Swordtail fish – Xiphophorus hellerii
Species name: Xiphophorus hellerii
Common names: Swordtailfish, Green swordtail
Family: Poeciliidae
Subfamily: Poeciliinae
Order: Cyprinodontiformes (rivulines, killifishes and live bearers)
Class: Actinopterygii
Maximum length: 4.7 in
Minimum tank size: 25 gallons
Hardiness: Easy. They need little attention and are rather hardy.
Aggressiveness: peaceful. Males can be aggressive towards each other.
Distribution: North and Central America: Rio Nantla, Veracruz in Mexico to northwestern Honduras.
Diet: Omnivorous. Will accept flakes, live-frozen worms and other aquarium food. Feed brine shrimp (either live or frozen) or blood worms as a treat. They will also need green foods which contain algae. Otherwise, your fish may face serious problems.
Additional information:
Swordtails are a popular beginner’s fish because of their hardiness and the ease with which they breed. Swordtails are native to the North and Central America and can be found in rapidly flowing streams and rivers, preferring heavily vegetated habitats.
The Swordtail is a live-bearer, closely related to the southern platyfish or “platy” (X. maculatus) and can interbreed with it. Actually, many varieties or the Swordtail are from interbreed with X. maculatus.
The male’s body is elongated with a long sword shaped Caudal fin in the adult age. The female’s body is bigger and more robust than the male and lack the sword. In both sexes the dorsal fin has a straight outer edge.
There has been much cross breeding within the family to produce many different colors and fin shapes such as the Lyretail swords that have an upper and lower sword. Some other varieties have “high fin” dorsal fins as well. The original variety known as the Green swordtail is olive-green on the upper-side of the body with the sides being yellow-green highlighted by dark-brown edges. On the sides near this stripe is an area of iridescent light Green bordered in Red, which under certain light conditions is stunning. Other varieties:
-The orange swordtail is by far the most common domesticated variety. Many other variations are also available.
-Dark orange varieties are often sold as red swordtails.
-The pineapple swordtail displays several shades of orange moving toward yellow down the body.
-Black swords are black and may have metallic blue spots.
-Tuxedo swordtails
Combinations of all these colours have also been produced.
The ideal aquarium should have plenty of swimming spaces and lots of plants. Because they come from rivers, you should ensure a medium to strong water movement in the aquarium. Males can be aggressive towards each other so it is best to only keep one male with several females. This will also reduce the stress on females from harassement by the male. Although not a schooling fish they benefit by being kept with a large number of their own kind.
It is a good thing to avoid too much driftwood because livebearers do not like acidic water. The swordtail is a notorious jumper and should always have it’s fish tank covered with a sheet of glass or an aquarium hood.
In the wild, the Swordtail live in brackish waters and your Swordtail will therefore appreciate a brackish aquarium. Swordtails are often kept in freshwater community aquariums, but brackish water is always better. Water tater temperature should be in a range between 70 and 79 degrees Fahrenheit, and the water should be hard and slightly alkaline, with a pH between 7 and 8.
Article written by www.aquariumslife.com
References: FishBase
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I loved these swordtails when I had my own FW community set-up. These were my favorite little fish when I was little.
i love rasing tropical fishes in my aquarium. my personal favorites would be the Swordtail and Tetra.