Name: John Satterlee
Scientific Name of Fish: Xiphophorus maculatus
Hobby Name of Fish: Red Wag Platy
Method of Reproduction: Livebearer
Number and Gender Distribution of Parents: 2 male and 2 females
Origin of Parents: Tank Raised
Approximate number of fry: 15
Date of Hatch or Birth: Aug 11, 2022
Date of Free Swimming If Hatched: N/A
Approx. Number of Fry at 30 Days: TBD
Approx. Number of Fry at 60 Days: TBD
Aquarium Conditions:
pH: 7.2
General Hardness: 150 ppm
Average Temperature (72-76 F)
Salinity: none
Average Nitrate: < 40 ppm
Aquarium Size: standard 10 gallon
Water Source: Rockville MD tap water with Seachem Prime
Water Changes: 80% once a month
Filtration System: sponge filter
Additives: ½ cup of crushed coral
Décor:
Live Plants: Water lettuce to keep nitrates down
Spawning mops and sponge filters to provide hiding spots
Substrate: None
Lighting Type and Timing: Home Depot light, 12 hrs on/12 hrs off
Food Fed to Parents and How Often: Tetra Color Tropical Flakes morning and evening. Freshly hatched baby brine shrimp every other day.
Food Fed to Fry and How Often: Finely ground dry fry food morning and evening, Freshly hatched baby brine shrimp every other day.
Additional comments: I have not kept platies previously. The parents were extraordinarily shy and seemed stressed out. I decided to add spawning mops to the tank to provide additional hides to make the parents more comfortable. Once this happened breeding commenced and the spawning mops helped the fry avoid being eaten by the parents.
Here they are 40 days later, still around 15 fry.