Swordtails and Platies
© Mirko Rosenau Fotolia.com
All Xiphophorus species are so closely related that they crossbreed without any problems.
So also platys, Xiphophorus maculatus, and swordtails, Xiphophorus Helleri.
It is only through this easy crossbreeding that various cultivated forms of X. maculatus, X. Helleri and X. variatus have become possible.
Red Swordtails, X. Helleri, were discovered in the wild only a few years ago in the Rio Atoyac in Mexico.
All previous red swordtails originally came from crossing X. Helleri and X. maculatus.
Sumatran mullet and platys
The socialization of platys with tiger barbs is often discouraged because tiger barbs are said to prey on anything small and slow.
However, according to one report, the socialization of platys, guppies, neon tetras and tiger barbs works without any problems. The Sumatran barbs didn’t snap at the other fish.
Butterfly cichlids and platys
Butterfly cichlid © Carmen Brehm
In terms of behavior, platies and butterfly cichlids can be kept together without any problems. However, South American butterfly cichlids need soft water. They are not suited to harder water where livebearers are often kept. However, platies can also be kept in softer water with a total hardness of around 5 °dGH.
Alternatively, Platys can be kept together with African butterfly cichlids or Apistogramma borelli. These also get by with a total hardness of 10 to 15 °dGH. However, due to the hardness of the water, not many offspring are to be expected.
South American butterfly cichlids also leave guppies’ fins alone.