Easy
Swordtail Wien Lyra (Xiphophorus helleri wien lyra)
23–27°C · pH 7–8.5 · 75L
£5.99
A hardy, colorful livebearer with elegant lyretail fins that brings constant activity and easy breeding to community aquariums. Easy care, peaceful. 23-27C, pH 7-8.5.
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. Product-photo provenance and any image-specific limitations are stated on the listing.
Xiphophorus helleri
Swordtail Red Lyra are a shoaling species — they need 6+ to feel safe and show their full colour.
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A hardy, colorful livebearer with elegant lyretail fins that brings constant activity and easy breeding to community aquariums. Easy care, peaceful. 23-27C, pH 7-8.5.
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. Product-photo provenance and any image-specific limitations are stated on the listing.
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
A lyre-shaped tail changes the entire character of a swordtail. On the Red Lyra (Xiphophorus helleri red lyra), elegant lyretail finnage is paired with rich red colouring, producing a livebearer that moves like a ribbon through the middle of the tank. Where standard-finned swordtails dart, a lyretail appears to drift — the same speed, somehow twice the elegance. Adults reach about 12 cm, care is rated easy, and the temperament on record is peaceful — a showpiece fish that still behaves itself in company.
This strain also carries the family's famous productivity: it is noted as an easy breeder, so a well-conditioned mixed group will usually reward you with fry. House it with other peaceful livebearers — platies, mollies and guppies are all listed — or alongside peaceful tetras and danios for movement at different levels. Large aggressive cichlids, fin-nipping species, very large predators and highly aggressive fish are the ones to avoid; trailing fins make tempting targets for nippers.
Conditions follow the standard swordtail recipe: 23–27 °C, pH 7.0–8.5 and a generous hardness window of 5–30 dGH. Within those numbers nothing else is demanded — a cycled, heated aquarium and a weekly maintenance routine keep conditions exactly where this strain wants them. An omnivorous appetite makes feeding easy, and around three years is a realistic lifespan for a well-kept fish.
Ninety litres is the floor for this strain, and more space only improves the display as those fins develop. Double-check your existing stock against the avoid list before ordering — one fin-nipper can spoil a lyretail. Plants positioned away from the main swimming lane give any fry that arrive somewhere to shelter without stealing open water from the adults. Seen in person, the drifting fins make a far stronger case than any photograph can. Fish are sent by licensed live-animal courier with a live arrival guarantee in place from the moment you order.
