Blue Butterfly Platies aka Blue Butterfly Mickey Mouse Platy (Xiphophorus maculatus) – Tank Bred
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The Perfect Trio for Breeding Success
Also known as the Blue Butterfly Moon Platy or Blue Butterfly Mickey Mouse Platy
For the safety of our animals, we now ship live fish exclusively via UPS Next Day Air. If your order contains this item, you will only see UPS Next Day Air as a shipping option during checkout.
The Blue Butterfly Platy is an exciting addition to the aquarium hobby! This stunning, newer variant of platy has finally made its way to the USA and has been featured in many popular aquarium magazines. With its shimmering blue tones and striking patterns, this livebearer is sure to be a showstopper in any tank. Perfect for aquarists of all experience levels, the Blue Butterfly Platy is also a fantastic breeding project for those looking to expand their skills. Available in trios (1 male, 2 females) or as individual males and females, these tank-bred beauties are now available from Aquatic Arts!
What We Love About This Fish:
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Unique Coloration: The vibrant blue hues and striking butterfly-like patterns are a rare and eye-catching feature in the aquarium hobby.
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Great for Breeding Enthusiasts: With proper care, these livebearers will produce frequent, healthy offspring.
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Hardy and Adaptable: Ideal for both beginners and experienced aquarists.
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Community-Friendly: Peaceful nature makes them compatible with a wide range of tank mates.
What Does Trio Mean?
A "Trio" refers to a group of three Blue Butterfly Platies: one male and two females. This 1:2 male-to-female ratio promotes a healthy social dynamic, reduces stress on the females, and increases breeding success. This setup ensures your fish will thrive in a balanced and natural environment.
Natural Habitat:
While selectively bred for their unique coloration, platies are native to Central America, where they inhabit slow-moving rivers, streams, and ponds. These waters are often filled with aquatic vegetation and provide the perfect environment for this peaceful species.
Aquascaping:
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Plants: Java Fern, Anubias, Hornwort, and Amazon Sword provide excellent cover and create a natural environment for fry.
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Hardscape: Use river rocks, driftwood, and decorative caves to offer hiding spots and structure.
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Botanicals: Consider adding Indian Almond Leaves for natural tannins and additional hiding spots for fry.
Diet and Feeding:
Blue Butterfly Platies are omnivorous and thrive on a varied diet. Offer high-quality flakes or pellets as a staple and supplement with blanched vegetables (such as spinach or zucchini), along with live or frozen treats like brine shrimp or daphnia. A varied diet enhances their vibrant coloration and overall health.
Tank Mates and Compatibility:
Blue Butterfly Platies are peaceful and thrive in a community tank with other non-aggressive species. Ideal tank mates include:
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Small Tetras
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Corydoras
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Guppies
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Snails and peaceful shrimp
Avoid housing them with larger or aggressive fish that may stress or harm them.
Not Shrimp Safe:
These platies are generally safe with adult shrimp but may prey on shrimp fry. To ensure safety, provide plenty of plant cover and hiding spots.
Breeding:
Blue Butterfly Platies are livebearers, meaning the females give birth to free-swimming fry. For optimal breeding success:
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Maintain a well-planted tank with hiding spots for fry to avoid predation.
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Keep the water parameters stable and provide a nutritious diet. In a well-planted environment, fry survival rates are significantly higher.
Recommended Tank Parameters:
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Temperature: 68° - 79°F (20° - 26°C)
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pH: 7.0 - 8.2
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KH: 10 - 25 dKH
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Minimum Tank Size: 10 gallons (for a trio)
Care Guidelines:
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Diet: Feed a varied diet of high-quality flakes or pellets, supplemented with blanched vegetables and live or frozen treats.
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Social Behavior: Peaceful, best kept in groups or with other non-aggressive tank mates.
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Origin: These Blue Butterfly Platies are tank-bred, making them hardy and well-suited to aquarium life.
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Average Adult Size: 2 - 2.5 inches (5 - 6.5 cm)
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Average Purchase Size: 1 - 1.5 inches (2.5 - 4 cm)
Add a touch of elegance and a splash of color to your aquarium with the rare and beautiful Blue Butterfly Platies! Whether you’re looking to start a breeding project or simply enjoy their vibrant presence, these stunning fish are a fantastic choice for any aquarist.
Live Arrival Guarantee:
All Aquatic Arts brand plants and animals come with a 100% live arrival guarantee, plus free email support!
For the safety of our animals, we only ship live fish, crabs, and select other inverts exclusively via UPS 1 Day Air. If your order contains this item, you will only see UPS 1 Day Air as a shipping option during checkout. If other items are in your cart that can ship with 2 day or standard shipping options the only shipping method you can still select is UPS 1 Day Air.
UPS 1 Day is a description of the duration of time a shipment will spend in transit once it has been shipped. This does not guarantee the package will be shipped the same or next day from which the order was placed.
Shipping Schedule for this service
Current Handling Time:
1-9 business days
Here at Aquatic Arts, we consider the welfare of the live animals we are shipping to be of the foremost importance. This process is much more involved than simply creating a shipping label and affixing it to a box. Depending on the order, it takes from 4 to 7 people to complete this process properly. We check the weather conditions here where they fly out of the Indianapolis UPS facility and the destination for each shipment. We start early each morning and go through a multi-step process to have the day's shipments prepared in time for the UPS pickup. The volume of orders in our system also affects the processing time. Therefore our stated handling time is 1-9 business days.
Shipping Rate
Pricing is by size of package needed to fill entire order and distance it must travel. It will be calculated at checkout.