Swordtail disease maintenance and care. Swordtails - aquarium fish

Swordtails content, compatibility, reproduction, photo-video review

Everyone knows swordtails, even those who have never encountered the aquarium world. Swordtails gained such fame due to their wide distribution (we can say that they were included in the kit of every young aquarist former USSR), as well as thanks to a special feature - the tail fin in the shape of a sword. Actually, it is for this tail that swordtails got their name.

The homeland of swordtails is Central America (Southern Mexico and Guatemala). They live in reservoirs with stagnant and slowly flowing water, densely overgrown with a variety of aquatic plants.

Swordtail fish (Xiphophorus helleri) belong to the platyfish family. Xiphophorus helleri is translated from Greek as “xiphos” - sword, “phoros” - to carry. The prefix “Helleri” was assigned to swordtails after the German naturalist Karl Bartholomeus Heller, who first caught these fish in Mexican lakes and safely transported them to Europe.

In 1848, these fish were first described by Dr. Johan Jakob Heckel, a preparator at the Museum of Natural Sciences at the Imperial Natural History Office of the Museum of Natural Sciences in Vienna.

The body of the fish is elongated and laterally compressed. The mouth of swordtails is upturned and adapted for taking food from the surface of the water. The fish can reach a size of 10 cm (without the sword). Females are somewhat larger than males and are similar in shape to all other poeciliids. In addition to the presence of a “sword” on the lower edge of the caudal fin, the male has a gonopodium - an anal fin transformed into a genital organ.

Scientific classification

swordtails swordtails:

Latin name:

Class: Ray-finned fish.

Squad: Carp-toothed.

Family: Poeciliaceae.

Conditions in the aquarium:

Water temperature: 22 - 26 °C.

(tolerates a temporary drop in temperature to 15 ° C)

"Acidity" Ph: 7,0 - 7,5.

Hardness dH: 6-20°

Aggressiveness: not aggressive 10%

Content complexity: light.

Compatibility of Swordtails

Swordtails are not aggressive. They are compatible with almost all small peaceful fish. Among the best neighbors are tetras, minors, thornets, zebrafish, all poeciliid fish, etc. They are compatible with almost all bottom fish: corydoras, acanthophthalmus, platidorus, ancistrus, sacbranch catfish, etc. They get along well with peaceful and small cichlids, for example, with angelfish.

Swordtails are not compatible with aggressive and big fish, which will hunt them, for example with cichlids (acaras, astronotuses, diamond cichlids, etc.). In addition, it is not recommended to add them to “veiled” fish, because They are slow and swordtails can “pinch” them by their fluttering fins.

Male swordtails show some intolerance and aggression towards each other. There have been cases of males fighting to the point of inflicting lethal injuries on each other. Therefore, in one aquarium you should contain only one male, or several at once (but not a pair!), plus the same number or more females. In this case, the intraspecific aggressiveness of fish is noticeably reduced. Local conflicts At the same time, a lot happens, but their intensity is relatively low, and the absolute winner, who then would not give anyone a pass, is never revealed. See article compatibility of aquarium fish.

Lifespan of swordtails

The life of swordtails, by aquarium standards, is medium-long. At good conditions kept they can live up to 5 years. You can find out how long other fish live HERE!

Minimum aquarium volume for swordtails

Many beginning aquarists keep swordtails in small aquariums. However, this is not entirely correct. In fact, swordtails are quite large fish. And taking into account the fact that it is recommended to keep swordtails in the proportion of 1 male / 2 or more females, the minimum size of the aquarium for them should be from 50 liters per harem family. The aquarium for swordtails must be wide!!!

See how many fish you can keep in X liters of aquarium HERE(at the bottom of the article there are links to aquariums of all sizes).

Care requirements and conditions for keeping swordtails

Swordtails do not need any special conditions. In fact, maintaining optimal aquarium water parameters is the key to their well-being. However, do not forget that:

1. Swordtails definitely need aeration and filtration, weekly replacement of up to 1/4 of the volume of aquarium water. It is worth noting that these fish do not need a lot of oxygen, and too frequent changes (changes) of aquarium water are not as beneficial for them as for other types of aquarium fish. Therefore, if you change the water less often, for example, once every 14 days, and not every 7, nothing bad will happen.

2. The aquarium must be covered with a lid, because The fish are nimble and can jump out and die.

3. Like many fish, swordtails feel comfortable among living vegetation. It is recommended to use Vallisneria, Echinodorus, Cryptocoryne, Riccia, duckweed and other plants as aquarium plants. Creating thickets of plants imitates natural natural environment fish habitat.

4. When decorating an aquarium, it is necessary to organize open space for swimming. Swordtails are excellent swimmers. Swordtails do not need shelter at all.

Feeding and diet of swordtails

Swordtails are unpretentious in food, they are omnivores and prone to overeating. They enjoy eating dry and freeze-dried food: flakes, granules, chips. They love live and frozen food (bloodworms, brine shrimp, daphnia, etc.). The fish take food from all layers of the aquarium water. The food remaining on the surface and falling to the bottom will also not be left unattended.

The diet of swordtails must include plant foods: flakes or granules with spirulina, special algae tablets. In addition, they willingly eat algae from the walls of the aquarium, plants and decor.

Feeding aquarium fish must be correct: balanced, varied. This fundamental rule is the key to the successful keeping of any fish, be it guppies or astronotuses. Article “How and how much to feed aquarium fish” talks about this in detail, it outlines the basic principles of the diet and feeding regime for fish.

In this article, we note the most important thing - feeding fish should not be monotonous; the diet should include both dry food and live food. In addition, you need to take into account the gastronomic preferences of a particular fish and, depending on this, include in its diet food either with the highest protein content or, conversely, with plant ingredients.

Popular and popular food for fish, of course, is dry food. For example, you can find food from the Tetra company, the leader of the Russian market, on aquarium shelves all the time and everywhere; in fact, the range of food from this company is amazing. Tetra’s “gastronomic arsenal” includes individual food for a specific type of fish: goldfish, cichlids, loricariids, guppies, labyrinths, arowanas, discus, etc. Tetra has also developed specialized foods, for example, to enhance color, fortified, or for feeding fry. Detailed information You can find out about all Tetra feeds on the company’s official website - Here.

It should be noted that when purchasing any dry food, you should pay attention to the date of its manufacture and shelf life, try not to buy food in bulk, and also store the food in a closed state - this will help to avoid the development of pathogenic flora in it.

Varieties of aquarium swordtails

The natural color of swordtails is gray-green. However, as a result of selection, it was bred a large number of swordtails of various colors and shapes. Unpretentiousness in breeding and ease of crossing have led to the presence today of more than two dozen accepted species swordtails. Here are some of the most popular:

Bulgarian white swordtails;

High-winged swordtail;

Mountain swordtail;

Green swordtail;

Red-speckled tiger swordtails;

Red Swordtail;

Lemon swordtail;

Lyretail swordtail;

Hell's Swordbearer;

Rainbow Swordtails;

Calico swordtail;

Black Swordtail;

All types of swordtails with photos HERE.

Reproduction and breeding of swordtails

Breeding and propagating swordtails is absolutely not a difficult task. It is similar to the reproduction of guppies and other livebearers. And, one might say, it actually happens on its own.

Sexual maturity in swordtails occurs at the age of 5-6 months. For breeding (and for their own comfort), it is recommended to keep fish in a ratio of one male to three females. In the process of “courting” a female, the male performs a kind of courtship dance - shuttle movements back and forth.

Fertilization of mature eggs occurs inside the female. This process may take several days. Interesting feature is that a once fertilized female swordtail can give birth to offspring several more times, even in the absence of a male.

The female's gestation period is 4-6 weeks. This period depends on the parameters of the aquarium water, temperature, lighting and feeding.

The pregnant female has a full abdomen and has " black spot pregnancy" under the tail. It is believed that a few hours before the “birth” the female’s belly becomes “square”, the female begins to move more actively, “throwing” up and down along the aquarium glass.

At one time, the female spawns from 15 to 100 or more fry. Spawning usually occurs in the morning.

With plenty of food and a water temperature of 26-27° C, birth can occur monthly.

The photo shows a male and female swordtail

Perhaps the most important rule What must be observed when breeding swordtails is concern for the survival of the young. Unfortunately, the producers eat their own offspring, and given that the fry of swordtails are quite large in size and brightly colored, this process simply turns into extermination. In nature, swordtails never see their offspring, because... The fry is immediately carried away by the current. In the aquarium, the parents mistake the fry for food.

To preserve the offspring, I plant the aquarium densely with aquarium plants. Plants are placed at the bottom of the aquarium, in the water column and especially densely on the surface. Thus, the fry are provided with shelter “from evil parents” and most of the fry survive.

Also, to preserve the offspring, you can use special aquariums, which are designed like a funnel - the female remains in the funnel, and the swept juveniles fall out of the funnel into the spawning aquarium. Thus, initially the absence of contact between the breeder and the fry is ensured.

The third option for preserving offspring is spawning spawners immediately after spawning. This option is simple, but requires attentiveness and timeliness from the aquarist.

Photo of a “pregnant” female swordtail, or rather, giving birth

Photos of juveniles, fry of swordtails

After spawning, the female is removed and provided with abundant feeding.

The initial food for juvenile swordtails is live dust (nauplii, brine shrimp, cyclops, microworm, rotifers, cut tubifex).

After a week, the juvenile swordtails begin to be weeded out - divided into strong and “thoroughbred” ones, and the weak and defective ones are destroyed.

The juveniles grow quickly; after two months, the anal fin of the males begins to change, and by the third month the “sword” begins to grow.

An interesting fact from the life of these fish is that the female swordtail can at some point become a male, i.e. change gender This occurs under conditions of a “shortage” of males and is explained by the struggle for the survival of the species. The offspring of a female + former female pair consists of almost 90% females.

Diseases and treatment of swordtails

Swordtails are very resilient fish and can withstand harsh conditions. However, like all living beings, such excellent health does not last forever. The key to successful fish keeping is to provide optimal conditions aquarium water.

Swordtails are susceptible to all the typical diseases of aquarium fish and there are no nuances in their treatment.

For proper and correct treatment of swordtails, it is necessary to diagnose the disease, and then apply the necessary procedures.

They will help you with this Treatment and diseases of aquarium fish and sections of the site: FISH DISEASES are contagious, FISH DISEASES are not contagious, AQUA.MEDICINE.

Recommended literature about swordtails

Viviparous aquarium fish. Maintenance and Breeding Guide

Livebreeding Fishes

Popular video with swordfish

Beautiful photos of swordtails

My swordsman

One of the most popular exotic pet fish is an old-timer in many aquariums and a favorite of not only experienced, but also novice aquarists - the swordtail. Many breeders liked Xiphophorus Helleri for its cheerful disposition, mobility, variety of shapes, types and colors, as well as unpretentiousness to living conditions. Nevertheless, it wouldn’t hurt to learn some of the subtleties of keeping and caring for these fish, and this article will help with that.

The homeland of swordtails is considered to be Central America, Southern Mexico, Honduras and Guatemala. These fish have chosen overgrown reservoirs with slowly flowing or stagnant waters there.

Only green swordtails are found in nature, and all aquarium varieties are artificially bred through selection and crossing with platies.

The fish were brought to Europe by the doctor and botanist B.K. Geller. They got their name from the sword-shaped growth on the caudal fin, which is found only in males (translated from Greek xiphos - sword, phoros - to carry).

Description

Aquarium swordtails have a body of 5-8 cm, elongated in length and laterally compressed. Their mouth is slightly upturned to make it easier to take food from the surface of the water. Females are larger with a noticeable abdomen and rounded fins, are duller in color and do not have a sword on the caudal fin. With good care, these fish can please owners for up to five years, which is considered average duration life.

Initially, swordtails were only brownish-olive with a silver sheen, a pale reddish stripe along the body and a yellow, red or green sword. But today many varieties of black, lemon, red colors have been bred, there are even spotted individuals. Breeders also experimented with fins, resulting in fish with elongated fins and even two swords.

Behavior in the aquarium

The character of swordsmen is peaceful, aggression towards their own representatives similar types they usually do not show it. Can be kept in the same container with neons, tetras, minors, thorns, zebrafish, guppies, mollies, different types of catfish, angelfish, etc. It is not advisable to house with veiled fish, since the tails and fins of the latter run the risk of being plucked.

Swordtails should not be placed together with large aggressive fish such as astronotus, acara, cichlasomas and the like.

Within a species, skirmishes and fights may occur between males, especially if there are only two of them in the aquarium. Therefore, experienced aquarists recommend housing at least three male swordtails at the same time.

How to arrange a habitat?

When choosing an aquarium, it is better to choose a wide version, with a volume of at least 30 liters. The calculation should be such that there are three liters of water per fish. The length of the container is recommended to be at least 30 cm. A lid or glass is required on top, since swordtails are very nimble and can accidentally jump out.

As for the quality of water, it is better to keep the temperature within 18-26 degrees, hardness 8-22 DH, acidity 7-8 pH.

The purity of the water is very important, so installing a filter would be a good idea. Regularly (about once a week) you need to replace the water by a third of the volume of the aquarium, after leaving it for about a day.

To prevent diseases of swordtails, experts recommend adding a tablespoon of sea or table salt for every 10 liters of water. But this is not always possible, as it can negatively affect other inhabitants of the aquarium and plants.

Fish do not tolerate a lack of oxygen in water, so aeration is a prerequisite for keeping them.

Lighting should be good, but not in direct sunlight.

The soil can be taken of any color and texture.

As for algae, it is better to arrange dense thickets of camomba, serrated elodea and the like for the background. On the side of the aquarium, small-leaved and long-leaved Limnophila indica, glitterwort, and pinnate are planted. It is good to place Riccia on the surface of the water. The foreground should provide free space for swimming and feeding.

You can decorate the aquarium with stones, grottoes, and driftwood. But this is not necessary, since swordtails do not need shelter.

What to feed?

Unpretentiousness in food is another advantage of these fish. But in order for their growth and development to be optimal, the diet should be varied and alternated. What can you use?

1. Dry, live and frozen food (bloodworms, brine shrimp, daphnia, etc.).
2. Plant foods prepared independently (seaweed, spinach, nettles, lettuce are scalded with boiling water and then chopped).
3. Non-standard feeding: boiled egg yolk, crackers, dietary meat, squid or boiled fish. Of course, everything needs to be crushed first.

Leftover food must be removed so that the water in the aquarium remains clean longer.

About diseases

These fish do not get sick often. The main causes of diseases of swordtails are non-compliance with living conditions, colds and infections acquired with food.

A salt bath (at the rate of one tablespoon of salt per liter of water) lasting 15-20 minutes will help treat your pet and prevent general infection in the aquarium. You can consolidate the effect of the bath by placing the fish for two days in a weak solution of methylene blue (temperature about 25 degrees).

To treat diseases of the gills, scales, as well as for infectious individuals, trypaflavin and biomycin are used in solutions.

If the aquarium is overpopulated with female swordtails, then they can change their gender to male. At the same time, they grow a xiphoid process and a gonopodium appears on the anal fin. Males do not have the gift of transformation.

Now, having studied the features of keeping and caring for swordtails, even novice lovers of these fish will be able to create ideal conditions for their pets.

This seemingly purely cognitive question has also practical use. The climate and living conditions in different regions of the continent are very different, and therefore often some inhabitants of reservoirs simply cannot exist together. Experienced aquarists try to place wards in the same tank, which are suitable for almost the same temperature and hardness aquatic environment.

Origin of popular aquarium fish

It is simply impossible to describe all the aquarium fish and tell where their distant homeland is located. The number of species of these amazing creatures exceeds 21 thousand! Those fans who are interested in this article can find more information in reference books or catalogs. Just by looking at the five most common species, you can easily understand how wide the geography of origin of the creatures that live in your aquariums is.

How to Care for Green Swordtails

Green swordtail, Heller's swordtail (lat. Xiphophorus helleri) is a beautiful freshwater fish of the Poeciliaceae family. The homeland of green swordtails is the water bodies of Central America (Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras). These fish prefer with strong flows, lakes and swamps, as well as lagoons and ponds. They can adapt to life in brackish water. This species of swordtail came to Europe at the beginning of the twentieth century, and later it participated in selection to create other breeds.

Appearance Features

The green swordtail can breed with platies, resulting in many species of different colors: black, red, lemon, spotted, brindle. Thanks to selection work, interesting forms of green swordtails were obtained: with lyre-shaped fins, three-lobed fins, veil-tailed, scarf-finned, high-finned. Nowadays, wild swordtail cannot be purchased, so it is bred in aquariums and fish farms.

The body of the green swordtail is elongated, flattened on the sides. Males are slimmer than females. The average body size of fish is 10-12 cm. The mouth is upper, adapted for capturing food from the surface of the water. The color of the scales of the natural form of the green swordtail is olive-gray or yellowish-brown; there is a stripe with a greenish shimmer on the back. The fins of the fish are yellow-green, translucent, dorsal fin There are small brownish spots.

Look at the green swordtails in the aquarium.

A horizontal dark purple stripe with a red or blue border stands out on the body; there are 2 more stripes parallel to it. In females, the body is characterized by a silvery tint and is slightly faded in color. Adult fish are distinguished by a dark spot near the anal fin.

The lower rays of the male's caudal fin are elongated, while in females the entire tail is single-lobed and round. The so-called “sword” of the tail is black and can shimmer in green, orange or red. Females are larger than males. The gonopodium (anal fin) of the male is cone-shaped, in females it is rounded.

The green swordtail is a hardy fish that can live in water of different parameters. Recommended water environment conditions: temperature 24-26°C, acidity 7.0-8.0 pH, hardness – 10-15°. One fish can live in an aquarium with a volume of 20 liters, but it is better to choose a larger tank - at least 50 liters for a pair of fish. To breed green swordtails, you will need a spacious and long aquarium (1 meter wide) with a volume of 100 liters, so that future breeders can feel comfortable.

Green swordtails love current, which can be created using a filter and water from a pump. Close the aquarium with a lid, leaving a narrow gap between it and the surface of the water. Leave free water space for swimming. Make sure that these active fish do not jump out of the aquarium.

This type of fish has a peaceful and friendly disposition; they are suitable for a community aquarium where other types of fish live. For one male, 2-3 females should be settled; two males in the same territory can fight. Suitable neighbors for swordtails viviparous species fish: guppies, platies, mollies, rainbows. It is not recommended to house them with slow and disproportionate fish, as well as veil-tailed and long-finned fish species.

Look at the green swordtails with other fish.

Wild green swordtails can swim into brackish waters of lagoons and estuaries, so they tolerate salty aquarium water. Recommended proportions sea ​​salt: 1 tablespoon per 10 liters of water. Consider the characteristics of plants and other fish - they should also like salted water. Also, the health of these fish is negatively affected by a decrease in oxygen in the water, so aeration must be constant. Under good conditions, the fish will live from 3 to 5 years.

Plants for the aquarium, feeding rules

Plants with small leaves that reach the surface of the water are suitable as aquarium decorations: Indian limnophila, hornwort, vallisneria, pinnate, fern, cryptocoryne, floating plant species (green riccia, floating salvinia). On background In the reservoir, you can plant dense bushes of greenery in which pregnant females and fry can hide (Elodea serrata, cabomba, isoztis, aponogeton, myriophyllum). Medium pebbles or sand (not colored) are suitable as soil.

Full life activity of the green swordtail is possible under the conditions proper feeding different types of food. Give these pets live food - brine shrimp, daphnia, cyclops, coretra, bloodworms, tubifex, insect larvae. You can feed them frozen, dry branded food and combination food.

Green swordtails will not refuse fresh plant foods, including: lettuce and spinach leaves, nettle and dandelion leaves (scalded with boiling water), boiled cereals (peas, millet, oatmeal). If there is a lack of fiber in the body, the fish will begin to nibble on the leaves of aquatic plants. Swordtails will be able to tolerate a 2-week lack of food if the owner is absent during this time. However, under this condition, the aquarium must definitely contain algae and live plants. They can collect algal fouling from plants and decorations, and find snails by removing them from their shells. After feeding, promptly remove uneaten food so that it does not begin to sour, forming harmful ammonia impurities. Remove food debris with a net, or siphon the soil using a tube.

Are swordtail fish beautiful?

Natalya Shipunova

The homeland of this fish is Mexico. Length - 5-6 centimeters.
The typical color is light green, with a red longitudinal stripe in the middle of the body.
The male differs from the female in that the lower part of the caudal fin is elongated into a long narrow yellow process with a sharp black border. The fish got its name from this xiphoid process. The female has a round caudal fin.
Swordtails are very shy. Sometimes it is enough to tap your finger on the aquarium, and they begin to spin, fall to the bottom and die. They cannot be transferred from one aquarium to another, as they become very accustomed to one place. Swordtails must be handled very carefully.
Conditions of detention are normal for all viviparous animals. Life expectancy in an aquarium is 2-3 years.
The maturation of the fry in the abdomen of the female lasts 30-45 days. The female lays from 20 to 200 pieces. When the fry reach a length of 3-4 centimeters after 3-4 months, their sex can be determined.
Swordtails give birth to offspring all year round. They reach maturity at 6 months. They cross well with Platypecilia. Hybrid swordtails are called colored because they have a bright and original color: red, black, gold, red speckled, black speckled. Their length reaches 6-8 centimeters. They all interbreed with each other and with green swordtails. The last crossing produces some colored fish, some ordinary fish.
To obtain black swordtails, cross a black swordtail with a simple green swordtail.
When a simple swordtail is crossed with a red swordtail, the result is a red swordtail.
A fish with a golden color is obtained by crossing a golden platypecilia with the main swordtail.
The speckled swordtail is obtained by crossing a male speckled swordtail with a female common swordtail and vice versa.

Anna Topchaya

These beautiful aquarium swordtail fish have several names: variable, variatus, striped...
Size of the swordtail fish species: males in nature up to 4.5 cm; female swordtail fish about 5.5 cm...

The homeland of the swordtail fish is the countries located in Central America. The reservoirs in which these fish are found are characterized by abundant vegetation and have standing water or weak currents. Externally, natural individuals are significantly inferior to their relatives bred by breeders. They have an inconspicuous greenish-gray color, which is the same in males and females. It is possible to distinguish their sex only by size (females are larger) and tail, the lower part of which in the male is longer and resembles a sword.

Habitat region

The wild swordtail can be found in most bodies of water from Guatemala to Mexico and Honduras. These fish were brought to Europe, and then to Russia, only at the beginning of the 20th century. They immediately gained popularity. Dim appearance wild individuals was the impetus for starting breeding work.

Unpretentious swordtails in nature easily inhabit small stagnant bodies of water, and also feel great in the lower reaches of rivers with slow flow. You can find such fish in their habitats in almost all ponds and lakes. Some forms can also survive in rivers with rapid current, but there are significantly fewer of them, and their appearance is even more inconspicuous.

Wild swordtails live in central America.

Being freshwater, swordtails can also tolerate slightly brackish water, which significantly expands their habitat. They can live in the lower reaches of rivers flowing into the sea or ocean, and can normally tolerate an admixture of salt water in the river.

Kinds

Some forms of fish are found everywhere, while others have a specific habitat, outside of which they are almost never found.

• Alvarez. The body of the fish is bluish in color. The size rarely exceeds 5 cm. It lives everywhere in its region. Among all natural forms, it stands out not only for its small size, but also for its rather bright appearance.
• Clemensia. It lives only in Papaloapan and is endemic to Mexico. The difficulties of breeding in captivity have made this form a rarity for aquarists.
• Montezuma. The second name is royal. The fish has a yellow body and a black sword edge on the tail. Also a rare species for aquarists, which is found everywhere in the region of its habitat, but in small quantity.
• Pygmy. Found only in Mexico in the Panuca River basin. It is found in aquariums, but in small quantities due to the lack of decorative qualities.

The origin of the aquarium swordtail fish, which is familiar to all aquarists, is associated with the work of breeders who obtained red, green and calico forms.

This is one of the most popular fish in the aquarium of the beginner and professional breeder. The fish is so unpretentious that sometimes newbies have only guppies and swordtails in their aquarium. Perhaps even those people who have never owned fish and have no intention of doing so know about them.

They appeared in human aquariums back in 1864 and since then have become permanent inhabitants of apartment ponds.

These fish got their name thanks to sword-shaped tail in males. Externally, the fish are very cute, and their colors are varied. I like swordtails not only because of their unpretentiousness, but also because they reproduce easily and very rarely get sick.

Sword bearers cannot be called peaceful fish, A They show the greatest aggression towards each other. Sometimes you come across specimens of a very timid nature.

Swordtails feel best in aquariums with abundant vegetation and at the same time sufficient space for swimming. In addition, abundant vegetation provides shelter for the fry of these livebearers.

Swordtail in nature

These cute fish are native to Central America. Range in wildlife distributed from Mexico to Guatemala. Wild swordtails are not as brightly colored as their domesticated relatives.

IN natural environment Swordtails prefer heavily overgrown shallow reservoirs with both running and standing water. They feed mainly on insects, as well as plant foods.

These fish belong to the Poeciliidae family. They gained their fame thanks to the German biologist Geller, who caught them from the lakes of Mexico in 1848. As evidenced by the first description of swordtails, their body is curved and compressed at the sides, and their mouth is slightly upturned. The size of swordtails can reach ten centimeters in females and slightly less in males. The male also has a gonopobium - an anal fin. Distinctive feature from the rest of the poeciliids is a sword-shaped tail.

The color of these fish can be very different. There are orange swordtails, black, red and even yellow. Sometimes the body of a fish is colored one color and the tail another. The color of the male is always a little brighter than that of the females. You can even distinguish males from females by their caudal fin. In males it is radiant. Thanks to their upturned mouth, swordtails can easily get food from the surface of the water.

Types of aquarium swordtail

There are several types of fish with sword-shaped tails:

• Bulgarian white is an albino fish. When breeding, it is unstable and often produces offspring that differ from its parents.
• Another albino, but only lemon-colored. Greenish fish very whimsical, and its breeding is problematic due to complete absence guarantees when obtaining results.
• is a hybrid obtained from the green swordtail and black picilia. The color of the black swordtail is not matte, but with a green tint. This species is very problematic, since the hybrid often gets sick. The excess pigment obtained during crossing is to blame for this.
• actually has a brown-olive color. You can see red patches in the form of stripes on the body. Its tail is beautifully edged with red.
• Red pigment in the swordtail, obtained by crossing the green swordtail and the red picilia.
• Tricolor painted in three shades: red, black and white as the main one.
• The most disease-resistant species is brindle. They have a black tail and a red body with black speckles.
• Yellow swordtail otherwise called mountain. It has creamy zigzag stripes on the sides.
• Rainbow The color of swordtails is rare and has several shades. They are usually grey, orange and green, with red stripes on the sides.

As a result of the work of breeders, a lot of different species were obtained. These are, such as Tuxedo, Hell's Swordtail, Vienna, Evelyn, Berlin Swordtail and Koi. If you have several species of swordtails in your aquarium, then after a while you will notice how diverse the offspring can be obtained by mixing species. Sometimes you come across specimens that you want to select yourself. True, unfortunately, it is almost impossible to consolidate the result.

But scientists have already managed to diversify this species of Poecileidae as much as possible. There are fish with veil fins, lobed and lyre fins. And the variety of shades is simply impressive.

This hardy fish is usually kept in general aquarium with the rest of the inhabitants. The water in the aquarium must be enriched with oxygen, constantly clean and alkaline. A water filter must be present. Hardness ranges from 15–30, that is, moderate. The amount of water is at least fifty liters so that the fish have enough space to swim. Change about a quarter of the water in the aquarium once a month.

Be sure to cover the aquarium with a lid or glass. These fish are characterized by increased jumping ability.

As for the proximity of swordtails to other fish, they get along well with mollies, catfish, minors and various tetras, and most often show aggression towards each other. It is advisable to keep swordtails with fish of the same size as them.

Breeders of swordtails advise choosing an aquarium with an oblong, elongated shape so that pugnacious males can hide from each other.

Maintain a stable water temperature in the aquarium. These fish are sensitive to sudden changes and can develop a disease such as ichthyophthirosis. The disease can be detected by the following signs: the fins of swordtails shrink, and the fish itself gravitates to the bottom where it scratches its body on the stones. Such signs occur when the water in the aquarium is suddenly supercooled.

In order for them to feel comfortable, try to maintain a temperature regime of at least twenty-five degrees. For this purpose, there are aquarium heaters with a thermometer that will help you ensure that your aquarium is properly cared for during the winter and autumn months.

Feeding

For breeders aquarium swordtails Lucky for you, these fish are absolutely omnivorous. They feed, as in the wild, on worms and crustaceans, phytoplankton and dry insects. The diet also includes plant food in the form of algae. They are fed both fresh and frozen foods such as daphnia, chironomids and brine shrimp. Excellent for eating dry cereal and any other aquarium food. The only condition is that the food must be varied, and the daily menu must consist of at least three types.

The feeding regimen involves small portions, but several times a day.

Breeding

In order for swordtails to feel comfortable, the number of males should be constantly monitored. The males of these fish are prone to fights, during which they can even kill their opponent. If they are in a large, spacious aquarium, preferably elongated and with abundant vegetation, then the chances of avoiding fights will be much greater.

They reproduce quite easily. As soon as the swordtails reach seven months of age, mating season. It is quite easy to distinguish males from females. Male swordtails have a sword-shaped tail, while females have a short and regular tail. In addition, the female is always larger. Usually one male and several females are selected for breeding.

Large breeders during breeding are guided by the following maintenance rules:

• Males and females must be at least six months old.
• The female is selected from strong fertile families.
• The male selected for breeding must be larger than the others. Body length is desirable at least eight centimeters without tail.
• Typically, such males and females are separated at the age of three months and raised separately from the rest.
• First-born, young females are crossed with already experienced males.
• Very often, swordtails come into contact with picilians. If you have these types of fish in your aquarium, you can expect hybrid offspring.

The male's sperm can be stored in the female's body. for a long time and fertilize it more than once. You can tell that a female is pregnant by her rounded belly. Pregnancy lasts for forty days, after which small, nimble fry are born. IN last days Before giving birth, the female's belly becomes somewhat square.

Breeders breed swordtails all year long. Special conditions for breeding and maintenance are not required, the main thing is to transplant the female on time after the appearance of the fry. Otherwise, she will simply start eating them.

There are special spawning aquariums. They have a false bottom made of organic glass. Through gaps in the bottom, the fry escape from their mother in the first minutes of life.

Usually in the first litter up to thirty fry are born, later their number sometimes increases, reaching up to one hundred and fifty pieces.

You can also breed fry in a community aquarium, provided there is plenty of greenery, preferably floating on the surface of the aquarium. Unfortunately, their own fry are the favorite food of swordtails. They literally hunt for them and very often from total number Fifteen percent of newborns remain.

Tips for care and maintenance:

• Feed the fish on time. Even if you run out of food, you can give oatmeal. Usually, in the absence of food, swordtails switch to eating algae. If you want to keep your aquarium vegetation beautiful, do not let your fish feel hungry.
• Swordtails will not breed if the temperature in the aquarium is constantly low. Support temperature regime at twenty-seven degrees. To do this, you should get a special aquarium heater with a thermometer.
• It is best to choose an elongated aquarium.
• Mix about one quarter of the total volume of water in the aquarium every month.
• Cover the aquarium with a lid to prevent jumping swordtails from jumping out.
• Have plenty of greens. The fry will hide in it. Among the plants there must be duckweed or pistia.

Diseases and their prevention

Inspect the fish before purchasing. There should be no wounds, rashes or strange deposits on the surface of their body. Be sure to carry out a preventive procedure. To do this, place the fish in salted water for twenty minutes. Water is salted in the following way: for one liter of liquid, a tablespoon of salt. The fact is that there may be microbes on the fish’s body from the previous aquarium, and with the help of salt they die.

Common diseases of fish are colds, as well as infection melonosis. It can be identified by the fluffy growths on the fish’s body. It is treated as follows: the fish is placed in water with a solution of methylene blue at a water temperature of no more than twenty-three degrees. A solution of biomycin or trypoflavin is excellent for any infections. In the instructions for medicine There is a description of use and dosage.

Under natural conditions, the swordtail lives in the waters of Central America, Mexico, Guatemala, and Honduras. These mobile fish inhabit ponds, lakes, lower reaches of rivers, and reservoirs with standing or slowly flowing water. Swordtails were brought to Europe and then to Russia at the beginning of the 20th century, immediately gaining great popularity among aquarium fish lovers.

Aquarium swordtails

According to its popularity among aquarists swordtails not inferior. The ease of keeping and breeding these fish allows us to recommend them both for beginners (along with or), and for experienced aquarium fish lovers.

Breeding different types of swordtails

Currently, after many years of work by breeders, there are practically no purebred swordtails left in aquariums. As a result of crossing the swordtail with various species of platies, a large number of breeds of swordtails of very different colors and with various shapes fins.

By artificial selection they were bred red, gold, lemon, black, brindle(combination of red and black colors), calico(a combination of red, black and white) and other color varieties of swordtails.

Gray-green aquarium swordtails, which outwardly resemble the wild original form of these fish, are also the result of selection work.

Male and female swordtails

A characteristic feature of this variety of aquarium fish, for which they got their name, is the presence of a xiphoid outgrowth in the males of the lower part of the caudal fin. Source:

Female swordtails differ from males in their larger size, not so bright coloring and the absence of a “sword”. Under natural conditions, females reach 10-12 cm, males - 8 cm.

In aquariums, swordtails, as a rule, do not grow to such sizes, but at the same time retain natural forms and the ability to reproduce. The original natural coloration of males can be judged by the so-called green swordtail, which has a silvery-olive color, and in reflected light it is greenish. A brown-red stripe runs along the entire body, including the head and caudal fin, bordering the male’s sword at the top and bottom.

Aquarium for swordtails

Swordtails in the aquarium

Swordtails are very unpretentious to the composition and volume of water in the aquarium; they tolerate fluctuations in water temperature well, although the optimal temperature for their growth and reproduction is 22-24 ° C. Regularly, at least once a week, you should replace about 1/3 of the water volume in the aquarium. In addition, it is advisable to enrich the water with oxygen (aeration) from time to time.

For an aquarium, it is advisable to choose small-leaved plants that form dense thickets in which the fry could hide from adult fish. The most suitable for this may be cabomba, vallisneria, serrated elodea and others. It is advisable to float Riccia on the surface of the water - openwork bright green moss that forms picturesque islands. Dense thickets of plants must be alternated with free space for fish to swim.

Such active inhabitants of the aquarium as swordtails sometimes frolic so much that they can jump out of the water and die. To avoid this, the aquarium should be covered with glass.

Swordtails are quite peaceful towards fish of other species and get along well with them. When keeping a group of swordtails in an aquarium, it is necessary that there are more females than males. Often the stronger male begins to pursue the weaker one. The life activity of swordtails, like other species of fish, depends on proper nutrition. In terms of food, swordtails are unpretentious: they willingly eat any live food (cyclops, daphnia, bloodworms, tubifex), and they accept combined types of food quite well. Their diet should definitely include food of plant origin: seaweed, various types of lettuce, spinach, crushed oatmeal.

Reproduction of swordtails, pregnancy, fry of swordtails

Swordtails belong to the family of viviparous fish. The number of fry in a female swordtail depends on her age, size, living conditions and ranges from 15-20 to 100 or more at a time. Shortly before giving birth, a pregnant female swordtail should be placed in a separate aquarium or jar with big amount small-leaved plants located at the bottom and on the surface of the water. The presence of a sufficient amount of algae will allow the fry to get lost among them and thereby avoid the teeth of the female, which can destroy them. After giving birth, the mother should be separated from the babies in a common aquarium.

The ease of care and unpretentiousness of swordtail fish allows everyone, even inexperienced aquarium owners, to successfully keep them. Keeping these fish does not require special conditions. I'm clean enough fresh water and constant feeding. The ability to coexist in the same aquarium with any other inhabitants of the aquarium and high reproduction capacity are only a small part of the advantages of this species.

The first migration of swordtails to the aquarium took place back in 1864. Thanks to the scientist Heller, from Germany, they successfully crossed from South American waters to European laboratories, and also received their name Xiphophorus helleri (translated from Latin Heller's swordtail).

Belonging to the Poeciliidae family, the fish have differences in appearance between the female and the male. The sexual characteristics of the male are the presence of a sword-like rear fin. The elongated body has a slight compression on the sides. Since both in nature and in a domestic reservoir, feeding occurs from above, the fish have a formed mouth, turned up, for convenient intake of food.

The male's body is slightly smaller than that of the female. The structure of the anal fin also differs between the sexes. The maximum body length in a female can reach 8–10 cm, in a male it is 2 cm less. The homeland of the swordtail has a predominantly warm climate, so the optimal water temperature for this species of ray-finned fish must also meet these requirements (more on this below).

If the number of females in the reservoir dominates, then they can change sex. A sword-like fin grows on the caudal fin and the anal rounded fin turns into a gonopodium - flat and sharp. Mutated individuals are even able to perform their sexual function, but more than half of the offspring in this case will be female.

We talk about this in more detail in a separate article.

The multi-colored bright coloration was developed as a result of laboratory research, in the process of crossing them with other species of poeciliids. The color can vary significantly: lemon yellow, red, spotted or even black.

In nature, these individuals are not found in any other color other than green.

Homeland of the fish

The fish's homeland is in fresh water bodies of South America, Mexico, Honduras or Guatemala, where the current is slow or completely absent.

How long do swordtails live in aquariums?

The average life expectancy at home is five years. Since in nature they live in densely overgrown reservoirs, you need to purchase plants for the aquarium. They will create shelter for the fry and dim the bright daylight.

Compatibility

Compatibility with other fish is good. They can live with other representatives of their kind and even predatory catfish are not afraid of them. Although males can be aggressive among themselves. But this behavior is more often characterized by competition for the female, both in nature and in the aquarium; reproduction remains in first place. In order for the males to get along with each other, it is not necessary to place only two individuals in the reservoir; it is better to have more of them, but the number of females in the aquarium should be equal to them. They will not get along only with those aggressive and predatory waterfowl that are larger than them and can simply eat small fish. These could be cichlids, which include acara or astronotus.

Swordtails are fish that are loved by aquarium owners for their ease of care. Homeland of the fish - South America and therefore an aquarium with swordtails must meet several simple requirements:

• the water temperature should be maintained at 20–26 °C, with a maximum and short-term decrease, perhaps to 15 °C;
• the acidity of the water should be at a level of 7–8 pH, which can be easily determined using special test strips;
• control of water hardness, which can range from 8 to 25 DH;
• provide aeration and water purification;
• carry out a standard water change of 1/3 of the total volume.

Aquarium swordtail fish can live in both salt and fresh water, so aquarium water can be salty in order to get along with other inhabitants. Caring for swordtails does not require effort; the main thing here is not to overdo it and remember that these fish do not like light, they are accustomed to living among dense thickets.

Feeding

There is no need to purchase special feed. Fish can eat “from the common table”, along with all other inhabitants of the reservoir. A varied diet will allow them to develop, grow active and healthy.

When feeding swordtails, there are several options to consider:

1. Specialized dry food, frozen bloodworms or daphnia.
2. Self-prepared food from plant ingredients - seaweed or spinach, as well as nettle or lettuce leaves scalded with boiling water to soften.
3. Additional feeding in the form of boiled egg yolks or crushed crackers.

It is also better to maintain a regular feeding regime, since the swordtail is a voracious fish. A few days of diet will be useful and will help avoid the occurrence of the disease against this background. After abstinence, it is better to start feeding slowly so as not to provoke overeating.

In the absence of a filter, you need to remove the remaining food yourself, otherwise the water will quickly deteriorate, and for swordtails, as for other species of poeciliids.

Diseases

Diseases of swordtails occur rarely. But still, if the owner does not care enough, this unpretentious fish the swordtail may get sick. Also, infections can get into the water with food, which can subsequently make the aquarium resident sick, and the appearance of the individual will immediately tell about this.

You can determine that your pet is unhealthy based on several signs:

• the swordtail lies on the bottom or is frozen in one place;
• the fish looks restless, rubs against the stones, randomly rushes around the pond, sways;
• no appetite;
• the abdomen swells;
• fins folded;
• white or cloudy spots on the body;
• pieces of gun.

Purchasing new pets should be done responsibly and carefully. For example, the presence of a rash or sores, a small fuzz on the body or plaque indicates that a new swordtail in the aquarium will cause illness in other individuals.

The swordtail is susceptible to disease and fungal disease. In this case, treatment is simple if the reservoir contains only those fish that are capable of existing in salt water. For every one liter of aquarium you need to dilute one level tablespoon of salt.

If the swordtail lies on the bottom or is frozen, then this may indicate not only the introduction of any infections with food, but also the hypothermia of the individual. A cold will go away in a few days if you always make sure that the water does not cool below the normal level for this type.

The sword bearer needs to be separated from others as soon as possible. In this way, other individuals can be saved. Infected fish should not be allowed to remain in the water for even one day. In these cases, it is necessary to treat with solutions of trypaflavin or biomycin.

Conclusion

Aquariums are a fascinating activity. Swordtails are quite easy to keep, so you can enjoy them in your aquarium for a long time! And any disease can be prevented in advance, you just need to monitor your aquarium.