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Kohaku Swordtail (Xiphophorus hellerii)

The Kohaku Swordtail is a striking colour variety of the popular Swordtail, featuring a beautiful white body with vibrant red markings inspired by the famous Kohaku koi pattern. Hardy, active and easy to care for, these colourful livebearers are an excellent choice for both beginner and experienced aquarists.

Their peaceful temperament, constant activity and eye-catching colours make them a standout addition to community aquariums.

Quick Facts

• Common Name: Kohaku Swordtail
• Scientific Name: Xiphophorus hellerii
• Family: Poeciliidae
• Origin: Captive-bred colour variety
• Adult Size: 10–14 cm (males slightly smaller than females)
• Temperament: Peaceful and active
• Care Level: Easy
• Lifespan: 3–5 years

Appearance

Kohaku Swordtails display a brilliant combination of creamy white and rich red colouration. Every fish has its own unique pattern, making each individual one of a kind.

Males develop the distinctive elongated lower tail fin, known as the "sword", while females have a shorter, rounded tail.

Aquarium Requirements

A minimum aquarium size of 75 litres is recommended for a small group, although larger aquariums provide more stable water conditions and allow these active fish plenty of swimming space.

Water Parameters

• Temperature: 22–28°C
• pH: 7.0–8.2
• General Hardness (GH): 10–25 dGH
• Moderate water flow
• Regular partial water changes

Swordtails appreciate clean, well-filtered water and benefit from a planted aquarium with open swimming areas.

Tank Mates

Kohaku Swordtails are peaceful community fish and mix well with many other similarly sized species.

Suitable tank mates include:

• Platies
• Mollies
• Guppies
• Corydoras
• Bristlenose Catfish
• Peaceful Rainbowfish
• Larger Tetras
• Peaceful Barbs

Avoid keeping them with aggressive or fin-nipping species that may damage the males' sword extension.

Feeding

Kohaku Swordtails are omnivores and readily accept a wide variety of foods.

A balanced diet should include:

• Quality tropical flakes or pellets
• Frozen foods such as bloodworms, brine shrimp and daphnia
• Live foods as an occasional treat
• Vegetable matter including spirulina-based foods and blanched spinach or zucchini

Feeding a varied diet helps maintain vibrant colouration and overall health.

Behaviour

These fish are constantly on the move and spend much of their time swimming throughout the aquarium.

Males may occasionally display to one another, particularly during breeding, but serious aggression is uncommon in a well-sized aquarium with plenty of space.

Keeping one male with two or more females often helps reduce unwanted attention towards individual females.

Breeding

Kohaku Swordtails are livebearers, meaning they give birth to free-swimming fry rather than laying eggs.

Healthy females can produce broods every four to six weeks, with anywhere from 20 to over 100 fry depending on their size and age.

To improve fry survival:

• Provide dense plants or breeding mops for cover.
• Feed newly born fry finely crushed flake, powdered fry food or freshly hatched brine shrimp.
• Consider separating pregnant females or raising fry in a dedicated grow-out aquarium.

Care Tips

• Maintain excellent water quality through regular maintenance.
• Provide plenty of swimming space.
• Include live or artificial plants for shelter.
• Offer a varied diet for optimum health and colour.
• Keep in groups for natural behaviour.

Why Choose Kohaku Swordtails?

Kohaku Swordtails combine stunning koi-inspired colouration with the hardiness that has made Swordtails one of the world's most popular aquarium fish. They are easy to care for, highly active and rewarding to breed, making them an outstanding choice for community aquariums.