Care Level: Easy

Temperament: Peaceful

Live Plant Safe: Yes

General Description: The Red Wag Platy is a selectively bred ornamental strain from the ancestral wild-type southern Platy (Xiphophorus maculatus) that comes from rivers and streams along the Atlantic coastal plain of Mexico, Nicaragua, Guatemala and Belize. One of the most adaptable fish in the aquarium trade, platys are peaceful fish with males exhibiting a clear gonopodium, or modified point, behind their anal fin that aids in reproduction. Red wag platys have an overall vibrant reddish-orange body, with black dorsal and caudal fins. Platys are livebearers, meaning that females will produce live fry (i.e., offspring) in abundance. It is best to keep multiple females per a single male, as male platys tend to frequently harass females. These fish are very prolific without intervention, and sperm from males can be stored in females for several months. If you want to avoid your tank filling up with platys, we advise to stick to purchasing one sex. Adult platys can reach a size of approximately 3″, with females averaging on the larger side.

Diet Requirements: Platys are one of the unfussiest aquarium fishes. A diet made up of various high quality vegetable based and protein based flake foods, sinking micro pellet foods and bug bites are ideal, in addition to offering frozen foods such as bloodworms, brine shrimp and daphnia. Variety is the spice of life in order to maintain color, immune function and longevity of your fish.

Care Requirements: An established minimum 5 to 10 gallon aquarium is ideal for a small group of Red wag platys, or platys in general. Size up accordingly to accomodate a larger group, or if you intend to breed platys. While Red wag platys are relatively hardy and easy to care for, they would do best introduced into a biologically mature aquarium. Certain platys can be sensitive to water parameters given the extent of selective breeding over decades, but generally speaking platys will not do well at an acidic pH level. The aquarium does not need to be aquascaped with anything in particular, but platys do appreciate live plants and floating plant material. Red wag platys can be mixed with a wide variety of community type fishes, but exercise caution with mollies and swordfishes where conflict has been observed. Different ornamental strains of platys can be mixed with no issue, but be aware that the “quality” of their offspring and subsequent generations will be decreased from mixing two, or more, very different gene pools. Serious platy breeders often stick to a single color strain to ensure that the genetic integrity of that type is maintained. Recommended water conditions, 72-82° F, KH 10-30, pH 7.0-8.5.

Purchase Size: Medium: 1”

Note: Your item may not look identical to the image provided due to variation within species. Purchase sizes are approximate.