Easy
Swordtail Wien Lyra (Xiphophorus helleri wien lyra)
23–27°C · pH 7–8.5 · 75L
£5.99
Green Wagtail Swordtail — a peaceful, easy-care livebearer reaching about 12 cm. Thrives at 23–27 °C, pH 7–8.5 in tanks from 100 litres.
Adult size is the maximum length this species reaches at full maturity (scientific sources). The livestock you receive will be younger and smaller — pick a size variant above for the actual shipping size. Photos are AI-enhanced, so the animal may show subtle colour or marking differences.
Xiphophorus helleri green wagteil
Swordtail Green Wagtail are a shoaling species — they need 6+ to feel safe and show their full colour. Larger shoals stay calmer, eat better, and look stunning.
Green Wagtail Swordtail — a peaceful, easy-care livebearer reaching about 12 cm. Thrives at 23–27 °C, pH 7–8.5 in tanks from 100 litres.
Adult size is the maximum length this species reaches at full maturity (scientific sources). The livestock you receive will be younger and smaller — pick a size variant above for the actual shipping size. Photos are AI-enhanced, so the animal may show subtle colour or marking differences.
Platies are one of the best beginner fish — hardy, colourful, peaceful, and available in dozens of colour varieties. Perfect for community tanks of all sizes.
Maintain these water conditions for optimal health and vibrant colors
Green is one of the scarcer colours in the livebearer hobby, and this strain wears it with the classic wagtail pattern — a combination that makes the Green Wagtail Swordtail (Xiphophorus helleri green wagteil) a genuinely different pick for a community display. Reaching around 12 cm as an adult, it is a fish with real presence, cruising the middle level of the tank on the graceful flowing tail the swordtail family is famous for. Care is rated easy, so it suits newcomers just as well as experienced keepers after something less common.
Temperament is reliably peaceful. Platies, mollies, Corydoras catfish, Otocinclus and snails all make suitable companions, as do other calm livebearers of a similar size. Provide warm, neutral-to-alkaline water — 23–27 °C with a pH between 7.0 and 8.5 — and it will be comfortable across an unusually wide hardness band of 5–30 dGH. As an omnivore it takes a varied diet without any fuss, and a healthy fish can be expected to live for roughly three years.
Like the rest of its family, this is an active, sociable fish that patrols open water for much of the day, so leave a clear swimming lane along the front of the aquarium and balance it with planted cover towards the back. The classic community formula serves it well: steady filtration, routine partial water changes and the varied feeding an omnivore appreciates.
Plan for at least 100 litres before adding Green Wagtails, which gives this larger livebearer room to stretch out. Leave large aggressive cichlids, fin-nipping barbs and big predatory fish off the stocking list, and remember that very small fry or shrimp may end up as a snack. If you are building a livebearer-themed display, the green colouring contrasts beautifully with red and gold forms elsewhere in our swordtail range. Orders travel with a licensed live-animal courier and every fish is covered by our live arrival guarantee.
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