Aquarium Lore: Platy

Data Sheet
Scientific Name:	Xiphophorus Maculatus.
Family:	Poecilidae
Origin:	Central America, South America
Adult Size:	2.4" (6 cm)
Social:	Peaceful fish
Lifespan:	up to 5 years
Tank Level:	Mid Dweller
Minimum Tank Size:	10 gallons
Diet:	Omnivore
Breeding:	Live bearer
Care:	Easy
Ideal pH:	7.0-8.2
Temperature:	64-77F (18-25 C)
Tank setup:	Some plants and space for open swimming
Sexing:	Females tends to be fairly larger than the males. The males are also more colorful than the females. Males have a Gonopodium.

Orange Tuxedo Platy

Red Wag Platy

Description:

Some specimens are elongated with both Dorsal and Ventral profiles slightly curved out or convex, but mostly they are thick-bodied with a high back. The Dorsal fin has nine or ten fin rays, except for the high-fin varieties.

Habitat/Care:

An aquarium best suited to the platys is well lit with plants. Like all livebearers, they do like a bit of salt though it is not necessary. The plants should be loosely arranged for the Platy and densely planted with open swimming areas.

Mixing with other fishes:

These peaceful fish can be safety mixed with most other small, peaceful fishes, such as guppies, neon tetras and swordtails.

Diet:

Platys are omnivorous and eats almost anything, from flake food, tubifex or bloodworms or frozen food. But they have a very high herbivorous requirement, and their diet needs to include lots of algae and other vegetation. Brine shrimp (either live or frozen), tubifex, or blood worms are a treat for Platies. They will enjoy the proteins but they must also have a vegetation diet.

Breeding:

In captivity, they reach maturity in 3–4 months. As the male matures, the anal fin develops into a structure for reproduction called the Gonopodium. The Gonopodium stores the sperm in packs. Once the sperm is inserted into the female, it fertilizers her eggs and the rest is stored in the Oviduct walls for later use. The eggs are very rich in yolk and the young will grow by consuming the yolk stores. In light colored females platys, it is easy to recognized that the female is pregent by the growing dark body marking in front of the Anal fin. The females giving birth to about 40–50 young a time.

Young Live-bearers are fairly large at birth and their development is very advanced. They can swim right away and usually swim for the cover of plans. The fry grow very rapidly and will eagerly accept fine flake food.