Overview: Swordfish is pretty popular among the aquarists due to its bold red and black color combination. They are named so due to showy extension on the lower part of the tail that resembles a sword. It makes the fish look classy and sophisticated, which enhances the appearance of the tank manifold. Red swordtail fish will be a wonderful addition to a community aquarium fish as it is peaceful in nature, require little maintenance, and adds to the glory of the aquarium with its variant bold and lively colors. Although there are other variants in swordtail fish too like Pineapple, Neon, Black Nubain Swordtail fish, Red Swordtail Fish looks extremely beautiful.
Distribution and Habitat: When swordtail fish are in the wild, they usually have olive green bodies with red stretched stripes. The swordtail fish were discovered in 1848 with their natural habitat in Central America and North America. However, today, due to their fascinating colors and the ability to breed to give more colored variations have made them available everywhere. Swordtail fish live living in groups, but they are not a schooling one. The best thing about swordtail fish is they have robust nature and are hard enough to tolerate a wide range of temperature. Therefore, today, swordtail fish can be found everywhere as a good option for a live aquarium.
Temperature: There are a few species of fish that require plenty of room for swimming, among which Red swordtail fish is one. If you are planning to introduce a red swordtail fish in your tank, make sure it is of at least 20 gallons. Since they are sturdy tropical fish, the ability to tolerate a wide range of temperature is high. It is why they are considered perfect for a community aquarium. The preferable temperature for them is between 65 to 82⁰ Fahrenheit (18 to 27 degrees centigrade). However, avoid sudden and drastic changes in water.
Water Condition: The ideal pH in which swordtail fish prefer living ranges between 7.0 and 8.4. Also, they live when the water's hardiness is relatively high, from 12 to 30 dGH. Moderately alkaline water is what preferred by these fish to live happily in the aquarium. Make sure that the water is filtrated and ensure to avoid sudden water fluctuations to keep their immune system intact. Always keep an eye on water parameters.
Breeding: Breeding swordtail fish always excites the breeders as the result of breeding is always colorful and lively fish. They are live-bearing fish, with females having the ability to give 80 fries at a time. Therefore, spawning boxes are recommended, or else the fry becomes a good option for predation by the adults. Males are slightly smaller with 5.5 inches size, and females are bigger with 6.3 inches.
Feeding: They are omnivorous in nature; therefore, we have plenty of options to feed them. You can give flaked foods, algae, brine shrimp, etc.
Did You Know?
Female swordtail fish are pretty fertile with the ability to produce offspring every four weeks.
