Swordtail
Xiphophorus hellerii · family Poeciliidae
Also: Green Swordtail
Parameters
- Temperature
- 18–28 °C
- pH
- 7–8.4
- Hardness
- 12–30 °dGH
- Tank volume
- from 100 L
- Maximum size
- up to 14 cm
- Group size
- min 3, ideal 5
- Temperament
- Semi-aggressive
- Swimming zone
- Middle
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Lifespan
- 3–5 years
Description
Males have a lower tail ray drawn out into a 'sword'. Males show hierarchy among themselves — keep one, or three or more. Females are larger.
Care
Medium-to-hard alkaline water. A long tank — swordtails are active swimmers.
Feeding
Omnivore. A plant component is essential.
Compatibility
Compatibility data not yet available.
FAQ
- Зачем самцу меч?
- Половой признак и брачный сигнал. Длина «меча» — индикатор зрелости и здоровья.
Goldie editorial team
Practising aquarists with a combined 30+ years of experience · Biologists and editors, fact-checking against FishBase and Seriously Fish · Every piece is reviewed by a qualified ichthyologist before publication
Scientific board — ichthyologists and veterinarians
Ichthyologists and veterinarians with university degrees · Reference FishBase, Seriously Fish and peer-reviewed literature · Sign every reviewed article with their credentials shown
Sources
- Wikipedia: Xiphophorus hellerii · Wikipedia · 2026-05-22