Product Details

Showa Swordtail – Xiphophorus hellerii

The Showa Swordtail is a bold captive-bred swordtail strain with contrasting red, white and black patterning inspired by Showa-style colouration. Also sold as a Showa Helleri Swordtail, Showa Koi Swordtail, Koi Showa Swordtail or simply Fancy Swordtail, this active livebearer is best suited to a planted tropical community aquarium with open swimming space, stable mineral-rich water and peaceful but robust tank mates. It is hardy when kept correctly, but its adult size and active nature mean it needs more room than many small livebearers.

Key Identification:

Common Name: Showa Swordtail
Other Names: Showa Helleri Swordtail, Showa Koi Swordtail, Koi Showa Swordtail, Fancy Swordtail
Scientific Name: Xiphophorus hellerii
Older / Trade Name: Xiphophorus helleri
Strain / Form: Captive-bred Showa ornamental strain
Fish Type: Livebearer / Swordtail
Water Type: Freshwater

Natural Range & Habitat:

Xiphophorus hellerii is native to North and Central America, with wild populations occurring from Mexico through parts of Central America. Natural habitats include flowing streams, rivers, warm springs, canals, ponds and vegetated margins where the fish can browse, feed and shelter among plants.

The Showa Swordtail is a captive-bred ornamental form, so its red, white and black colour pattern has been developed through selective breeding. Its care should still be based on the needs of healthy swordtails: clean water, stable conditions, good swimming space, planted cover and water that is not too soft or acidic.

Appearance & Adult Size:

Showa Swordtails usually show a mixture of red, orange, white, cream and black markings across the body and fins. Pattern placement varies between individuals, with some fish showing stronger red coverage, others more pale body colour, and some developing darker black patches or marbling.

Males develop the long lower tail extension known as the sword, while females are larger, deeper-bodied and do not have the sword. Adult males commonly reach around 10–12 cm including the sword, while females can reach around 12–14 cm in good conditions.

Aquarium Suitability:

This species is well suited to planted livebearer aquariums, larger peaceful community tanks and active tropical displays. It appreciates open swimming space, sturdy plants, gentle to moderate flow and stable water quality.

Showa Swordtails are not ideal for tiny aquariums, very soft acidic setups or communities with fin-nipping fish. Males can be persistent when courting females, so the group structure should be planned carefully.

Recommended Aquarium Size:

A practical minimum is 100 litres for a small group, with a tank length of at least 80 cm recommended. Larger aquariums are better for mixed communities or groups containing multiple males.

Keep either a male-only display group or a mixed group with one male to at least two or three females. This helps reduce constant attention on individual females. Avoid keeping just one male and one female, as the female may be over-harassed.

Water Conditions:

Temperature: 22–26°C
pH: 7.0–8.0
Hardness: Moderately hard to hard
Additional Notes: Swordtails do best in stable, mineral-rich water and are not ideal for very soft acidic conditions. Provide good filtration, regular water changes and open swimming space. Avoid sudden parameter swings, poor water quality and cramped tanks.

Temperament & Tank Mates:

Aquarium Category: Community Fish

Showa Swordtails are active, generally peaceful community fish, but males can be competitive with each other and persistent with females. Suitable tank mates include platies, mollies in suitable water, peaceful rainbowfish, larger rasboras, medium peaceful tetras that tolerate harder water, cory-type catfish in appropriate conditions, Bristlenose Plecos and other robust community fish.

Avoid fin-nipping barbs, aggressive cichlids, large predators, very shy slow feeders and soft-water specialists that dislike harder alkaline water. Do not mix different swordtail or platy strains if maintaining a pure breeding line is important, as Xiphophorus species and varieties can hybridise.

Feeding:

Showa Swordtails are omnivores that naturally feed on small invertebrates, insects, crustaceans, algae, detritus and plant material. In the aquarium, offer quality tropical flakes, livebearer granules and small pellets as the staple diet.

Supplement with frozen or live foods such as daphnia, brineshrimp, cyclops, mosquito larvae and bloodworm. Include vegetable and algae-based foods such as spirulina flakes, algae wafers or blanched greens to support digestion and long-term condition.

Behaviour in the Aquarium:

This is an active midwater and upper-level livebearer that spends much of its time swimming in open areas, browsing plants and investigating the aquarium. Males display with their swordtail extension and may chase females or rival males.

Showa Swordtails are livebearers and can breed readily if both sexes are present. Females give birth to free-swimming fry, which may survive in planted aquariums with moss, floating plants or dense cover. Adults and tank mates may eat fry, so separate rearing is needed if you want to save large numbers.

Care Notes:

Plan for adult size and activity level. Swordtails need more space than guppies or small platies, especially males with extended swords and females carrying fry.

Keep water clean, stable and mineral-rich. Avoid very soft acidic water, cramped aquariums and fin-nipping tank mates. Male-only groups are useful for display tanks, while mixed groups should include more females than males. If breeding, avoid mixing with other Xiphophorus strains unless hybrid offspring are acceptable.

Recommended For:

Beginner to intermediate

Availability:

Occasional / Captive-bred ornamental strain

Image Disclaimer:

All images are a visual representation of the fish you will receive, made to be as accurate as possible. Natural variation in size, colour, pattern, tail shape, body tone and markings can occur between individual fish.