Red Platy (Xiphophorus maculatus)

The Red Wag Platy is a colour variant of the Platy family of popular tropical fish. They are predominantly red, but have black fins and lips. Like many other tropical fish, they have yellow and black eyes. Note that Platies can grow quite large in an aquarium - mine are about two inches long.

A Red Wag Platy (Xiphophorus maculatus)

Feeding

Platies love to eat! They eat standard tropical aquarium flake food, as well as frozen food such as brine shrimp or bloodworm. In between feeding times, if they are pecking they also seem to suck algae off the vegetation in the tank.

Behaviour

Platies seem to generate a lot of waste! I think that this is because they eat a lot more than fish such as Neon Tetras or Kuhli loaches.

Diseases

Platies seem quite prone to the common aquarium ailments of white spot and various fungal infections, but they respond well to treatment.

Breeding

Platies are live bearers, that is they give birth to live young.

Both of my longest resident red wag platies were raised from baby fish (fry) that their mother gave birth to in the tank. Note that if you want to raise the fry you will need to move them to a breeding trap within the tank or other fish may eat them.

Here are some photographs of Platy fry:

A one day old Platy fry in a tropical fish tank

A day old Platy fry hide at the top of a tropical fish tank