Breeding Koi Swordtail (Xiphophorus Helleri Koi Kohaku) In The Aquarium

Location

This freshwater fish is albino variant of the green sword-tail (Xiphophorus hellerii).

Body description

Colour of the fish is white with red, orange or yellow spots. Sometimes this fish may have black dots on the body. There is a lot of color variants of this fish which differ in the pattern on the body. There is also a variant with elongated fins. Male has elongated bottom rays of the caudal fin. These rays of the tail look like a sword. His anal fin is transformed into the gonopodium – external copulatory organ.

Temperament and behaviour

This is an active, peaceful and friendly species. It may jump out of the aquarium so you need to covered your tank. Males of this species form social hierarchy within the group. The dominant can attack and chase other males so you need to keep a group of minimum 5 males.

Aquarium decoration

This species prefers spacious tanks. Aquarium should have space to swim, hiding-places among plants, roots and rocks, strong light, effective filtration system and oxygen-rich water.

Breeding

This is live-bearer species – fertilization is internal. The spawning is preceded by intense courtship. Male "dances" around female - he totters from side to side. The pregnant female can be recognized by dark pregnant-spot on her belly. This spot enlarges with time. You should transfer the pregnant female to a separate tank. The parents don’t take care for the offspring and they can eat the fry. The gestation period of the female lasts several weeks. The fry (about 100-200) appears in the aquarium after this time. The fry starts to swim and feed at once. They grow unevenly.