TankBud

Variety of Guppy

Sword guppy

Poecilia reticulata

One of 9 varieties of Poecilia reticulata · See all varieties →

Also known as Double Sword Guppy

FreshwaterBrackishFish

Sword guppy (Poecilia reticulata)

Varieties · Poecilia reticulata

See all 9 →

Care at a glance

Temperature
64–82°F
18–28°C
pH
6.8–7.8
Adult size
2.4 in
6 cm
Minimum tank
10 gal
38 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Social
Swim level
Middle
Difficulty
Beginner
Breeding
Livebearer · Easy
Rarity
Very common
Family
Poeciliidae

Overview

The sword guppy is a guppy whose tail carries one or two long spikes of caudal rays instead of a broad fan. It is peaceful, easy to keep and suits a calm community tank.

Did you know

The sword classes reward tidiness over size. The standard asks for a caudal carrying no color outside the swords, so a clean center is part of what is being scored. A fish with color bleeding across the tail is outside the class description no matter how long its swords run.

Caring for the sword guppy

Sword guppies look their best in a group. Keep them in a planted tank of 10 gal (38 L) or more, where they spend most of their time in the middle.

Sword guppies are very adaptable. Give them neutral to slightly hard water at 64 to 82°F (18 to 28°C) and a pH of 6.8 to 7.8. They can live in brackish water as well as fresh.

Feed quality flake, micro pellets and frozen daphnia or brine shrimp, since sword guppies eat almost anything. They are peaceful and social, and they settle well in a calm community tank.

Males are smaller than females but more colorful. Keep more females than males to cut down on pestering. Sword guppies are livebearers that give birth to free-swimming young, and a mixed group produces fry constantly. Females can store sperm and deliver several broods from one mating, so plan for the numbers or keep males only.

Good to know

The sword guppy comes in three separate looks: a top sword, a bottom sword and the double sword carrying both. Shops usually name which sword they have, and double sword is the one listed most often. The swords are the outer rays of the caudal grown long, while the fin between them stays short. Total fin area stays small compared with a delta of the same body size, so these males look narrower than a delta. Length and symmetry are selected rather than switched on by one gene, so sword parents throw uneven fry. Length and evenness also vary between farms, so check both extensions before you pick.

In the wild

The sword tail is a domestic selection, kept alive by breeders who prefer a slim tail to a big fan. Wild male guppies have short rounded tails, so the extensions do not occur in the wild. The IFGA runs single sword and double sword as separate classes, with top and bottom swords entered together as single sword. No one breeder or country is credited with fixing the shape.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The sword guppy is a peaceful, social species that keeps to the middle. These picks share a community profile with it, are safe together in both directions, and overlap on water type, temperature and pH.

Check the full mix in the stocking calculator

Common questions

Is a sword guppy a different species from the guppy?

No. A sword guppy is a variety of the guppy, Poecilia reticulata, and it wants the same tank, water and food as the species.

What size tank does a sword guppy need?

A sword guppy needs at least 10 gal (38 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

What does a sword guppy eat?

A sword guppy eats almost anything. Offer it quality flake and micro pellets, with frozen daphnia or brine shrimp.

How big does a sword guppy get?

An adult sword guppy reaches about 2.4 in (6 cm).

How can you tell a male sword guppy from a female?

Males are smaller than females but more colorful.

How does a sword guppy breed?

A sword guppy is a livebearer that gives birth to free-swimming young. Females can store sperm and deliver several broods from one mating, so a mixed group produces fry constantly.

Related species