Easy
Swordtail Red (Xiphophorus helleri red)
22–28°C · pH 7–8.4 · 75L
£3.99
A hardy, colorful livebearer with a striking koi-patterned body and an active, easygoing nature. Easy care, peaceful. 23-27C, pH 7.0-8.5.
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
A hardy, colorful livebearer with a striking koi-patterned body and an active, easygoing nature. Easy care, peaceful. 23-27C, pH 7.0-8.5.
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
Sanke is a pattern name borrowed from ornamental koi, and seeing it on a livebearer is exactly what makes this fish special: the Koi Sanke Swordtail (Xiphophorus helleri koi sanke) carries a striking koi-patterned body on the classic swordtail frame. For keepers who admire pond koi but only have room for a tropical tank, the appeal is obvious. The swordtail shape gives the pattern a long canvas, and the fish uses all of it as it moves. At roughly 12 cm full grown it is among the larger residents of a typical community, with an active, easygoing nature that keeps it visible without ever making it a nuisance.
It is rated easy to care for and peaceful in temperament — rare praise for a fish this noticeable, and the balance of looks and manners is what makes it work as a community centrepiece. Suitable company includes other peaceful livebearers, platies, mollies, guppies, peaceful tetras of similar size and Corydoras catfish; large aggressive cichlids, fin-nipping fish, very large predators and highly aggressive territorial species are best avoided altogether.
Maintain 23–27 °C with pH between 7.0 and 8.5 and hardness from 5 to 30 dGH, in an aquarium of 90 litres or more. Those are unremarkable numbers to hit — the same heater, filter and weekly routine that serve any tropical community will hold them. An omnivorous diet means it eats alongside the rest of the community without special provision, and a lifespan of about three years is typical.
Allow proper swimming room for a fish of this size and let the koi-style patterning take centre stage against simple decor — plain sand and dark stone keep the focus where it belongs. Stock around it with the calm species listed above and keep boisterous fish elsewhere. Give it a quiet introduction, then enjoy a livebearer that earns its place as the tank's conversation piece. Dispatch is handled by a licensed live-animal courier, with our live arrival guarantee covering the journey.
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