Platties

I have been trying to take some photos of the Platties, but they never stay still long enough for the camera. Below is a blurry photo of one that has two colours in it.

Elvis is in the house

This afternoon we went and bought another Siamese Fighter to replace the one that died last year before Christmas. We also need something to try and keep the baby fish population under control as both the Mollies and Platties are breeding excessively.

He is red in colour with a touch of blue towards his back. Photos to follow later. When L saw him, she fell in love with him and named him Elvis. We hope he will supply us with lots of enjoyment.

Platy Fact Sheet

Here is a fact sheet of the Platy

Scientific Name	Xiphophorus maculatus
Family	Poeciliidae
Common Names	Platy, Moonfish
Origin	Central America
Adult Size	5 - 8 cm
Social	Peaceful, suitable for community tanks
Lifespan	3 years
Diet	Omnivore, eats most foods
Breeding	Live bearers
pH	7 - 8.3
Hardness	12 - 18 dGH
Temperature	20 - 26 C

Babies Update

We now have 6 baby Platties in the breeding trap and there are still 7 swimming around the tank. I have decided not to try and catch every one of the babies, as the tank is starting to get full, so I have decided to let nature take its course. Seems nature is already having an effect and the Siamese fighter is not well and appears to have Dropsy. I cannot tell if it is from eating all the baby fish or from some infection.

Out With The Old, In With The New

While L was feeding the fish this morning, she noticed a few new babies swimming around the bottom. When I got home tonight, I was able to catch 3 of the 4 that I saw. They look different to the baby Mollies, and I suspect they are Platties. So I had to fish out the breeding trap which had just been put away. Luckily I am acquiring new fish without paying a penny :-)

Two of the three waiting to go into the breeding trap

By the look of the Siamese Fighter's stomach, someone has had their Xmas dinner early

New Arrivals

Yesterday we decided to pop into our local fish shop to get more fish, even though we have 8 busy growing. We wanted a bit more colour and variety, so decided to get some Platies (Xiphophorus maculatus). We got 2 males and 3 females, all of different colours (photos to follow when I get a chance). We also got a male Sailfin Molly to keep the girls occupied. All seem to be settling in OK and the mixture of colours has brightened up the tank.