Red Hi Fin Lyre Tail Swordtail

The hi-fin lyre red swordtail sports a tall and colorful dorsal fin with a curved, long lyre tail. Orange to red in color, these fish are vibrant additions to the fish tank and are active members of the community fish tank. One male to one or two females is a good ratio; two males might wear out a single female.

Quick Facts

Care Guide

Tank setup: Swordtails are active swimmers, so give them plants, open swimming space and a tight-fitting lid, since they are good jumpers. They prefer hard, alkaline water.

Feeding: Feed a quality flake or small pellet with some vegetable content once or twice a day. They also enjoy frozen foods like bloodworms and brine shrimp.

Tankmates: Swordtails get along with most peaceful community fish of similar size, such as platies, mollies, larger tetras, danios, rainbowfish, gouramis and corydoras. Keep more females than males, since males chase females and may spar with each other. Avoid fin-nippers and large cichlids.

Good to know: Lyretail and hi-fin swordtails have extra-long fins, so keep them away from fin-nippers like tiger barbs. Many lyretail males have an elongated gonopodium and can't breed, so lyretail fry usually come from lyretail females mated with standard-finned males.