Care
The Swordtail Characin is a small, active species that is ideally suited to planted soft water aquaria. These fish are best maintained in large groups (8+) as males do tend to squabble a little amongst themselves and this will help to spread any minor aggression amongst the shoal. Happily, though, they are peaceful towards other species, so can be safely kept alongside other similarly sized tetras, Corydoras catfish, dwarf cichlids (such as Apistogramma spp.) and Loricariids. The tank should be mature and furnished with plenty of driftwood and plants, but aquascaped in such a way that allows for an open swimming space in the centre of the aquarium. A dark substrate and the addition of some floating plants may also help to make the fish feel more secure. These fish are not seen in the trade too often, but they do create a wonderful display and make for a very interesting breeding project (see below). As SwordtailCharacins are expert jumpers, ensure that the aquarium has tight-fitting coverslides.
Feeding
Prefers small meaty frozen foods such as bloodworm, white mosquito larvae, daphnia, cyclops, and vitamin-enriched brineshrimp. Given time, they may take dried foods such as flake and micropellets too.
Breeding
This species has been bred in the home aquarium, and its method of reproduction is particularly interesting. A mixed-sex group of fish should be conditioned in soft, acidic water (pH:6.0-7.0, dH: up to 8 degrees) with water temperature towards the high end of the preferred range. At the same time as getting the adults into condition, set up another small aquarium with matching water parameters for the purpose of reading the fry. This tank should be filtered gently via an air-powered sponge filter and should contain clumps of fine-leaved plants or moss. When in spawning condition, the male fish show off to females by twitching their opercular appendages; responsive female fish that are ready to breed have been observed rubbing against these. Once this courtship behaviour has been witnessed for a few days, it is likely that the males will have deposited their sperm capsules into the oviducts of the female fish (internal fertilisation).In the wild, the females are thought to be able to retain fertilised eggs until conditions in the environment are to their liking, at which point they arereleased. So having seen this courtship behaviour unfolding in the main tank over the course of several days, the females should be carefully acclimatised to the breeding tank. Leaving the female fish in this tank for a few days should result in the appearance of tiny fry (eggs typically hatch between 24-36 hours).It is best to move the adult females back to the main tank at this point, to prevent predation. As the fry are so small, they will require appropriately sized foodstuffs for the first week or so, such as infusoria. After this they can be moved on to baby brine shrimp (Artemianauplii).
