only you, but also your underwater inhabitants. Original knick-knacks in the form of ships and antique amphoras located at the bottom will become an additional refuge for fish.

Feeding

Aquarium swordfish in care and maintenance, though unpretentious, but nevertheless demanding on nutrition. Feeding swordtails is worth both live and frozen food, and should not beforget dry cereal. Plant foods should contain a large amount of fiber. Considering that swordtails in the wild prefer fragile algae, you can purchase flakes with a plant component for them in specialized stores. Among other things, experts recommend diversifying the menu with lean meat, dried bread, chicken egg yolk, as well as boiled squid and fish. The following categories of food are suitable for feeding swordtails: vegetable, dry, live (tubifex, daphnia, bloodworm, brine shrimp, cyclops). You can make your own plant-based food from lettuce, spinach, nettles, or seaweed. But the most important thing is that the plants you collect are young. Before grinding, it is necessary to pour boiling water over them.

Young swordfish are more picky in care and maintenance. They should be fed not only with special dry food, but also with microworms, chopped tubifex, live dust (the smallest microorganisms). Experts also recommend adding egg yolk and spirulina to the diet of fry. Such additives will help accelerate the growth of fish and improve their color.

Compatibility

In the care and maintenance of swordsmen, as we found out earlier, they are not too whimsical. But what if, in addition to these fish, there are other varieties in the aquarium? Swordtails can feel quite comfortable with the following types of fish:

• Pecilia. It is a close relative of the swordsmen. There are cases when these species interbred with each other, bringing at the same timebeautiful offspring.
• Guppy. They belong to the same family as the swordtails. As a rule, these two types are similar to each other. According to experts, the mortality rate in the aquarium will decrease if only these two varieties are left.
• Mollies. Originally from the reservoirs of Central America, as well as swordtails. There is a possibility of crossing these species, which is considered quite successful selection.
• Gourami. For the swordsman is an excellent neighbor, as they are close relatives. The fish of these species have similar temperaments and requirements for keeping conditions.

Who would it be dangerous to move into an aquarium with?

Swordsmen do not get along with representatives of the Carp family. These include koi, goldfish, barbs, and zebrafish. The fact is that the above fish are predators, so it will not be difficult for them to destroy the swordtail.

Also don't pair swordtails with snails and shrimp unless you want to treat them to a treat. These active fish deftly know how to get snails out of their shells. It is worth noting that swordtails are aggressive towards crustaceans and small fish. Therefore, by adding them to "swords", you thereby reduce their lifespan.

Many sources indicate that angelfish can be good neighbors for the swordsmen. But this is actually a moot point. Undoubtedly, angelfish are distinguished by a calm disposition, but compatibility with them is rather controversial. This experiment should only be done in a spacious aquarium with many different hiding places.

Scichlids, as well as with scalars, swordtails have partial compatibility. But it is worth considering that these fish are much larger. Therefore, there is a high probability that they can eat swordtails. In addition, these species have a different diet.

It is worth noting that swordsmen are generally peaceful. It is believed that young fish are calmer than those that are older. There is also an opinion that the reason for aggression is the lack of light they need.

Diseases of the swordsmen

Many aquarists know that the swordtail fish is not too whimsical in care and maintenance. But still, these fish are just as susceptible to disease as any other creatures.

In aquarium fish, diseases are divided into:

• infectious caused by various microorganisms can be transmitted between individuals;
• invasive - appear due to unicellular and multicellular parasites;
• non-contagious, caused by large parasites or improper containment conditions.

Therefore, when acquiring swordtails, the first thing to do is to inspect them for signs of disease. Experts advise, as a preventive measure, before starting a newcomer into a common aquarium, hold it for about twenty minutes in s alted water. The solution is made at the rate of one tablespoon of s alt per liter of water. This procedure will help rid the swordtail of all kinds of external microbes and protect other fish.

But as a rule, this type of fish is not particularly susceptible to various diseases. Most often the reasondiseases becomes infected and poor-quality food. Therefore, in order to avoid infection, purchase fish food only from trusted sellers. If you notice a sick fish, you should immediately place it in a separate container so as not to infect the rest.

Lifespan

As a rule, the life expectancy of swordsmen is three to five years. It is worth noting that a densely populated aquarium can shorten the life of local inhabitants. In addition, the high temperature of the water negatively affects the fish. This must be taken into account when maintaining them.

Reproduction of swordtails

In order for your fish to be he althy and bear offspring, you need to know some secrets of caring for them. Beginning aquarists should be aware of breeding and keeping swordtails. Sexual maturity in these fish occurs in a favorable environment in about three months. First of all, it is important to observe the temperature regime, and to ensure the safety of the fry, you should use a separate container or a special jig that can be installed inside the aquarium.

If you want to keep as many offspring as possible, then plant the female in a separate place in advance. Otherwise, it is likely that the fry will be eaten by their own relatives.

Experts advise to create the following specific conditions for breeding swordtails:

• Optimal breeding temperature is slightly warmer than usual, between 28 and 30 degrees.
• Change as often as possiblewater.

The optimal breeding environment is clean, warm water with a high oxygen content. Adding various plants will only benefit. You can also influence the future sex of the fish with the help of water temperature. If the water temperature in the aquarium exceeds 30 degrees, then there will be more males, and if it is around 25 degrees, more females will be born.

For the selection of beautiful fish, it is worth choosing the right parents. Experts advise selecting swordsmen for breeding according to the following criteria: it is better to take a male eight-month-old, and a female should be at least ten months old. In this case, it is better to choose large-sized fish with a rounded abdomen.