This tropical ornamental platyfish or Southern platyfish (Xiphophorus maculatus or X. variatus or possibly a hybrid between these two species) is native to Mexico and Central America and closely related to Gambusia holbrooki (Gambusia) and swordtails.
Plattyfish is an exotic ornamental fish species kept as a tropical aquarium fish commonly sold from fish shops and aquarists. There are many platty fish types and varieties such as sunset, Hawaii, red coral, black tail, Samson, and platty forked widely spread in ornamental fish market.
Platty fish care actually very easy because plattyfish have a fairly high tolerance to various conditions or water quality. The platyfish is a non-migratory tropical freshwater fish preferring water temperatures between 18 - 25oC and a pH of 7 – 8. However, they have been shown to tolerate temperature extremes from 10 - 40oC and dissolved oxygen levels down to 3ppm. They feed on worms, crustaceans, insects and plant matter. Platyfish give birth to live young, typically become sexually mature from 4 months and can attain a maximum size of about 7cm. If the conditions are suitable platyfish can rapidly establish in large numbers.
The Platy fish prefer substrates such as mud, gravel, or silt and its also prefer to inhabit shallow slow moving streams and drainages, and stagnant waters such as ditches and pools, in particular where there is vegetation such as tree canopies and weedy banks.
The quality of plattyfish greatly affected by types. Coral red type for example, qualified if the body is rather short and red. While Samson type have a high qualified if its body elongated and stocky.
Platty fish commonly can be kept in the pool or open cement tanks with high density. However, that environment is often disturbed pests such as dragonfly larvae, small Argulus lice, and lernaea, thus platty susceptible attack by fish diseases. The dragonfly-larvae’s attack can cause skin of platty injured while Argulus lice and lernaea who entered by the feed will be attached to the skin of fish. This condition could be make the platty fish quality lower. Prevent to pests attack is by soaking platty fish in salt water or the abates solution.
The platyfish is a tough species but Its self also considered as a potential pest in countries where it has been introduced. Most pests are extremely difficult if not impossible to eradicate once established. Pest fish such as platy fish compete with native fish for food and space and many are able to survive in habitats that native fish cannot.
