Blood Red Swordtail Xiphophorus helleri Swordtails make an excellent choice for peaceful community tanks. Swordtails get their name from exactly that - their tail tapers off into a flowy sword like shape that is only present in males. Swordtails are members of the livebearer family, which means they can birth up to 80 fry all at once. Caution should be taken when housing multiple males together as they will more than likely fight amongst each other. They grow to a size of 4 inches and are quite active, making their requirements for a tank at the minimum of 30 gallons. This species is more prone to jumping out of the aquarium, so it is recommended to have a tight-fitting lid on your enclosure to ensure they stay in the water. Swordtails are omnivores and will take high-quality pellets, flakes, brine shrimp, as well as algae. Blood Red Swordtail Specifics The Blood Red Swordtail is a peaceful fish that grows up to 4 inches. They like their water temperature to be between 64-82oF, at a pH of 7.0-8.3.
