TFA101

1. Become vulnerable to Swordtails and Black Skirt Tetras?
2. Grow to be 2"
3. Make a good contrast with the darker Black Skirts?
4. Become less vulnerable to disease and show better color with good water quality, varied, and living quarters?

sirdarksol

I have seen black skirts kill neons before. Not sure if this is normal or not.

Butterfly

1.) depends on the tank size
2)depends on the neon. Black neons get to be two inches reg. neons do not.
3)yes definitely
4)yep

carol

MissMTS

1) Not in my experience, but I don't know about other people
2)They stay at 1.5
3)I had some in with black skirts and it was a very pretty tank
4)My neons were really healthy. I never lost one. I would look for larger ones if I were you because they are likely to be a little hardier in my experience.

TFA101

My black skirts are full size and about a year old, all of them. I hear if you introduce the neons before anything, they'll have time to grow, and become more than bite-sized for any fish. But also, the Black Skirts would also be bigger, but if they're already @ full size, then they shouldn't grow anymore anyways. Should I try this out? Or should I invest in some younger, smaller black skirts when the time comes? (This is two years from now).

The tank will be 50 gallons and have:

5 Black Tetras
10 Neon Tetras
3 Red Velvet Swords (male, 2 females)
3 Peppered Cories

^^ This stock okay right?

Lucy

1. Don't know
2. The norm is 1.5", but I suppose they can.
3. Don't know
4. Yes. Mine are more colorful and look healthier than they were in the store.

Butterfly

I have found that the bigger the school of black skirts the less aggressive they seem to be. My husband wanted them in his 55G and i was dreading the carnage I was sure was going to result but they turned out to be mild mannered and never bother the other smaller fish.
we have Serpae tetras, Black Skirts, Danios, Minnows (don't ask ), mystery snails and corys in that tank.
Carol

TFA101

Oh yeah, what is the maximim length for male and female swordtails? If I wanted to keep only a pair, would it work if I had descent hiding places for the female?

TFA101

And also, I might be performing MAJOR alterations to the stock, so it may not remain the same for long. My Black Skirts are middle-aged... I think. Their color is fading and my water is fine.