Easy
Swordtail Red (Xiphophorus helleri red)
22–28°C · pH 7–8.4 · 75L
£3.99
Wien Lyra Swordtail with sweeping lyre-tail fins, about 12 cm. Peaceful and easy to keep at 23–27 °C, pH 7–8.5, from 75 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 wien lyra
Swordtail Wien Lyra are a shoaling species — they need 6+ to feel safe and show their full colour. Larger shoals stay calmer, eat better, and look stunning.
Wien Lyra Swordtail with sweeping lyre-tail fins, about 12 cm. Peaceful and easy to keep at 23–27 °C, pH 7–8.5, from 75 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
Wien is simply the German word for Vienna, and it lends its name to one of the most elegant lyretail lines we sell. The Wien Lyra Swordtail (Xiphophorus helleri wien lyra) combines the species' famously easy-going nature with sweeping lyre-tail finnage, and at an adult size of around 12 cm those flowing fins are shown off to full effect as it glides through midwater. The overall effect is of a fish dressed for an occasion, gliding rather than rushing. Few livebearers manage to look formal, but this one comes close.
Care is rated easy and the temperament peaceful. It is happiest among other peaceful livebearers such as platies, mollies and guppies, or alongside peaceful tetras and danios that occupy different levels of the tank. The avoid list deserves real attention with any long-finned fish: aggressive bettas and fin-nipping barbs both appear on it by name, joined by large aggressive cichlids and large predators, and very small fry or shrimp may be eaten by adults.
Water care follows familiar livebearer lines — 23–27 °C, a pH of 7.0–8.5 and hardness anywhere from 5 to 30 dGH — with 75 litres as the listed minimum aquarium. Equipment needs stay basic: heat to hold the range, filtration to keep the water stable, and routine partial changes to keep everything in balance. An omnivorous appetite keeps mealtimes uncomplicated, and a typical lifespan runs to about three years.
Choose tank mates from the peaceful list before you order, keeping nippy or aggressive species well away from those fins. The Wien Lyra rewards a tank with open swimming space where its finnage can be appreciated in motion. Equalise water conditions patiently when your fish arrives rather than rushing the release — give it a settled, quiet first day and the elegant finnage soon takes centre stage. It travels with a licensed live-animal courier and is protected by our live arrival guarantee.
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