Assorted Platy

Platies (Xiphophorus maculatus) come from the slow, warm waters of southern Mexico and Central America, and they have been in the hobby long enough that the fish sold today bear little resemblance to the wild form. Our assorted tanks are a mixed bag by design: reds, oranges, sunsets, wagtails, tuxedos and mickey mouse patterns, in whatever combination the shipment brings. They are stocky, round-bodied little fish that stay busy in the open water and are about as undemanding as a tropical fish gets.

Aquarium care

• Adults reach roughly 5 to 6 cm, with females the larger sex.
• Peaceful and well suited to a community tank.
• Keep more females than males; two or three females per male works well.
• Omnivorous: flake, small pellets, frozen food, and some plant matter.
• Swims mostly in the middle and upper levels.
• A livebearer that breeds constantly with no encouragement at all.

Platies mix well with corydoras, small peaceful tetras and other livebearers. The one thing worth deciding in advance is whether you want fry: keep both sexes and you will have them regularly, so either plan for the numbers or buy a single sex.

Stock rotates with each shipment, and livestock is sold for local pickup at our Lethbridge store. See what colours are in on our platy page.