Akvarist
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Facts

Characteristics
Length
Up to 4 cm
Body shape
Streamlined
Care
Group
Missing
Smallest aquarium
4 liters
Diet
Missing

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Behavior
Temperament
Peaceful
Swims
Missing
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Water values
Temperature
Tolerates18–25 °C
pH
Tolerates7–8
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Smallest tank
15 cm24 cm12 cm
4 liters24 × 12 × 15 cmBased on one fish
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Range
NativeIntroduced

Lives wild in Belize, Fiji, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico.

Introduced to Australia, Bahamas, Brazil, Colombia, Hong Kong SAR China, India, Indonesia, Jamaica, and 11 more countries.

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Tank mates

More about the species

Description

Adults occur in warm springs, canals and ditches with typically slow-moving water, silt bottoms and weedy banks. Also inhabit creeks and swamps. Feed on worms, crustaceans, insects and plant matter. Used for genetic research. Several color varieties are popular aquarium fishes, where they attain sexual maturity after 3-4 months and reproduce easily. Aquarium keeping: minimum aquarium size 60 cm.

Other names
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Other scientific names

  • Platypoecilus aurata
  • Platypoecilus cyanellus
  • Platypoecilus maculatus
  • Platypoecilus maculatus aurata
  • Platypoecilus maculatus cyanellus
  • Platypoecilus maculatus sanguinea

In other languages

  • Platy
  • Platy
  • Platy, Almindelig Platy
  • Platy
  • Moon, Moon fish, Platy, Southern platy
Read more

Articles

All articles
How to set up a Central American aquarium5 min read

Hard, alkaline water, sand and rock: an aquarium from the rivers and lakes of Mexico and Central America, with cichlids and livebearers.

How to set up an aquarium from Australia and New Guinea4 min read

The home of rainbowfish: water, substrate, plants and light for rainbowfish, blue-eyes and peacock gudgeons, with a long aquarium and open water in the middle.

How to add new fish4 min read

From the store to the tank: how to get the fish used to your water, why you should add only a few at a time, and what to watch for in the first few days.

Quarantine for new fish3 min read

Why new fish should live in a tank of their own for a few weeks before they move in, what you need, and what to look for.