Thursday, May 20, 2010

How big do swordtails get?

Hi, I was wondering. How big do swordtails get? Is there any size differences between the different types? I'm mainly interested in green, painted, pineapple, marigold and neon. But red or velvet would be ok also. If you know the size they get when they reach adulthood, then please let me know.


Thanks in advance.

How big do swordtails get?
Swordtails can grow up to 4 inches in length. There are really only two different types of swordtails; the standard swordtail and the hi fin lyretail swordtail. Their colorings just vary as in many other types of fish, however, the standard come in a much wider range of colors.
Reply:8-12 cm is usual. This does not include the length of the male's sword which can be almost as long as the body. Females grow larger than males ( not counting the sword.





Different colour variations will generally grow to the same length as one another, however there can be differences within a population just as people grow to different heights.





I have noticed that there can be considerable length variations even in the same batch of fry. Careful fish breeders will keep the fish that grow the longest as breeding stock so the fish at your local pet store may not be the best examples of length.





The largest I saw was an orange swordtail which had been kept in a pond for some years. It was close to 20cm (8inches)
Reply:Most species get to be between 4-6.5" in length including their tail. They do best in a planted 20gal aquarium and swim in all areas of the tank. The males have the "swords" at the bottom of their tails and have slimmer bodies while the females have a fan shaped tail and rounder body. Be careful when having more than one male, they sometimes fight. Good luck with your tank! =)
Reply:It really depends on the species or the hybrid in question. Green swordtails can be anyone of three to four species or hybrids between several of those. Pineapples are a combination of the green and red colors, which can both be hybrids.... it could get really, really long but what it boils down to is your fish may get as much as 5" or may stop growing at 3' and either way be totally healthy and normal.





MM
Reply:Swordtails generally don't get much bigger than 10 inches, max. It depends on the breed and how big your aquarium is. Some swordtails will get big but you have to make sure there are no aggressive fish in your tank that might nip off their fins. If that happens, they're done growing.
Reply:The largest I have ever seen have been about 4 inches long.
Reply:I have never seen any bigger than about an inch and a half, to two inches max. I don't know about the varying types, but I believe Marigolds get the biggest.
Reply:About five inches I think is standard.
Reply:About 2-2.5", not including fins or tail. These are schooling fish, you need at least 4-6 similar to reduce stress. The problem with so many varieties in one tank, they will interbreed into mutts very quickly.


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