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Water Conditions-
Temp. 70-78,
Water changes, require
plants to hide, keep in 20+ gallon
tank
Behavior- Peaceful community fish, shy
Breeding- 10-40
Young approx. every 30 days
Size- 5 inches
This is a hardy swordtail, and when well fed
in a consistent environment that they like, they can be quite
prolific.
The fun with this species is to see how large you can get
them with lots of live foods, particularly various
types of worms (Blackworms, earthworms, etc.) Being a larger
fish, they require at least a 20 gallon tank,
which would be large enough for 2-3 adult pairs. To get them
as large as possible, grow them out in tanks no
smaller than 30 gallons, with few tankmates.
They require some aeration-generated water movement and
plants. They will swim out in front routinely,
but become shy when startled. Water changes, as with all
swordtails that originally lived in streams, are
essential of at least 10% weekly. Because they are bigger
fish, and eat more, keeping the bottom clean of
debris must be done on a regular basis.
Because of their inherently shy nature, the breeders here do
best in a dim to moderately lit tank, but the
young are grown out in fully lit tanks moderately planted
with Java fern and anubias. Water temperature is
generally kept at 72-76 degrees.
Females when about to drop become very large and cannot be
kept in a breeder. A separate, covered, filtered
tank of 5 or 10 gallons, heavily planted with Java moss
should be provided for the gravid female. Like all
swordtails, she will generally have her young between sunup
and noon, and should be removed as soon as the
babies are discovered.
It was from this line that the female was born that started
the high fin line, but there has not been a high
fin “sport” born since that one fish about 4 years ago.
See other Care Guides
Here
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