Sanke Tri-Color Swordtail

The sanke swordtail, also called the sanshoku swordtail or tri-color swordtail, is bred to display the red, black and white color pattern of the famous sanke show pattern of Japanese pond koi. Coloration patterns vary, but all breeders keep the three primary colors, and we think all our breeders do a nice job with the sanshoku swordtail. When two or more swordtails are ordered, we try to keep an even mix of males and females.

The color pattern is difficult to breed, so these fish are slightly more expensive than the green swords and red wag swords.

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.