{"product_id":"blood-red-platy-xiphophorus-maculatus","title":"Blood Red Platy | Xiphophorus maculatus","description":"\u003ch2\u003eDescription\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Blood Red Platy is a glowing, deep-red form of the ever-popular platy, one of the friendliest and most bombproof livebearers in the hobby. Cheerful, active and endlessly easy to keep, platies bring instant colour and movement to any community tank. Peaceful and quick to breed, they're a perfect first fish for newcomers.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eNatural Habitat\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eXiphophorus maculatus is native to Central America, along the Atlantic slope from Mexico to Belize and Guatemala, where it lives in warm, slow-moving and still waters, including ditches, canals and vegetated margins. These are typically hard, neutral to alkaline, mineral-rich waters.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eAppearance\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA small, stocky livebearer with a rounded body and fan-shaped tail. This variety is a rich, uniform blood-red, the result of many generations of selective breeding. Males are slimmer and carry a gonopodium (modified anal fin), while females are noticeably larger and fuller, especially when carrying young.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eTemperament and Compatibility\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThoroughly peaceful, sociable and hardy, making it an ideal community fish. It gets along with almost any similarly-sized, non-aggressive tankmate and shows no territorial behaviour. Keeping a small group, with more females than males, keeps them relaxed and shows off their colour.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eFeeding\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAn omnivore with a taste for vegetable matter. Feed a quality flake or pellet with good algae or spirulina content, and supplement with frozen and live foods such as bloodworm, daphnia and brine shrimp. Some plant matter and grazing keeps them healthy and colourful.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eCare Requirements\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWonderfully easy in hard, neutral to alkaline water with good filtration and gentle flow. A small-to-medium planted tank with open swimming space suits them, and a lid is sensible. They breed constantly, so plan for a steady supply of fry and don't overstock males.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eBreeding\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA prolific livebearer that breeds with no effort at all. Females give birth to broods of live, free-swimming young roughly every four to six weeks. Provide dense planting or a breeding trap so fry can hide, as adults will eat them. Young mature quickly and are easy to raise.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eSpecies Information\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003ctable\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eScientific Name\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eXiphophorus maculatus\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eCommon Name\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eBlood Red Platy\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eOrigin\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eCentral America (Mexico to Guatemala) - captive-bred strain\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eMaximum Size\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eAround 4-6cm (females larger)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eLifespan\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e3-4 years\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eTemperament\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003ePeaceful (community)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eDifficulty\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eBeginner\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eMinimum Tank Size\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e55 litres\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eRecommended Tank Size\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e75 litres or more\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eDiet\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eOmnivore\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eWater Temperature\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e22-26°C\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003epH Range\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e7.0-8.2\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eGH Range\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e10-28 dGH (hard)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eSalinity\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eNot applicable (freshwater)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eSuitable For\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eHard-water community aquariums (great for beginners)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eReef Safe\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eNot applicable\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003ePlant Safe\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eYes\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eSuitable Tank Mates\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOther peaceful, hard-water community fish such as mollies, guppies, swordtails, peaceful barbs, rainbowfish, Corydoras and peaceful tetras. Keep more females than males to reduce any male chasing.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eAvoid Keeping With\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLarge aggressive cichlids, fin-nippers, and boisterous fish that may bully them. Avoid keeping only males together, as they may pester one another without females present.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Nick's Aquarium Oceanarium Terrarium","offers":[{"title":"Small (1-5cm)","offer_id":55232792985891,"sku":"BA9313","price":9.95,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":false},{"title":"Medium (5-10cm)","offer_id":55232793018659,"sku":"BA9313-M","price":14.95,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0972\/7236\/5347\/files\/blood-red-platy-xiphophorus-43883239145763.webp?v=1790305824","url":"https:\/\/nicksaquariumoceanariumterrarium.com.au\/products\/blood-red-platy-xiphophorus-maculatus","provider":"Nicks AOT","version":"1.0","type":"link"}