Platy "blue calico glow" - Xiphophorus maculatus

In the aquarium, Blue Calico Glow Platies are a real treat. This wonderful and handsome color form, descended like all of them from the Central American wild platy, makes for a cheerful and lively community aquarium. Above all, their almost undemanding care has always made platies favored aquarium fish. The Blue Calico Glowlight Platy is an extraordinarily great color variety: on the light body the Platy aquarium fish turns orange below the belly diagonally over the whole caudal fin and thus actually looks like a small glowlight. On top of the bright body are contrasting turquoise and black scales that also spread across the back half of the body, giving it a really great look!

You will receive our Blue Calico Glowlight Platies mixed sexed.

The original Platy tends to inhabit slow to stagnant waters and sections of rivers with heavily weedy banks in its habitat. These pools and ponds flow into the large rivers. Especially the juveniles find optimal protection here. The Tricolor Platy is so closely related to the Variable Mirror Carp (Xiphophorus variatus) that these two species may cross and hybridize in the aquarium. To prevent this, it is better not to keep these two species together. Even though its relatives include the popular Mollies and Guppies, they can be kept together without concern.

The males of the Blue Calico Platys grow to just 4 cm and have a so-called gonopodium under their belly. This is a remodeled mating organ that looks pen-shaped. The females have a sail-like anal fin, which makes it easy to distinguish their sex. The female platies grow to almost 6 cm and get a quite massive body. To breed them no special knowledge or precautions are necessary, because the fish do this on their own when they feel comfortable. Per litter a female can release almost 100 babies, which already feed themselves. Since they occasionally need protection from the mouths of other fish, it is therefore advisable to offer them very dense planting in which they can hide. Similar to guppies, the young hatch from eggs in the mother's abdomen. They can be raised well with infusoria and dust food, later also with freshly hatched Artemia nauplii. Another alternative is also the use of a so-called rearing box.

The aquarium for Blue Calico Glowlight Platies should have an edge length of at least 60 cm. As very social animals it would be recommended to keep them in a group with at least 10 animals. They have no special demands on their aquarium, they can be kept uncomplicated in medium-hard to hard water, if it has a temperature between 18 and 28 °C and is well planted with different stem plants and mosses and in places also really densely weedy, so that young animals and invertebrates can retreat.

For socialization other peaceful fish from similar water conditions are suitable. Especially Cory catfish tetras, danios and Loricariid catfish round off a great community aquarium. Also suitable are larger shrimps, such as the popular Amano shrimp or Fan shrimp are excellent. Even with well reproducing Dwarf shrimp species the Marygold Glowlight Platy gets along, but it can happen that sometimes a shrimp juvenile is eaten, among other things therefore a good planting is worthwhile in any case.

The Blue Calico Glowlight Platy is also an omnivore, but in the aquarium it will easily accept almost any commercial granulated food, dry food or food flakes for omnivorous ornamental fish. Every now and then they can be fed live or frozen foods such as Tubifexwhite, black or red Mosquito larvae, as well as Daphnia, Grindalworms or Artemia can be spoiled. Apart from that, they also like to nibble on soft vegetables such as soaked Zucchini chips or Pumpkin chips, or also Algae leaves. Since it also nibbles on algae cover and growth, it keeps the aquarium nice and clean.

Our food recommendation: The fragrant NatureHolic Guppyfeed  has been tailored to the needs of guppies and other viviparous fish in the aquarium. In addition to high-quality animal ingredients, it also contains vegetable components that benefit guppies & co. The soft granules protect the sensitive mouth of the viviparous from injuries caused by hard food grains and provide the fish with a natural feeding experience.

Our plant recommendation: Use for planting NatureHolic InVitros. These are free of snails, planarians and other unwanted co-inhabitants. Also free of algae spores, bacteria and fungi.

Expert Tip: We recommend for fish keeping the NatureHolic 3 Phase Liquid. The care set offers the best all-round protection for your animals. It ensures optimal conditions for successful breeding and keeping.