Platy Coral
The Platy Coral or red and white pecilla is the result of breeding work and is not found in nature. This fish came about as a result of breeding with the Xiphophorus maculatus. The fish got its name because of its peculiar coloration. The fish are undemanding and can be kept even by novice aquarists.
Platy Coral has an elongated body, slightly compressed at the sides. The fish are coloured in red, orange and grey. Fry emerge from the light completely black, but within a few days, lighten and become red-orange or white. The females are larger than the males. The size of the fish reaches 7 cm.
The red-and-white Pezilia is a peaceful, unpretentious and hardy fish, which does not require a large aquarium. For 3-4 fish is enough aquarium volume of 60 liters. To males do not conflict with each other, you need to plant them in the aquarium in the proportion of 1 male to 2-3 females. A basic requirement is a large number of plants in the aquarium. The menu of fish mostly consists of plant components and algae that eventually appear on the leaves of plants, will serve as good additional food for them.
Platy Coral can be kept in a common tank with other peace-loving fish. As mentioned above, the aquarium should be densely planted, while taking care of free space for the fish to swim. The substrate can be anything.
There are no particular requirements for water quality. An aquarium with many plants and not overpopulated with fish does not require a water filter. Water parameters: temperature 20-28 ° C, hardness dH 10-30 °, pH pH 7,0-8,5. A weekly change of 1/3 of the aquarium water with fresh water is necessary. To strengthen the immunity of fish in the water can add table salt in the proportion of 1-2 teaspoons per 10 liters. It should be noted that the water temperature plays an important role in the life of fish: if it is below 20 ° C, the fish may die, but at a temperature above 25 ° C fish become sterile.
Preferably bright light of 10-12 hours per day.
The diet of the fish consists of a variety of dry foodstuffs, preferably with spirulina. Also fish are fed live and frozen Daphnia, Artemia and chironomid, but in any case, plant components in the overall diet of fish should be more than other products. Feed the fish twice a day.
Reproduction
Platy Coral reaches sexual maturity at the age of about 4-5 months.
They are viviparous fish, so the fry are born fully mature and capable of leading an independent life from the first days of their life. Fish have an interesting feature, a fertilized female is able to keep the milk of the male for a long time, and gives birth to offspring only when the conditions are favorable for it. Therefore, the female can spawn even if there are no more males in the aquarium.
The female incubates the eggs for about 25-30 days. During the spawning process, it hatches, depending on its size, from 10 to 80 fry. Immediately after birth the fry should be transferred to another aquarium, otherwise other fish can start a real hunt for them.
The fry are fed with artemia nauplii and dry food at least 4 times per day. The life expectancy of a Platy Coral is 3 to 4 years.
