Platies: The Fish That Never Stops Colour-Changing

In this guide

Overview

Xiphophorus maculatus, the platy, is a compact, hardy livebearer from Mexico and Central America that has been bred into more colour forms than almost any other aquarium fish. Sunset orange, red wagtail, blue and mickey mouse platies, named for the tail spot pattern, are all common sights in Indian shops.

Adults stay small at around five to six centimetres, making them one of the easiest livebearers to house in a modest tank.

Tank and water requirements

A group of five or six platies is comfortable in a 40 litre tank. They are unfussy about water hardness and do well in the same conditions as guppies and mollies, tolerating the harder tap water found in much of India without needing adjustment.

Room temperature suits them for most of the year in peninsular India, though a heater is sensible during winter in the north.

Diet and behaviour

Platies eat a broad diet of flakes, pellets and vegetable matter, with a preference for some greens in the mix. They are calm, sociable fish that rarely bother tankmates and make good companions for small tetras, rasboras and corydoras.

Like other livebearers, platies breed readily and often, and a tank with plenty of plant cover will usually have a few fry surviving without any special breeding setup.

Buying tips

• Among the cheapest and most widely available livebearers in India, often priced between twenty and sixty rupees
• A good starter fish for children learning to keep aquariums, given how forgiving they are
• Avoid tanks with visibly bloated or listless platies, a common sign of internal parasites in poorly kept shop stock

Article content © Ravi Teja. All rights reserved.