This is a specie that combines all that’s desirable in a great aquarium fish it is peaceful, effortlessly bred, and could be obtained in such a wide selection of colour that it is almost unbelievable. In addition to these qualifications, the platy has supplied a most interesting selection of hybrids.
This fish is also referred to as “moonfish” simply because of the dark crescent-shaped marking on the base of the tail of early importations.
The males grow to about 1.5 inch and females 2 inch. Use natural vegetation during breeding instead of the breeding trap, as the platys a lot prefer it. They can, nevertheless, be bred in the trap, but the use of a trap doesn’t give the very best outcomes. Platys breed indiscriminately-they have no preference for colour, a red selection is fairly likely to mate with a wagtail, with the result that the fry are nondescript.
Care should be taken to maintain pure strains separate, or a minimum of the sexes in various tanks to ensure that undesirable crosses can’t take place. Any crosses or hybridising should be under the strict control of their owner. When mating select only the very best specimens.
They’re rather fond of algae, so you should let them have a supply of it.
Most likely the most outstanding selection of platy is the wagtail. This is one of the newest kinds to reach the aquarist. It was developed by Dr. Myron Gordon by crossing a wild comet platy with the domesticated golden platy. At initial all of the fins had been black and also the body was coloured a dull golden-grey in the original breeding, but now in addition to the black fins a much better body colouring, red and gold, is fairly typical.
The young don’t develop the complete black fin coloration until approximately six weeks after they’re born, but it is discernible in streaks as soon as they’re born.
The red platy is a really stunning colour of dark orange with a tinge of brown adding richness. In young fish the colour isn’t so deep, but it improves, like great wine, with age.
Regrettably, this species isn’t too hardy, and whilst they thrive in one aquarium they might degenerate if they’re moved into an additional. There appears to be no explanation for this.The golden platy is actually a deep yellow in colour with a translucent high quality that makes the fish seem frail. They’ve red dorsals along with a black crescent at the tail root.
The blue selection covers a wide range of shades, even green.
Keep in mind when breeding that they don’t respect the colour of a feasible mate and will ‘colour mix’ readily.