Description:
The Platy fish prized for its resilience and activity. Its robust size for a smaller fish species, attractive appearance, and versatility make it exceedingly popular among fish keepers. Platies come in a wide variety of vibrant colours and add a visually captivating element to any aquarium setting.
Distinguishing between male and female Platies is found by examining their anal fins: females feature a fan shaped anal fin, whereas males exhibit a longer, flat, and pointed anal fin. Females are also generally more robust in size compared to their male counterparts.
Temperament:
Platy fish are known for their peaceful and sociable temperament, making them excellent inhabitants for community aquariums. They generally coexist harmoniously with other fish species of similar size and temperament. Their peaceful nature extends to interactions within their own species, typically avoiding aggression or territorial behaviour except in rare instances of overcrowding or insufficient hiding spots.
Primarily driven by its dual instincts for feeding and breeding, the Platy is a live-bearing species akin to guppies. Breeding Platies is remarkably straightforward, as they exhibit a perpetual readiness to reproduce. Females possess the unique ability to store sperm for extended periods, resulting in frequent live births of 10-40 fry every 4 to 6 weeks, with occasional broods reaching up to 80 fry. While parental cannibalism is uncommon, it is advisable to house pregnant females in a separate tank or breeding enclosure to ensure the survival of offspring.
Diet:
In their natural habitat, Platies sustain themselves on a diet of algae and insects, which provide them with their essential fibre. In captivity, it is crucial to provide a well-rounded diet to maintain their health, food such as fish flakes and live and/or frozen foods such as brine shrimp and bloodworms will enhance their nutritional intake. vegetable supplements and/or algae wafers will further support their dietary needs also.
Breeding Behaviour:
Livebearers, such as Platies are some of the easiest fish to breed in the aquarium hobby. Unlike egg-laying species, livebearers give birth to fully-formed, free-swimming fry, making the process simple but also potentially overwhelming due to how quickly populations can grow.
Males constantly court females by displaying their colourful fins and using their gonopodium (a modified anal fin) to transfer sperm. Females can store sperm internally for several months, meaning a single successful mating can result in multiple batches of fry without needing a male present for every pregnancy.
Once pregnant, the female will begin to develop a gravid spot, a dark area near her anal fin and her belly will grow much rounder. Gestation usually lasts around 4 weeks, depending on species and temperature. Just before giving birth, the female may isolate herself in a quiet area of the tank or behave restlessly.
When she gives birth, the fry are immediately free-swimming and capable of feeding on tiny foods such as powdered fry food, crushed flakes, or baby brine shrimp. However, adult fish (including the parents) will often eat the newborn fry if given the chance. To improve survival rates, provide dense plants like java moss, hornwort, guppy grass, or any fast growing floating plant for hiding, or move the pregnant female to a separate breeding tank shortly before she gives birth.
Females can give birth to anywhere from about 20 to 50 fry in a single batch depending on their size, age, and health. After giving birth, she can be returned to the main tank, while the fry remain in their own tank or nursery area until they are large enough to avoid being eaten.
- Species – Xiphophorus maculatus
- Common Name – Platy
- Origin – East coast of Central America and southern Mexico
- Temperament – Peaceful
- Diet – Omnivore
- Minimum Tank Requirement – 35 litres
- Tank Level – Preferred middle dweller – every level
- Care Level – Easy
- PH Range – 6.8 – 8.5
- Temperature – Cold to tropical 15–28°C
- Breed Type – Livebearer – reproduce rapidly
- Size – Grows to approximately 7–8cm
- Sex – Un-sexed
- Float the Bag: Place the unopened bag in your tank and let it float for 15–20 minutes. This lets the water inside the bag slowly match your tank’s temperature.
- Turn Off the Lights: Keep the aquarium lights off during this process. It helps keep things calm and prevents sudden temperature changes.
- Add a Bit of Tank Water: After floating, carefully open the bag and pour out about half the water into a sink or bucket (not into your tank). Then, slowly add small amounts of your tank water into the bag over 15–20 minutes. This helps your fish adjust to the new water conditions.
- Gently Move the Fish: Use a fish net to gently move your fish from the bag into the tank. Try not to pour the bag water into your tank — this helps keep your aquarium clean and healthy.
- Watch and Wait: It’s normal for fish to hide or act a bit shy at first. Keep an eye on them, and avoid doing a water change for the first 24 hours to give them time to settle in.
For more detailed steps and tips, feel free to visit our Acclimation Guide in our Education tab to help make the transition as smooth as possible for your new fish.
Platies - Assorted
Platies - Assorted
Out of stock
Buy 10 get 5% off
Buy 15 get 10% off
Buy 20 get 15% off
Why Shop With us — Our Guarantee & Shipping Info
Why Shop With us — Our Guarantee & Shipping Info
✅ Healthy Fish Guarantee - DOA (Dead On Arrival) policies in place for peace of mind.
🚚 $30 flat-rate shipping - Free shipping for all orders over $150.
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📦🐟 Live Fish Ship Mondays & Tuesdays Only - To minimise transit time and ensure your fish arrive happy and healthy.
🚚💨Express shipping ONLY - These orders will be defaulted to Express shipping so your fish get to you as fast as possible.
💙 Thank you - for helping us put the health and safety of our fish first!
👉 For more detailed information, please visit our shipping page.
Is Your Tank Ready? — Important Info Before Buying
Is Your Tank Ready? — Important Info Before Buying
⚠️ Important: Please ensure your aquarium is fully cycled before introducing any new fish. A cycled tank provides a stable, healthy environment and helps prevent stress, illness and even death of your new fish! If you’re unsure what this means, visit the Education section of our website and read our page on The Nitrogen Cycle.
🐟 Want expert tips for your aquarium? Beginners can start with How to set up your aquarium, while everyone can check out Aquarium Maintenece & Care for ongoing tank tips!
Need something extra for your tank? Check out our Filters, Lights & Pumps here.
Looking for tools & Accessories like Nets, Breeding & Aquascape gear? You can find them here.
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Please Note: All orders containing live fish and/or plants are shipped only on Mondays and Tuesdays. This is to ensure a safe and timely delivery. These orders will also be defaulted to Express shipping ONLY. Thank you for helping us put the health and safety of our fish first!
For more detailed information, please visit our shipping page.
Important: Please ensure your aquarium is fully cycled before introducing any new fish. A cycled tank provides a stable, healthy environment and helps prevent stress or illness. If you’re unsure what this means, visit the Education section of our website and read our page on The Nitrogen Cycle.
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We want to provide the best experience for you, and while we're currently using available resources to capture our fish, we’re actively working toward upgrading our equipment to showcase our products in even better detail. We appreciate your understanding and thank you for supporting our small business!
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