Swordtails are livebearers, meaning they will give birth to live fry instead of eggs. Swordtails readily breed when kept in an aquarium of mixed sex, requiring little intervention. The young are very easy to rear and can be raised in the same aquarium as the adults.
Scientific Name : Xiphophorus helleri
Common Names : Black, Gold Tux, Green, Lyretail, Neon, Red Simpson, Spotted, Red Velvet, Black Velvet, Belize, Atoyac
Care Level : Easy, good fish for freshwater fish beginners
Size : Up to 5 inches (13 cm)
pH : 7 - 8
Temperature : 72°F - 82°F (22°C - 28°C)
Water Hardness : 9° to 15° dH
Lifespan : 3 - 5 years
Origin / Habitat : Central America
Temperature/behavior : This is a tough litte fish. They can take care of themselves when there are bigger fish in the tank. The males may become aggressive towards other males.
Breeding : They are livebearers, so it is fairly easy for them to breed. Be sure to give a lot of floating cover for the baby swords. Try to put the babies in a separate tank otherwise the adult fish will eat them. To condition them for breeding a study was conducted showing that small frequent daily feedings (3 times fed per day) led to faster growth rates and better reproductive capability. I know, pretty obvious right?
If you want to try and raise the babies look into investing in a breeding box or breeder net like the following:
Breeding Box or Breeding Net
Aquarium Size : 10 gallon or larger
Tank Mates : Don't keep with tropical fish big enough to eat them. They should be able to handle themselves with many fish their same size or larger.
Fish Disease : Freshwater Fish
Thanks for reading.