Sunburst Platy Care Guide
The Sunburst platy is an orange-yellow selectively bred strain of Xiphophorus maculatus, a hardy Central American livebearer for community tanks.
Overview
The Sunburst platy is a selectively bred colour strain of Xiphophorus maculatus, the southern platyfish, developed for an orange-yellow body with red fins. Wild populations are drab, while aquarium breeders have produced orange, red, yellow and other strains. It is a small, hardy livebearer popular in community aquariums.
Taxonomy
- Family: Poeciliidae
- Genus: Xiphophorus
- Scientific name: Xiphophorus maculatus (Sunburst strain)
- Order: Cyprinodontiformes
Habitat
The wild ancestor ranges from Ciudad Veracruz in Mexico to northern Belize in North and Central America, as recorded by FishBase. It inhabits slow-moving waters of canals, ditches and warm springs with silt bottoms. The species has been introduced to several other regions through the aquarium trade.
Tank requirements
- Minimum tank volume: 60 L
- Temperature: 22-28 °C (72-82 °F)
- pH: 7.0-8.5
- GH: 10-25 °dGH
- Lifespan: 3-5 years
Diet
The platy is an omnivore. Wikipedia notes its diet includes plant matter along with small crustaceans, insects and annelid worms. In the aquarium it accepts dried foods with vegetable content supplemented by live and frozen foods.
Compatibility
The platy is peaceful and well suited to community aquariums, occupying the middle water levels. It mixes well with other peaceful livebearers such as guppies and swordtails, and aggressive species should be avoided.
Breeding
Xiphophorus maculatus is a livebearer. According to FishBase, after a gestation of 24-30 days females produce 20-80 young, and the fish reaches sexual maturity within three to four months. Breeding occurs readily in the aquarium.