Platinum Red Tail Elephant Ear Guppy - Poecillia reticulata

Platinum Red Tail Elephant Ear Guppy (Poecilia reticulata)

The Platinum Red Tail Elephant Ear Guppy, Poecilia reticulata, is a colourful captive-bred fancy guppy selected for a pale platinum body, bright red tail and large flowing pectoral fins that give the “elephant ear” appearance. This active livebearer is a popular choice for peaceful hard-water community aquariums, planted displays and breeding projects. It is generally easy to keep when maintained in warm, stable, mineral-rich water, but its larger fins mean it should be protected from fin-nipping tank mates and strong currents.

Common Name:
Platinum Red Tail Elephant Ear Guppy, Platinum Red Tail Dumbo Guppy, Elephant Ear Guppy, Dumbo Ear Guppy, Fancy Guppy, Guppy.

Scientific Name (Latin):
Poecilia reticulata
Captive-bred ornamental fancy guppy strain.

Maximum Size:
Males usually around 3–4 cm. Females may reach around 5–6 cm and are usually larger and fuller-bodied.

Water Type:
Freshwater; can tolerate slightly brackish conditions, but normally kept in freshwater aquariums.

Origin / Natural Habitat:
The Platinum Red Tail Elephant Ear form is captive-bred and does not occur as a wild population. Wild Poecilia reticulata is native to northern South America and nearby Caribbean islands, where it occurs in warm, quiet, vegetated freshwater and brackish habitats. Fancy guppy strains are now widely farmed and selectively bred throughout the aquarium trade.

Water Parameters:
Temperature: 22–28°C
pH Range: 7.0–8.2
Hardness or Salinity: Moderately hard to hard freshwater preferred; avoid very soft, acidic water. Stable mineral content is important for long-term health.

Temperament:
Peaceful, active and social. Best kept in groups, either as an all-male display group or as a mixed group with more females than males to reduce constant attention from males. Long-finned and elephant-ear strains should not be kept with fin-nipping fish.

Diet:
Omnivorous micro-feeder. Offer quality flakes, micro pellets, crushed livebearer granules, spirulina flakes, frozen daphnia, cyclops, baby brineshrimp and finely chopped frozen foods. Include some plant-based foods to support digestion and condition.

Minimum Tank Size:
A minimum of 45 litres is recommended for a small group, with 60 litres or more preferred for mixed-sex groups or breeding setups. Larger aquariums are easier to keep stable and allow better group behaviour.

Behaviour & Activity:
An active upper-to-midwater livebearer that spends much of its time swimming in open areas, exploring plants and displaying. Males show off their colour and enlarged pectoral fins while courting females. Females give birth to live, free-swimming fry, and breeding can be frequent if both sexes are kept together. Dense plants, mosses and floating cover help fry survive.

Aquarium Category:
Community Fish
Suitable with peaceful hard-water community fish such as platies, mollies, swordtails, peaceful rainbowfish, small Corydoras kept in suitable water, snails and calm bottom dwellers. Avoid tiger barbs, serpae-type tetras, aggressive cichlids, large predators, very soft-water specialists and any fish likely to nip the tail or enlarged pectoral fins.

Special Requirements or Care Notes:
Keep in a mature, heated and well-filtered aquarium with stable hard water, regular water changes and gentle to moderate flow. Elephant Ear guppies have larger pectoral fins, so avoid rough decor, strong current and aggressive tank mates. If keeping males and females together, plan for fry and avoid overcrowding. Guppies can deteriorate in soft acidic water, unstable new tanks or poorly maintained aquariums, so consistent care is important.

Suitable for:
Beginner to intermediate fishkeepers

Availability:
Common to occasional in trade / Captive-bred ornamental strain

All images are a visual representation of the fish you will receive, made to be as accurate as possible. Please note that Mother Nature is a wonderful thing, and variation in patterns and colours will occur — that is part of the unique beauty of these animals.