Xiphophorus alvarezi Albino - Back to Home Page

    Common Name- Albino alvarezi swordtail
    Water Conditions- Not Critical. Temp 72-80, Some water movement, plants
    Behavior- Very peaceful community fish.
    Breeding- Separate gravid females into separate tank. May eat fry. 10-20 Young after approx.30 days.
    Size- Females- 3.5 inches, Males- 4.0 inches (including sword)

   
     This line was generated from a series of spontaneous mutations that occurred in 2007.
     While working to isolate wild X. alvarezi that produced fish with 4-5 deep red stripes on their
     sides, the first generation for this albino line was produced.

    A previous line was developed here in 2005, and sold at the American Livebearer
    Convention from a mutation, and has since been seen on Aquabid, etc. Unfortunately,
    though a large fish with red in the dorsal, they often grew old without reproducing.
    This line has proven to be an entirely different albino sport. The red is abundant along the sides
    in an intense bright red, against an ivory or translucent golden body. They are not as large
    as the previous line, but its size has increased with each generation. Most importantly,
    they have proven to be fairly prolific, without the production of the large females that
    fail to become gravid, as was the case with the earlier line.

    The care advised for the normal X. alvarezi applies here, but being an albino fish, they are
    slightly less hardy, in that young should be raised up in a small tank or net breeder by
    themselves to keep an eye on them, and provide immediate access to food. As adults I
    would choose tankmates carefully- the long swords on the males are a beautiful light
    yellow, and may prove too tempting for fin nippers.

    I make sure to provide them with live or frozen brine shrimp, daphnia, etc. on a regular
    basis and take particular care to keep their tanks free of excess organic waste, to keep this
    particularly striking fish looking at its best. As the young are smaller (being albino), it is
    best to assume that females should be moved to drop their fry to a 5 or 10 gallon aquarium
    with some Java moss. After they are born and the female is removed, either the majority
    of the plants are removed and the young are raised in the tank, or the fry are gently caught
    on day 2 or 3 and moved into a net breeder to be raised up, until they can fend for themselves..

    The males exhibit typical swordtail behavior in that they spend much of their time chasing
    one another. Breeding in trios would work best, but here the best fish are bred here in 29 talls
    in groups, the females removed as they become gravid. In time I can see selectively breeding
    the females for the greatest amount of color, as some of them are spectacular with
    3-5 deep red lines on their sides against a near transparent body.

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