Red Wag Swordtail

In the aquatic trade the word wag refers to a black tail fin. When the red wag swordtail swims about the aquarium, it does appear to wag a tail. Unlike the deep red body of the velvet red swordtail, the red and red wag swordtails have a little orange in the red color of the body. If you need to have a specific sex, please request it in the note section when placing the order.

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: 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.