Alfred talks about Swordtails as we look at one of the tanks filled with Red Swordtails!
Swordtails are freshwater fish native to Mexico and northern Central America.
They are related to platys and mollies.
Both platys and swordtails give birth to baby fish and do not lay eggs.
They are called Swordtails because on the male fish the tail fin is shaped like a sword.
They can grow to be 3.5–16 centimeters, or 1.4–6.3 inches, depending on the species and environment they are in.
Generally speaking their range is from the southern Rio Grande River basin in Mexico, through eastern rivers, streams, lakes and ponds down towards the Gulf of Mexico. They appear in northern Guatemala, Belize and northern Honduras.
This is a very large area. How they came to be distributed in such a way is a scientific mystery that deserves study.
How do you think that happened?
Swordtails do very well in community aquariums. A community aquarium is an aquarium with different types of fish in it. Swordtails get along with other kinds of tropical fish that are also community fish.
Swordtails are relatively easy to care for, have a peaceful demeanor and an amazing diversity in colors and fin shapes. Many people keep Red Wage Swordtails, which have a black caudal fin, Red Velvet Swordtails, which are very red, Marigolds, which are yellow, Black Nubians, which are deeply colored black, Pineapple and Neon.
Swordtails can live in 10 gallon tanks but do better in 20 gallon tanks – especially if there are a few of them. This gives them space to move around, display and even have babies. The places where they live have lots of aquatic plants in them so they like plants in their aquariums. You will see them moving around through the plants hunting for food, seeking protection and just enjoying themselves with the plants.
If you have more than one male Swordtail sometimes they can chase one another or even get into a fight. That is also why it is best to keep the Swordtails in a little bit larger tank.
Swordtails can start having babies when they are only three months old!
Swordtails are omnivores and that means they will eat a wide variety of food. They survive and do well on fish food you can buy at the pet shop or a market. They also like to eat algae, freeze-dried bloodworms, tubifex, and brine shrimp.
