Questions about the 2 different species of platies, will they shoal together?

[✨Eurobeat✨]

So I'm considering getting platies, and I know there's actually 2 very similar species of fish under the common name "platy". I was thinking I might want to mix and match platy colors, and was wondering if it matters if I get all the same species, or if the 2 species are so closely related that they'd still school together? I've also heard a lot of platies sold are a hybrid of the 2 so should I not even worry about it?

 

[April_ht]

Platy are not so much 'schooling' or 'shoaling', however they do like to have company. Most platy sold in stores will be, as you said, a hybrid, so it's hard to tell if you will be getting the two separate species. In my experience there seems to be little to no difference between the two species. The two species will eventually hybridise in your tank anyways if you decide to get two different species with both males and females (or even just females), so really, just mix and match if that's what you want to do and all should be well in terms of compatibility.

 

[Sgooosh]

Platy are not so much 'schooling' or 'shoaling', however they do like to have company. Most platy sold in stores will be, as you said, a hybrid, so it's hard to tell if you will be getting the two separate species. In my experience there seems to be little to no difference between the two species. The two species will eventually hybridise in your tank anyways if you decide to get two different species with both males and females (or even just females), so really, just mix and match if that's what you want to do and all should be well in terms of compatibility.

i think swordtails and platies can interbreed and shoal together

 

[Colin_T]

Different species of platy (Xiphophorus variatus and X. maculatus) will hang out together and breed together. Same with swordtails and platies, they will breed together.

As mentioned by @April_ht, most platies sold in shops are hybrids of the 2 common species, and many have swordtail genes thrown in too. This is because back in the day (1970s & 80s) the commercial fish farms in Asia crossed swords and platies to get more colours in the fish. They did the same with guppies and Endler's livebearer, and with different species of mollies.

You can mix different colour and species of platy and some will hang out together, and others will fight. Most common livebearers live in groups of males or females and they have a pecking order. The most dominant fish in the group is the boss and everyone else lives lower down the order. Some fish are hated by the dominant fish and these will be bullied until they leave the area, or are killed.

If you want a group of platies, try to get them all at the same time and add them to the tank together so none have a home ground advantage. There might be some arguments for the first few days but things should settle down after that. If a fish is being picked on after a week, remove it so they don't kill it.

Try to have only males or only females in the tank. Males irritate and pester the females all the time.

 

[emeraldking]

All fancy platies are derived from Xiphophorus maculatus and Xiphophorus variatus with or without influence of Xiphophorus hellerii. But when it comes to platies, there are more species than just the Maculatus platy and the Variatus platy in the wild. So, it's not that there are only two kinds of platy species.
Besides grey colored platies, there are also lots of colored Maculatus and Variatus platies in the wild. They are all called color morphs of one and the same kind of platy species. Same goes for wild swordtail species of the Xiphophorus hellerii. For a lot of people think that wild swordtails are only labeled as green swordtails. That would be an incorrect info. But besides Xiphophorus hellerii, there are way more wild swordtail species.

All Xiphophorus species (where swordtails and platies belong to) aren't schooling fish. But they tend to shoal at certain moments. And most Xiphophorus species don't live in heavily planted environments but in environments with rocks and roots in moderate till fast flowing waters. For most people think that they live in vegetated waters, because they love plant food. But they scrape the algae from the rocks.

 

[Sgooosh]

All fancy platies are derived from Xiphophorus maculatus and Xiphophorus variatus with or without influence of Xiphophorus hellerii. But when it comes to platies, there are more species than just the Maculatus platy and the Variatus platy in the wild. So, it's not that there are only two kinds of platy species.
Besides grey colored platies, there are also lots of colored Maculatus and Variatus platies in the wild. They are all called color morphs of one and the same kind of platy species. Same goes for wild swordtail species of the Xiphophorus hellerii. For a lot of people think that wild swordtails are only labeled as green swordtails. That would be an incorrect info. But besides Xiphophorus hellerii, there are way more wild swordtail species.

All Xiphophorus species (where swordtails and platies belong to) aren't schooling fish. But they tend to shoal at certain moments. And most Xiphophorus species don't live in heavily planted environments but in environments with rocks and roots in moderate till fast flowing waters. For most people think that they live in vegetated waters, because they love plant food. But they scrape the algae from the rocks.

what if i just want variatus since i am having a coldwater?
also is x. montezumae wild?

 

[Colin_T]

Xiphophorus montezumae are a species found in the wild. However, if they are available at the local pet shop they are probably captive bred. Most shops will label wild caught fish as wild caught and their price will be a lot more than normal captive bred fish.

 

[emeraldking]

what if i just want variatus since i am having a coldwater?
also is x. montezumae wild?

All Variatus platies can withstand lower temperatures without a problem. But adjust them slowly if they've been kept at higher rates before.
Montezumae swords concern a wild species. But as Colin has already mentioned, they could be captive bred specimens. Also note that Montezumae swords are different in phenotype, depending on the location they are found in the wild. The only thing these color morphs have incommon, is the long sword of the males.

 

[✨Eurobeat✨]

Platy are not so much 'schooling' or 'shoaling', however they do like to have company.

Oh also I know they like company how many do you need? I'd probably get all males so they can't breed and I don't want to overstock the tank so I can't get too many. Also I've heard about some mild aggressive and they will form a pecking order, how aggressive are they to each other once a pecking order is established do they usually get along?

 

[Colin_T]

If you get 4-6 fish they can hang out together. They also do well with 2 or 3. They normally establish a pecking order in a few hours but if they keep fighting for more than a few days you need to separate them otherwise they will kill each other until they get their pecking order right. Once the pecking order is established, there is virtually no fighting. you might see an occasional nip from the biggest one but that is about it.

 

[Sgooosh]

s

All Variatus platies can withstand lower temperatures without a problem. But adjust them slowly if they've been kept at higher rates before.
Montezumae swords concern a wild species. But as Colin has already mentioned, they could be captive bred specimens. Also note that Montezumae swords are different in phenotype, depending on the location they are found in the wild. The only thing these color morphs have incommon, is the long sword of the males.

that is nice! ill make sure to put them in at warmer temp, but how can i tell if a platy is a pure variatus one
Ill make sure the Montezumas i get are captive.
that is ok, ill look at the photos of what ill get and see which photos are the ones i want

 

[emeraldking]

s

that is nice! ill make sure to put them in at warmer temp, but how can i tell if a platy is a pure variatus one
Ill make sure the Montezumas i get are captive.
that is ok, ill look at the photos of what ill get and see which photos are the ones i want

You're saying a bit of the opposite of what I've said. They don't have to be kept at higher temperatures. Most montezumae swords available, are captive bred specimens. But it's a wild form.
The color and pattern type "may say something" if a Variatus platy is a pure Variatus platy or not. Markings on the caudal penducle (like a Mickey Mouse marking to refer to a known marking for instance), are actually wild markings but no fancy marking made by man. For a lot of people think that it's man made. While it's not. Such markings occur in both Variatus and Maculatus specimens in the wild. This wild trait has been introduced in fancy strains as well. Fancy swordtail strains that have a similar mark on that spot, do carry play genes. For such a marking does not occur in any wild swordtail species.

 

[Sgooosh]

You're saying a bit of the opposite of what I've said. They don't have to be kept at higher temperatures. Most montezumae swords available, are captive bred specimens. But it's a wild form.
The color and pattern type "may say something" if a Variatus platy is a pure Variatus platy or not. Markings on the caudal penducle (like a Mickey Mouse marking to refer to a known marking for instance), are actually wild markings but no fancy marking made by man. For a lot of people think that it's man made. While it's not. Such markings occur in both Variatus and Maculatus specimens in the wild. This wild trait has been introduced in fancy strains as well. Fancy swordtail strains that have a similar mark on that spot, do carry play genes. For such a marking does not occur in any wild swordtail species.

oh sry i didnt understand first
thanks

 

[✨Eurobeat✨]

If you get 4-6 fish they can hang out together. They also do well with 2 or 3.

Wait, so will they not hang out together in 2-3 and just do ok, but for them to really hang out and shoal you'd need a bigger group? Or are you saying either works about the same?

 

[Colin_T]

They have a pecking order. If you get 50 fish and put them together, a group will hang out together and dominate the others, often harassing the smaller weaker fish.

If you get 5 or 6 fish, sometimes they all get along and everyone is fine, but other times a dominant fish will bully some of them and try to drive them out of the area.

If you get 2 or 3 and they are getting along well, that is also fine for them.