Red Wag Hi-Fin Platy - Xiphophorus maculatus

Red Wag Hi-Fin Platy (Xiphophorus maculatus)

The Red Wag Hi-Fin Platy is a bright and attractive captive-bred form of the Common Platy, loved for its vivid red body, contrasting black wagtail fins and extended high dorsal fin. This variety has all the active, peaceful and hardy qualities that make platies so popular, with the added display value of the hi-fin shape. It is an excellent choice for beginner-friendly freshwater community aquariums with clean, stable, moderately hard to hard water.

Common Name:
Red Wag Hi-Fin Platy. Also commonly referred to as Redwag Hifin Platy, Red Wagtail Hi-Fin Platy, Red Hi-Fin Platy, Wagtail Platy, Southern Platyfish or Common Platy.

Scientific Name (Latin):
Xiphophorus maculatus

Maximum Size:
Around 5–6 cm in captivity, with females usually becoming slightly larger and fuller-bodied than males.

Water Type:
Freshwater

Origin / Natural Habitat:
The Red Wag Hi-Fin Platy is a captive-bred aquarium strain. The wild form of Xiphophorus maculatus is native to North and Central America, from Mexico through to northern Belize. In the wild, it occurs in warm springs, canals, ditches, creeks and swampy waters, usually in slow-moving areas with silty bottoms and weedy margins.

Water Parameters:
Temperature: 22–26°C
pH Range: 7.0–8.2
Hardness: moderately hard to hard water preferred

Temperament:
Peaceful and active. It is suitable for community aquariums with other calm, similarly sized fish. Males may chase females, especially in smaller groups, so mixed-sex groups are best kept with more females than males.

Diet:
Omnivorous. It should be offered a varied diet including quality flake, small pellets, algae-based foods, spirulina, blanched vegetables and frozen or live foods such as daphnia, brineshrimp and bloodworm. Vegetable matter is useful for long-term health, colour and digestion.

Minimum Tank Size:
A practical recommendation is at least 60 litres for a small group, with larger aquariums preferred if keeping multiple livebearers or allowing fry to grow on.

Behaviour & Activity:
This is an active mid-level livebearer that spends much of the day swimming, grazing and exploring the aquarium. It is not a tight shoaling fish, but it does best in small groups. Females give birth to free-swimming fry, so numbers can increase quickly in a mixed-sex group. Floating plants, fine-leaved plants and planted cover can help provide shelter for fry while still leaving open swimming space for adults.

Aquarium Category:
Community Fish
This species is peaceful and works well with other freshwater community fish that enjoy similar harder, alkaline water conditions. Suitable tank mates include other platies, mollies, swordtails, peaceful rainbowfish, danios, small barbs, Corydoras suited to similar conditions and bristlenose plecos. Avoid aggressive fish, persistent fin nippers, large predators and very soft-water species that prefer acidic conditions.

Special Requirements or Care Notes:
Best kept in clean, stable water with good filtration, regular maintenance and enough minerals to support livebearer health. Platies generally do best in harder, more alkaline water and can struggle long-term in very soft acidic aquariums. Because this is a hi-fin strain, avoid fin-nipping tank mates and sharp décor that could damage the extended dorsal fin. If keeping males and females together, a ratio of one male to two or more females can help reduce constant attention on individual females.

Suitable for:
Beginner fishkeepers

Availability:
Common / occasional in trade, usually as captive-bred stock

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.