Care guide at a glance
Xiphophorus hellerii
Description
A solid red swordtail carrying an enlarged sail-like dorsal fin alongside the extended tail sword. Large, bold and hard to miss in a community tank.
Feeding
Omnivorous with a vegetable requirement. Flake with spirulina content, algae wafers, blanched vegetables and frozen foods.
Compatibility
Generally peaceful but active and fairly large for a livebearer. Males can be pushy with each other, so keep either one male or several, never two. Needs swimming length.
Behaviour and personality
Strong, purposeful swimmers that use the full length of the tank. Males display with the extended lower tail lobe that gives the fish its name.
Before you buy
Needs more space than platies or guppies and will jump, so a lid is essential. Hard alkaline water suits them best.
DX courier delivery is £20 per livestock order.
Delivery is scheduled for your selected delivery date and typically arrives before 1pm.
There is no minimum or maximum order value.
Additional information:
- In-stock livestock orders will be processed and dispatched for delivery on the date selected on the cart/basket page.
- Available delivery days are Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.
- If any stock issues affect your chosen delivery date, we will contact you as soon as possible by email or telephone.
- Shipping for dry goods is charged separately from livestock delivery. Dry goods are dispatched according to our standard delivery policy.
- All livestock remains covered by our 7-day guarantee.