Variable platy

Xiphophorus variatus

FreshwaterFish

Care at a glance

Temperature: 68–79°F (20–26°C)
pH: 6.8–8.0
Adult size: 2.8 in (7 cm)
Minimum tank: 15 gal (55 L)
Temperament: Peaceful
Social behavior: Social
Swim level: Middle
Difficulty: Beginner
Breeding: Easy
Rarity: Very common
Origin: Mexico
Family: Poeciliidae

Overview

Keep them in groups, ideally with more females than males to spread out male attention. They swim mostly in the middle of the tank and are peaceful and easygoing with other community fish. They are not picky eaters, so feed a good flake with some vegetable matter and occasional frozen foods. A 55 liter tank works for a small group, and they prefer temperatures in the low to mid 20s C.

In the wild

Variable platies come from the warm, hard waters of eastern Mexico, living in springs, ditches, and slow streams with plenty of plants. That background makes them easy to please as long as the water stays on the harder, more alkaline side. A planted tank with open swimming room and a pH from about 6.8 to 8 suits them well.

Good to know

This is a livebearer in the family Poeciliidae, the same group as guppies and mollies. Adults stay small, around 7 cm, with females a bit larger and fuller than males. They give birth to live young rather than scattering eggs, and a healthy female can drop a brood every month or so. Most fish in stores are tank-bred color forms, not wild types.

Did you know

They breed so readily that you often end up with fry without trying. The catch is that adults will eat their own young, so if you want the babies to survive, give the tank dense planting or move pregnant females to grow-out space before they give birth.