Xiphophorus Alvarezi Care

[OldMan47]

I picked up some juvenile or even younger of these fish today at a club auction. Does anyone have actual experience with them to draw on? I find lots of things with a Google search that suggests that typ8ical swordtail care will work for them but then I remember that sexing typical aquarium swordtails is fraught with perils and often is not done accurately by even the best of us. The fish seem to know even when we fish keepers don't.

 

[helterskelter]

I've got some for my parents 3ft tank, as they love wild livebearers too

They never look fat like most other Xiphophorus, even the males. They have a heater but set very low at around 70f.
They seam to prefer lots of fast water so they have a large power filter and it's heavily planted with a lot of swamp root too.
Their being kept with Xenotoca eiseni and are all very happy together.

Were treating them much like any other sword tail to be honest and the alpha male is stunning. Females just not getting gravid though, but only had them since November, so there is plenty of time yet for them.

 

[OldMan47]

Thanks for the info HelterSkelter. My subjuvenile fry are thriving so far but after only a few days I was still nervous. My own fish are at 75F, 24C, and are being fed alternately a high quality flake food and some frozen daphnia. After only having them 3 days, they already swarm to the front glass when I enter the room. I am guessing they know where the food comes from and they are enjoying it.
Auctions are always fun for me. When I see a livebearer that I have never tried before, I can't resist bringing some home and trying to raise them. It is how I got so many goodeids and limias and this weekend it gave me my alvarezi. The A. caucatoides lost his home to these little guys but he is in a much larger setting now with a community of other colorful fish.