Content

• Steps
• Method 1 of 4: Setting up your aquarium
• Method 2 of 4: Acquiring Swordsmen
• Method 3 of 4: Taking Care of Your Fish
• Method 4 of 4: Breeding swordsmen and caring for fry
• Tips
• Warnings
• What do you need
• For swordsmen
• For fry (if you are breeding)

Swordsmen are excellent fish for beginner hobbyists. They are viviparous and very hardy. Swordsmen come in a wide variety of colors to complement any community aquarium.

Steps

Method 1 of 4: Setting up your aquarium

1. 1 If you are starting a new aquarium, buy a filter, heater, and rocks.
2. 2 Decide how many swordsmen your tank can hold to avoid overcrowding. The usual rule is 2.5 cm of fish length for every 4 liters of water. The size of the aquarium should be based on the adult size of the fish, not the current size. Swordsmen grow up to 5 cm in length.
3. 3 Learn how to loop an aquarium. You need to set a cycle in it without adding fish.

Method 2 of 4: Acquiring Swordsmen

1. 1 Buy the right food and make sure you don't keep aggressive fish with swordtails.
2. 2 Start by placing 1-2 fish in your aquarium. It can be both swordtails and other fish. Take a few weeks off between introducing small groups of fish into the tank until you are fully stocked.
3. 3 Choose large, bright swordsmen as this is a sign of their healthy condition.
4. 4 If you want to breed swordsmen, then buy 2-3 females for each male. This will reduce male aggression and female stress.
5. 5 If you are not planning to breed, buy fish of the same sex. Be careful, females may already be pregnant at the time of purchase.
6. 6 When you bring the fish home, place a covered container of fish in your aquarium for 15 minutes to get the fish accustomed to the temperature of the aquarium, then release them with a net. Try not to pour pet store water into your aquarium, as it is more likely to bring diseases with it.

Method 3 of 4: Taking Care of Your Fish

1. 1 Feed your fish a small amount of food once a day.
2. 2 Change 25% of the water at least once a week. Do not change filters as indicated on the filter packaging. Even if the instructions say to change the filter, replacing it will cause the cycle in the aquarium to be reset, which can kill the fish. Change the charcoal filters only once a month.
3. 3 If the water becomes cloudy, change 20% of the water more often, maybe even daily, until the water clears up again.

Method 4 of 4: Breeding swordsmen and caring for fry

1. 1 If you have 2-3 females for each male, then there is a high probability that the females will become pregnant. There are no ways to stimulate mating, but you can notice the onset of pregnancy in overweight females.
2. 2 Remember that it takes 4-5 weeks before the fry appear.
3. 3 Watch for signs of fry coming soon. In this case, you can shield the female with a plastic spawning box or net to separate the fry from the rest of the fish. When the female gives birth to all the fry (20-50 or more), remove the female from there.
4. 4 Transport fry carefully into a 4+ L aquarium with oxygen supply and a sponge filter. If you do not want to use a filter, change 100% of the water weekly, make sure it is at the same temperature. The pump filter cannot be used as it will suck in the fry.
5. 5 Feed the fry. You can give them finely powdered regular fish food or special food for fry 3-4 times a day. Live food is best suited (newly hatched brine shrimp), and its use guarantees the rearing of high quality offspring with bright colors.
6. 6 When the fry are old enough to eat regular food, you can put them in the main aquarium, again, avoid overcrowding. The fry, 1.5-2 cm in size, are already large enough to live with adult fish.

Tips

• You can tell the gender by the fin on the belly and by the tail. In males, a gonopodium is located on the stomach - a thin and long fin modified into a genital organ. If the fin on the abdomen has a triangular shape, then it is a female.
• Most pet stores indicate on aquariums whether the fish are aggressive and can be kept in a shared aquarium. However, always do your own fish compatibility research before mixing them. Pet stores can make mistakes.
• Remember to remove chlorine from the water when you renew the water.
• Dwarf swordtails are a good alternative for small aquariums if you want to have more fish for a couple or you just like small fish.
• Look for fish with brighter eye color, as usually the brighter the eyes, the healthier the fish.

Warnings

• Plastic spawning grounds can be difficult to give birth and make it difficult for water to circulate. Look for a spawning net or plastic one that is ventilated.
• The hobby for the aquarium takes time and money. Make a commitment to caring for your fish as you would any other animal.

What do you need

For swordsmen

• 20+ l aquarium, depending on the desired number of fish
• Food for tropical fish (flakes, pellets, bloodworms, brine shrimp, mosquito caviar, cucumbers, potatoes, etc.)
• Water filter according to the size of the aquarium
• Water heater
• Aerator
• Gravel or sand, decor and plants (artificial and / or natural)
• Pet Shop

For fry (if you are breeding)

• 20 l aquarium
• Aerator
• Gravel, decor and plants (artificial and / or natural)
• Special food for fry (optional but recommended)
• Plastic or net spawning box (optional)