Swordtails and Guppies can comfortably live together in the same tank if the conditions are right. They should be kept in a water tank capable of holding 30 gallons or more, the water temperature must be between 72- and 80-degrees Fahrenheit, and you need to feed them correctly.
Guppies and Swordtails are two fish species that can peacefully co-exist in the same tank. These two fish are beautiful with stunning colors that complement each other well, making them some of the most popular freshwater fish on the market today. Keeping these types of fish together in the same tank is something many fish owners do, as not only are they good to look at, but they won’t squabble or cause chaos in the tank!
Why do Guppies and Swordtails make good tank mates? When would the Swordtails fight or bully the Guppies? What do you need to provide for these two fish to co-exist in the same tank? Let’s find out!
Can You Keep Guppies And Swordtails Together?
Guppies and Swordtails can live together in the same tank if you ensure that the tank has the perfect living conditions for both species. Luckily, this is easy to achieve as the Swordtail, and Guppy fish are both tropical fish, which means they have very similar if not the same care requirements.
Guppies and Swordtails are members of the same fish family known as Poeciliidae, which means they are cousins. So, not only do these fish share the same care requirements, but they also tend to have similar temperaments.
Although temperaments vary from fish to fish, generally speaking, both Guppies and Swordtails have a peaceful disposition and are pretty friendly. Swordtail fish can be a bit of a bully to the Guppies as they are slightly more aggressive, but if you provide them with the right living conditions, bullying incidences should be few and far between.
Methods To Help Guppies And Swordtails Peacefully Co-Exist
For Swordtails and Guppies to get along and co-exist in their tank peacefully with very few casualties, you need to ensure that certain care criteria are met and stay consistent with your care of the fish.
If you do not provide these specific care requirements, then you may not have great success with keeping your Guppies and Swordtails together in the same tank. So, let’s discuss these care requirements to ensure your fish are happy and comfortable living together.
Monitor Your Tanks Temperature
To help your Swordtails and Guppies get along well in the same tank, you need to keep the tank in the correct temperature range for these two fish.
If the water’s temperature is too low or too high, not only will this be detrimental to the health of your fish, but it will also cause the fish to seek out warmer or colder waters in different areas of the tank, causing a few territorial fights between your fish.
This is where you are in luck, though, as both the Swordtail and the Guppy are tropical fish and require the same water temperature range to survive comfortably, which makes monitoring the temperature pretty easy, and preventing territorial disputes!
While in captivity, Guppies and Swordtails require the temperature of their water to be in the range of 72- 80 degrees Fahrenheit. In the wild, both the Guppies and the Swordtails enjoy brackish water, so if the water quality in your aquarium deteriorates a little, don’t be overly concerned; the fish will survive.
You can prepare brackish water for your fish by dissolving marine salt in water in a bucket. Once the salt has completely dissolved into the water, pour the saltwater mixture into the tank. Do not use freshwater aquarium salt or table salt – these are not good choices to create brackish water for Swordfish or Guppies.
Always follow the manufacturer’s directions on the packaging to determine the correct measurements for your size tank.
Keep A Large Tank For The Fish
If you want to keep Swordtails and Guppies in the same tank, you need to ensure you have a large tank with more than enough space for the two types of fish. Guppies and Swordtails cannot live comfortably in a small tank together.
These two fish species love to swim around their tanks and are considered active fish. This can cause some issues as Swordtails can be aggressive and territorial, so there might be a fight if the Guppies come too close to them and their territory in the tank.
To help ensure your guppies and swordtails peacefully co-exist in the same tank, you need to provide a large tank. Swordtails need about 15 gallons of water for themselves, while Guppies require between 5 and 10 gallons to live comfortably.
Therefore, if you want to keep these two fish together without unnecessary fighting, you need a tank that can hold 30 gallons or more.
Keep Fewer Swordtails Than Guppies
To help your Guppies and Swordtails co-exist peacefully, keep fewer Swordtails in the tank than Guppies. This is because Swordtails can be quite the tank bully to the other fish that occupy the tank with them.
This bullying can lead to the death of either the Swordtail or the Guppy. If the tank is not kept in the right living conditions for these fish, then this bullying might become more prevalent as the Swordtails pick on the Guppies to ensure their own survival.
Feed The Fish The Correct Amount Of Food
Guppies and Swordtails require a good amount of food daily to survive. Sometimes they may need to be fed up to four times a day. If you do not feed your Guppies and Swordtails enough food to keep them healthy, they will begin to decline in health.
If you do not satisfy their appetites, they also begin roaming their tanks in search of food. This can lead to the fish intruding on each other’s territories in the tank, and this, coupled with a growing appetite, will cause your fish to fight.
These fights may end with a few casualties, so make sure you feed your fish enough and with the correct type of food. If you are unsure of your fish feeding habits, consult your nearest freshwater aquarium store.
Can Guppies and Swordtails Breed?
Keeping guppies and swordtails can make you wonder whether they can breed. The answer is no, they’re not compatible breeding partners.
Because they belong to a separate genus, breeding is not conceivable, despite the fact they’re both livebearers. Guppies are Poecilia, while swordtails are Xiphophorus.
Will Swordtail Fish Eat Guppy Fry?
The answer is yes, swordtails can eat guppy fry.
Swordtails can reach 5.5 inches in length, which is roughly double the maximum size of most female guppies. However, this isn’t a big deal because smaller fish, including guppies, will eat guppy fry.
Guppy fry will race to the surface once they’re conceived. They prefer to feed on the water’s surface and receive ample lighting there, making them visible to the entire tank. That’s why as soon as they’re born, adult fish will hunt and eat them.
To avoid this, either have the female give birth in a separate tank or fill the main tank with floating plants that gather at the water’s surface so guppy fry can hide.
The former choice is the best since it allows the fry to grow freely in a safe and stable environment. Once they’ve reached the age of four weeks, you can reintroduce them to the main tank.
Conclusion
Swordtails and Guppies are good tank mates when they are kept in the right environment. Most aquarium enthusiasts who have difficulty keeping these two fish together generally miss a crucial care requirement for these fish.
If you follow the care requirements for these fish properly and you provide them with enough space, you should have no issues with keeping your Guppies and Swordtails together.