Berlin swordtail

The Berlin swordtail is a beautiful fish that is rapidly gaining popularity among aquarium hobbyists. The Berlin swordtail, with its vivid hues and exuberant disposition, infuses excitement into any tank. This species, which is a variation of the well-known swordtail fish, is a true showstopper in the aquatic world because of its striking patterns and vivid colors.

The Berlin swordtail is a fantastic option for both novice and expert fish keepers due to its comparatively simple maintenance requirements. It does best in an aquarium that is kept up properly, with frequent water changes and a strong filtration system. It does best in groups where it can interact and exhibit its natural behavior due to its social and active nature.

Berlin swordtail aquariums are a great option if you’re looking to add some flair to an existing setup or set up a brand-new one. It is a unique addition that adds beauty and intrigue to your aquatic environment because of its striking appearance and easy maintenance needs.

Topic Berlin Swordtail
Scientific Name Xiphophorus hellerii
Origin Central America
Tank Size 20 gallons or more
Water Conditions pH 7.0-8.0, Temperature 72-78°F
Size 4-5 inches
Diet Omnivorous, likes flake food and live or frozen foods
Behavior Active and social, good community fish
Breeding Livebearer, easy to breed
Special Features Distinctive sword-like tail fin, vibrant colors

Berlin swordtail

Berlin swordtail image

The Berlin swordtail is a cross between the red, black-finned artificial breed of spotted platy Xiphophorus maculatus and Heller’s swordtail. The mountain swordtail is essentially the only pure species of swordtail found in aquariums in Russia and Ukraine. The remaining swordtails are all hybrids. Everything: koi, green, black, white, crimson, brown, gray, etc.d. etc.p., tiger, flag, etc. All of these are crosses between the tricolor and spotted pecilia and the Heller’s swordtail.

The requirements for maintaining Berlin swordtails are the same for all species.

Fish with ray fins are a class.

Tooth-carp is the order.

Peciliidae is the family.

Conditions for maintaining an aquarium:

Temperature of the water: 22–26 C.

(can tolerate a brief drop in temperature to 15 C)

PH of acidity: 7.0–7.5.

Hardness dH: 6–20.

10% of the population is non-aggressive.

Upkeep difficulty: minimal.

Swordtails are native to Central America, specifically to southern Mexico and Guatemala. They reside in reservoirs that are heavily covered in a variety of aquatic plants and have both standing and slowly flowing water.

Swordtail fish, or Xiphophorus helleri, are members of the pecilia fish family. Translating Xiphophorus helleri from Greek means "sword" (xiphos) and "to carry" (phoros). Swordtails are known by the prefix "Helleri" after the German naturalist Karl Bartholomeus Heller, who was the first to catch the fish in Mexican lakes and bring them back to Europe safely.

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Swordtail compatibility

Swordtails don’t bite people. They work well with nearly all small, calm fish. Tetras, minors, ternetias, danios, and all poeciliid fish are some of the best neighbors. Nearly all bottom fish, including ancistrus, corydoras, acanthophthalmus, and platidoras, are compatible with them. For example, they get along well with angelfish and "peaceful" cichlids.

Berlin swordtail image

When swordsmen come into contact with large, aggressive fish, like cichlids (akara, astronotics, diamond cichlisoma, etc.), they become incompatible. Furthermore, it’s not a good idea to place them with "veil" fish because swordtails can "pinch" them by fluttering their fins, and the latter are slow.

Male swordtails can be aggressive and intolerant of one another. There have been incidents where men have fought to the point of hurting one another. Consequently, swordtails should be housed in aquariums in haremas with two to three females for every male. Fish are noticeably less aggressive within their own species in this instance. Check out the article on aquarium fish compatibility.

Life expectancy of swordtails

By aquarium standards, swordtails have a medium-long lifespan. In ideal circumstances, their lifespan may reach five years. This link will tell you how long other fish live!

Minimum aquarium volume for swordtails

Small aquariums are home to many inexperienced aquarists’ swordtails. This isn’t totally accurate, though. Swordtails are actually pretty big fish. Additionally, a harem family’s minimum aquarium size should be 50 liters because swordtails should be kept in a ratio of one male to three or more females. Swordtail aquariums should be large; a hundred liter tank is preferable.

See HERE for details on how many fish can be kept in an X-liter aquarium (links to aquariums of various sizes are located at the bottom of the article).

Care requirements and conditions for keeping swordtails

Swordtails don’t require any unique circumstances. In actuality, the secret to their wellbeing is keeping aquarium water at ideal parameters. Nevertheless, remember this:

1. Swordtails require weekly replacement of up to 1/4 of the aquarium water volume, as well as aeration and filtration. It is important to remember that these fish don’t require a lot of oxygen, and that they don’t benefit from too frequent water changes in the aquarium as much as other kinds of fish do. Consequently, nothing bad will happen if you change the water less frequently—for instance, once every 14 days rather than every 7. This rule (NH4, NO2, NO3) is appropriate when there is zero nitrogen and a stable biobalance.

Like with other fish, an excessive amount of ammonia, nitrites, or nitrates is undesirable. Drop tests are something that every responsible aquarist should always have on hand, if only for phosphate and nitrate. Thankfully, they are now reasonably priced, and there are no issues with their acquisition or variety. You can get cheap Vladox tests in offline stores in your city. Friends, beware of nitrogen compounds. If you control them, you and your pets should be fine.

Berlin swordtail image

It will not be unnecessary to use preparations that neutralize dangerous substances for deep water changes when there is a clean water supply. For example, Tetra AquaSafe eliminates heavy metals and chlorine compounds while also including B vitamins, iodine, and other beneficial ingredients for aquariums.

Purchase the previously mentioned medications, gear, and other items helpful for aquarists from the FF-trusted online retailer Aqua Logo Shop. We advise against it!

2. A lid must always be placed over the aquarium. Being agile, the fish can leap out and perish.

3. Swordtails, like many other fish, are at ease in the presence of greenery. It is advised to use riccia, duckweed, vallisneria, echinodorus, and cryptocoryne as aquarium plants for them. Plant thickets are an imitation of a fish’s natural habitat.

4. You must arrange an open area for swimming in an aquarium before you decorate it. Swordtails have superb swimming abilities. Shelters are not necessary for swordtails.

Feeding and diet of swordtails

Swordtails are omnivores with an easy way with food, and they tend to overeat. They enjoy eating sublimated and dry foods like chips, granules, and flakes. Tetramin works well as a basic feed. plus feeds that also contain carotenoids.

Allow me to make a small note. Color series feeds – enhance the natural color of fish (red, yellow colors), since they are enriched with pigments such as canthaxanthin, astaxanthin. In fact, carotenoids are natural "coloring" substances. It is astaxanthin that gives plants a red-orange color, carrots are a striking example of this. Or, for example, have you ever wondered why flamingos are pink? Yes, that"s exactly why. Eating plant and animal food rich in carotenoids, flamingo plumage, which is initially white, gradually turns pink. The more the birds receive this substance with food, the richer and redder the plumage becomes. If you look even deeper, flamingos eat the well-known brine shrimp – pink, saltwater crustaceans and also turn pink.

In actuality, fish experience the same thing if carotenoids are present in their diet. It should be mentioned that astaxanthin is an antioxidant in addition to its other advantageous qualities. Generally speaking, carotenoids benefit all aquatic life, including aquarium plants, in addition to fish. The only requirement is that everything be balanced and in moderation. You must realize that the conditions of the fish’s life—such as stress or spawning—as well as the environment and lighting in the aquarium all affect the fish’s color.

In conclusion, while the Color series feeds are beneficial, they shouldn’t serve as the main course. Imagine what would happen if someone consumed nothing but beets for the entire week. The idea is unsettling. Fish is the same way. I apologize; they start to poop adorable pink poop.

It is crucial in this case, incidentally, to avoid overfeeding the fish in order to prevent digestive tract issues. Once a day, feed the swords; observe fasting days. This will turn into one of their content’s pillars of success. It should be mentioned that when purchasing any dry food, you should be mindful of the manufacture and expiration dates, avoid purchasing food in large quantities, and store it in a closed environment to prevent the growth of harmful flora.

Reproduction and breeding of Berlin swordtails

Swordtail breeding and reproduction are not difficult tasks at all. It is comparable to how guppies and other livebearers reproduce. It can also be said that it genuinely occurs on its own.

Swordtails reach sexual maturity between the ages of 5 and 6 months. It is advised to maintain fish in a ratio of one male to three females for breeding purposes as well as for their own comfort. The male does shuttle movements back and forth, resembling a mating dance, while courting the female.

Mature eggs are fertilized inside the female. This might take a few days to complete. One noteworthy characteristic of swordsmen is their ability to procreate multiple times from a fertilized female, even in the absence of a male.

The woman is expecting a child in four to six weeks. The conditions of the aquarium’s water, temperature, lighting, and feeding affect this time frame.

A "black pregnancy spot" appears under the tail of a pregnant female, and her abdomen is full. It is thought that the female’s abdomen becomes "square" and she starts to move more vigorously, "rushing" up and down the aquarium glass a few hours before "giving birth."

The female can spawn anywhere from fifteen to one hundred fry at a time. Typically, spawning takes place in the morning.

Monthly births are possible if the water is between 26 and 27 °C and there is ample feeding.

With its vivid colors and graceful movements, the Berlin swordtail is an aquarium fish that catches the eye of enthusiasts. It is also quite versatile. Recognized for its unique sword-like tail and vivacious disposition, this fish not only enhances the beauty of any tank but also flourishes in various aquatic habitats. In order to help both new and seasoned aquarists enjoy and successfully maintain this fascinating species, we’ll go over the essential traits, maintenance needs, and advantages of keeping Berlin swordtails in this article.

Ensure the survival of the young is perhaps the most crucial rule to follow when breeding swordtails. Regretfully, the parents consume their own young, and since swordtail fry are big and vividly colored, this process essentially becomes extinction. Swordsmen in the wild never see their young because the current sweeps the fry away right away. The parents take the fry out of the aquarium to eat.

The aquarium is heavily planted with aquarium plants in order to preserve the progeny. In the aquarium, plants are arranged densely on the surface, in the water column, and on the bottom. As a result, the fry receive protection "from evil parents" and the majority of them make it out alive.

Additionally, you can use specialized spawning tanks, which are made like funnels with the female remaining inside and the spawned fry falling out into the spawning aquarium, to preserve the offspring. As a result, at first, the producer and the fry don’t interact.

After spawning, separating the producers is the third way to preserve the progeny. This is an easy option, but it does require the aquarist to be punctual and focused.

Photo of a pregnant female swordtail, here is one giving birth

A swordtail woman who is heavily pregnant =)

The female is placed and given copious amounts of food after spawning.

Young swordtails are fed live dust (nauplii, brine shrimp, cyclops, microworm, rotifers, and cut tubifex) as their first meal.

A week later, the young swordtails are sorted; the strong and "purebred" ones are kept separate, while the weak and flawed ones are destroyed.

The juveniles grow quickly; males’ anal fins start to change after two months, and by the third month, the "sword" starts to grow.

Independent crossing happens when keeping swordtails from different species, and this can occasionally produce stunning offspring.

One fascinating aspect of these fish’s existence is that the female swordtail has the ability to change gender at some point. This happens when there is a "shortage" of males, which makes sense given the species’ struggle to survive. Almost 90% of the progeny born to a pair of females and one former female are female.

Diseases and treatment of swordtails

Since swordtails are incredibly resilient fish, they can withstand harsh confinement circumstances. But like all living things, this kind of great health doesn’t last forever. The right aquarium water conditions are essential for successful fish keeping.

Swordtails require the same care for all common aquarium fish illnesses, with no special considerations.

The disease must be identified in order to treat swordtails correctly, and then the required measures must be taken. This will support you. Diseases and treatments for aquarium fish as well as website sections: Aqua. Med. Fish Diseases.

These and a variety of other fish are always available at the physical supermarkets Aqua Logo and the internet retailer Aqua-Shop. Live goods delivery is offered in Moscow and the surrounding areas.

A fascinating option for any aquarium enthusiast is the Berlin swordtail. It stands out in any tank due to its vivid colors and unusual sword-like tail. Adding beauty and dynamic movement to your aquatic setup, this fish is perfect for both novice and expert aquarists.

The resilience of the Berlin swordtail is one of its main benefits. This fish is relatively easy to care for because it adapts well to a variety of water conditions. It will remain vibrant and healthy with regular upkeep and a well-balanced diet. Furthermore, they can add a lively element to a community tank due to their social behavior.

The Berlin swordtail does best in tanks that have lots of swimming room and are densely planted. They like a variety of open spaces and hiding places because it mimics their natural habitat. Keeping the water clean and adding live plants will help keep your swordtails happy and healthy.

All things considered, the Berlin swordtail is a great addition to any aquarium setup because it is beautiful and low maintenance. Its eye-catching look and captivating behavior will definitely make your aquatic world more enjoyable. These fish will add color and vibrancy to your tank for many years to come with a little TLC.

Video on the topic

Berlin swordtail

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Anton Popov

A professional aquarist with over 15 years of experience. Main specialization - marine aquariums and creating optimal conditions for keeping rare species of fish and corals. I am fond of aquascaping, actively participate in international competitions. I love to share knowledge and experience to help others create the beauty of the underwater world at home.

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