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Freshwater, Planted, Tropical Aquarium Information

Platy / Platies

Xiphophorus maculatus

Max. size     5cm / 2 inches
pH range     7– 8
dH range    10-25
Temp          18 – 26C / 65– 78
Care            Easy to Moderate

Common names are numerous depending on the colour range and include:

Mickey Mouse, Red Tuxedo, Southern Platy, Red Wagtail Platy and many others

Platys are live bearers, which means that unlike most other fish their young are born swimming rather than released as eggs.

Southern Platy Consequently Platy breed very successfully and can cause problems for you as either your tank becomes overstocked or you need to find a new home for your extra fish.

They are extremely hardy and easy to care for and make excellent fish for beginners. I personally think that no tank is complete without a live bearer whether it be the Platy or other varieties such as Guppies.

The Platy originates from Central America and come in a huge variety of colours such as the salt and pepper platy, the sunset platy, the red wag tail and the tuxedo platy as well as a variety called the Mickey Mouse. They are very active fish and will swim in all regions of the tank from the bottom to the top.

Sunset Platy The male Platy is usually smaller than the females measuring up to one and half inches as opposed to the female which can measure up to two and a half inches.

It is important to either stick to just females if you don’t want to breed them or make sure that there is a ration of two females to every male if you are intending to breed them. Otherwise the males will chase the females relentlessly and can even chase them to death.

They will be happy on a diet of nothing but flake food but thrive is this is supplemented with live or frozen food. This will avoid your Platies turning dull due to a lack of nutrients.

If they do breed you should ideally separate the young from the adults as they will become dish of the day for any adult fish in the aquarium. They enjoy a well planted tank with open spaces and fit easily into a community tank having reasonably docile personalities.

Read about the Zebra Danio next

Photos - Wikipedia

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◦	Aquarium Fish Disease - Why do we get it
◦	Aquarium Snails Love 'em or Hate 'em
◦	What Causes a Cloudy Fish Tank and What Can You Do About It?
◦	Are Fish Tank Lights Really As Complicated As the Experts Say
◦	Neon Tetra Disease - Move Quickly to Save the Rest!
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