Matt Clarke looks at the Platy - a common and easy to keep livebearer that often gives birth in the community tank.Copyright © Practical Fishkeeping
Common name: Platy, Southern platyfish
Scientific name: Xiphophorus maculatus
Origin: The Platies sold in the shops are always commercially bred. The original wild fish came from Mexico and Belize.
Size: Females can reach around 8cm/3", but usually 6cm/2" is the norm for this species.
Diet: Platies will accept most foods, ranging from flakes and granules, to frozen foods such as bloodworm and daphnia.
Water: Prefers slightly alkaline water, but is generally unfussy and hardy. Aim for a pH of 7.0-8.0 and a hardness of 3%20GH°C. Temperature can be anywhere from 24-28°C.
Aquarium: Platies are a very easy fish to keep and are ideal for the newcomer to fishkeeping. They mix well with most community fish and have few bad habits (with the exception of being prolific breeders). You'll need a tank of at least 60cm/24" to do these fish justice, and they are best kept in a group.

If you want to breed them, keep a single male alongside four or five females and plant the aquarium with bushy plants such as Water wisteria or Cabomba, so the fry have somewhere to hide. Avoid the temptation to buy a breeding trap. Platies are too big for these, in my opinion, and often get stressed. Get a separate aquarium and put the female in that, i ...

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