What Are Marigold Swordtails?

Description

• Male marigold swordtails grow to be around three inches long, not including the tail; females are larger and heavier. Both males and females have a bright golden-yellow body at their head which deepens to a rich orange-red towards their tails. Males have a very long lower tail fin, which tapers to a fine point. It is this feature that gives the swordtail fish its name.

Tanks

• If you wish to keep marigold swordtails, choose the largest tank possible. Swordtails are active swimmers and, although you can keep them in a 10-gallon aquarium, they prefer more space. Keep the temperature of the tank between 68 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit. Test the water regularly with pH strips, maintaining a pH of between 6.5 and 8.0. Swordtails are not aggressive and they can be kept with tetras, angelfish, rainbow fish, guppies or any other fish with similar needs.

Feeding

• The marigold swordfish is an easy fish to keep in terms of feeding. They do well with a quality flake or pellet food and periodic feedings of live food, including small crustaceans such as daphnia and brine shrimp, to help keep their colors bright. Feed the marigold swordfish a pinch of food every day. If they cannot finish all of the food within five minutes, cut back on the size of the pinch.

Breeding

• Marigold swordtails are live breeders. The male fertilizes the eggs when they are inside the female and then the female gives birth to very small fish called fry. A female can produce around 20 to 30 fry every month or as many as 100 if it is a mature female. Not all of the fry survive, as adults may eat them. If you wish to raise the fry, remove the female to another tank just before it gives birth; place it back into the original tank once the fry are born. A female marigold swordtail may give birth without a male present, as the females can store sperm in their bodies for extended periods of time after contact with a male.