Mary Allen
The platy is a popular aquarium fish that can be found in a particularly large number of colors and shapes. Like the guppy, it belongs to the group of viviparous toothfish and is just as easy to keep. With good care, he can live up to four years.
Few Males, Many Females
Platys live in groups in the wild and should also be kept in a group of at least five members of the same species in the aquarium. New studies show that in a tank with low numbers, the recommended excess of females is obsolete! So e.g. B. only one male has been chasing after all the females all day and does not let them rest as a result – with several males (three or more) there is always a distraction from the other males, with five animals it would be e.g. B. the ratio of three males to 2 females is ideal.
The fish, which are extremely keen to reproduce, will also ensure enough offspring. With a length of around 6 cm, the females are almost twice as large as their male counterparts.
In Good Company
Most aquarium inhabitants are suitable for socializing with platies without any problems. They should not be kept in a tank with swordtails, as the two species can crossbreed, which drastically increases the risk of long-term damage such as infertility or skin cancer.
Little Cleaning Devils?
A positive side effect of keeping the platy: the fish are diligent algae eaters, provided they are not overfed with other food. The numerous offspring, in particular, like to attack the algae that have formed on plants, stones, and other decorations in the aquarium.
Diverse Colorfulness
The name says it all: the parrot platy from the Variatus platy family can combine almost all the colors of the rainbow in one fish. maculatus platys are particularly common in striking colors such as a strong red.
“Pepper and Salt” or “Bleeding Heart”
As diverse and colorful as you may imagine your aquarium to be: Platys leave nothing to be desired in this regard. The rich red, velvety Coral Platy, for example, is a wonderful complement to the Wagtail Platy, whose fins are mostly black. Some animals have a dot or dash pattern on the base of the tail, others, like the “pepper and salt” platy, are completely spotted. Platys aptly named Bleeding Heart has red stripes running down their bodies. Blue Mirror Platies bring a bluish glow to the tank.
As you can see, there are hardly any limits to your imagination when it comes to colorful trimmings with platies.