Swordtail
Xiphophorus hellerii
- Care level
- Beginner
- Adult size
- 10–14 cm
- Minimum tank
- 150 litres
- Temperature
- 16–28 °C
Species profile
Platy
Xiphophorus maculatus
Common names: Platy, Southern Platy, Moonfish, Mickey Mouse Platy
Recognized speciesLivebearers
Adult size
Up to 5 cm
Typical adult length 4–5 cm.
Up to 5 cm
Countries of origin
Good fit for your tank?
Good fit for
- A first aquarium with moderately hard water
- A peaceful community with other livebearers
- A keeper happy to have fry appear regularly
Think carefully if
- Your water is very soft or acidic
- You have no plan for extra fish
- You keep very warm water above 26 °C
A small, hardy, very peaceful livebearer from Central America. It is one of the easiest aquarium fish for beginners, provided the water is moderately hard.
Appearance and Identification
A short, stocky fish with a rounded body and a fan tail. It comes in many colours and patterns, such as red, blue, yellow, sunset, wag, and Mickey Mouse.
A rounder body and the lack of a tail sword separate platies from swordtails, but the two species can hybridise. Variatus Platies are a separate, similar species.
Males are smaller and have a gonopodium, while females are larger and rounder. Males lack the sword extension seen on swordtails.
Tank Requirements
- Suggested filter
- About 220–280 litres an hour
- Suggested heater
- About 50–75 W for this tank
- Minimum tank volume
- 55 litres
- Minimum tank length
- 60 cm
- Minimum group size
- 3
- Recommended group size
- 6
- Activity level
- Moderate
- Flow preference
- Low to moderate
- Planting preference
- Moderately planted
- Hiding places
- Yes
- Lid recommended
- Yes
- Jumping risk
- Low
Include planted areas for fry and for females to get a break. Standard filtration is fine, but keep up with water changes, because a population can grow quickly.
Behaviour and Tankmates
Very peaceful and curious, spending the day grazing plants and surfaces.
Keep several females for each male in a mixed group of at least 3, and ideally more.
Not territorial. Males may chase briefly, but this is rarely a problem.
Suits community tanks with other livebearers, corydoras, and peaceful fish that like moderately hard water. Adults may eat shrimplets.
Water Parameters
Moderately hard to hard, alkaline water is best. Slightly cooler tropical temperatures suit platies well.
Parameter caveat
Keep the water hard and alkaline. Soft, acidic water is a common cause of poor health in livebearers.
Feeding
- Diet types
- Algae Grazer, Omnivore
- Feeding frequency
- Once or twice daily
- Preferred foods
- Spirulina or vegetable flakeThese fish graze naturally, so plant matter should be a regular part of the diet.
- Small granules or quality flakeUse as the daily staple and keep portions small, because they will overeat.
- Frozen or live daphnia and brine shrimpOffer a few times a week. Daphnia also helps prevent constipation.
An omnivore that readily takes flake and small granules, and grazes algae.
Keep meals small, and include plant matter every day.
Breeding
- Breeding type
- Livebearer
- Breeding difficulty
- Very easy
- Brood or egg count
- Up to 80 live young per brood
- Parental care
- None
- Baby foods
- Newly hatched brine shrimpLivebearer fry are born large enough to take this straight away, and it gives the fastest growth.
- Finely crushed flakeEasy and widely accepted. Feed small amounts several times a day.
- MicrowormsUseful for the smallest fry and for those feeding near the floor of the tank.
Breeds easily and often, even in community tanks. Keep several females per male. Gestation is about 4 to 6 weeks, and broods of up to 80 fry are not unusual. Dense plants or a separate tank protect the young.
Habitat and Origin
- Geographic origin
- Belize, Captive Bred, Central America, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico
- Natural habitat
- Freshwater Stream, Pond, Slow River, Vegetated Shoreline
- Aquarium contexts
- Breeding Aquarium, Planted Aquarium
- Audience level
- Beginner
Classification
- Profile type
- Recognized species
- Genus
- Xiphophorus
- Family
- Poeciliidae
- Species group
- Fish, Livebearers
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Zoogoneticus tequila
- Care level
- Intermediate
- Adult size
- 6 cm
- Minimum tank
- 81 litres
- Temperature
- 17–27 °C
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- Care level
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- Adult size
- 2.5 cm
- Minimum tank
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- Temperature
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- Care level
- Beginner
- Adult size
- 4 cm
- Minimum tank
- 54 litres
- Temperature
- 22–28 °C