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Freshwater fishBlood Red Red-eye Swordtail
Blood Red Red-eye Swordtail
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Red red-eye swordtails do not have the long veil fins of the lyre sword, but they share the remarkable bright solid red body and deep red eyes. Like most swords, these swords prefer water with a touch of aquarium salt in the system. In a planted tank or any tank with some contrasting dark background, the bright red bodies and bright red eyes stand out.
Quick Facts
| Scientific Name | Xiphophorus hellerii (blood red, red-eye) |
| Origin | Southern Mexico to Honduras (wild ancestors); aquarium-bred |
| Care Level | Easy, good for beginners |
| Temperament | Peaceful (males may spar) |
| Adult Size | Up to 4–5" (not counting the sword) |
| Lifespan | 3–5 years |
| Diet | Omnivore |
| Water Temperature | 72–79°F |
| pH | 7.0–8.0 (hard water) |
| Group Size | Keep more females than males |
| Shipping Size | Approx. 1½" |
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: Swordtails are livebearers and breed readily. Fry are born free-swimming and will be eaten unless there are dense plants or a breeding box for them to hide in. Only males grow the "sword" on the tail.
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