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The X. montezumae is
one of the largest swordtails, whose behavior cannot be
compared
to any other. Fairly active, they can be territorial but rarely
do one another any harm. For this
reason a male with a group of females produces the best breeding
results. The sword can exceed
1.5 times their body length, and they grow and are ready to
breed at slightly longer than other
swords, about 6 months. This collage shows the main 50 gallon
breeder tank of adults, most of the
males in these video clips exceed 5 inches, and a few approach 6
inches.
Click on pic to see video. |
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The montezumae is certainly the
most dramatic of the swordtails. This is a regal fish, and knows it,
the males displaying and chasing one another when comfortable, but can
be skittish when a new
face is in the room, requiring plants to hide in to feel comfortable.
They also require decent aeration
and filtration, with regular water changes. In a large tank, a group of
males is a spectacular sight,
while the females are sleek, and shiny golden with black highlights.
When well fed with consistent
water quality these will exceed 5.5 inches. However, this fish is
generally not easy to find in the hobby.
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