Platinum Redtail Dumbo Ear Guppy (Poecilia reticulata) Pair

Common Name

Platinum Redtail Dumbo Ear Guppy

Origin and Habitat

Guppies are native to the Caribbean and the northern shoulder of South America. Wild populations live in warm streams, grassy ditches, and quiet river margins with gentle flow and abundant plants. Water is usually mineral rich, often with a little salt drifting in from estuaries, and beds of fine sand or silt catch leaf litter that shelters tiny invertebrates. The Platinum Redtail Dumbo Ear is a domesticated strain that shows best in planted aquariums where cover and calm water let the enlarged pectoral fins and tail flow naturally.

Temperature and Water Conditions

Preferred temperature is 74 to 80 F, which is 23 to 27 C. Wild guppies handle a wide pH window, often near neutral to slightly alkaline. For fancy strains, steady conditions matter more than any exact number, except when fine tuning for a planned breeding goal. Provide good mineral content, moderate hardness, and strong biological filtration. If your tap water is very soft, add a small bag of crushed coral or a remineralizer so calcium and magnesium stay healthy for bone and fin growth. Gentle surface movement keeps oxygen high.

Appearance and Size

Platinum body, cherry to crimson tail, and the signature Dumbo Ear pectoral fins that look like little sails. Males carry the brightest color and the exaggerated fins. Females are larger, with a fuller belly and a more subdued body tone, often showing platinum hints and light tail color. Adult males reach about 2.5 to 3.5 cm, which is 1 to 1.4 inches. Females reach about 4 to 6 cm, which is 1.6 to 2.4 inches. Good light and a dark background make the platinum shimmer and the red tail glow.

Diet in the Wild

Omnivores that graze algae and biofilm while snapping up tiny insects, larvae, and micro crustaceans drifting in the plants. Constant nibbling fuels steady growth and color.

Feeding in Captivity

Feed small portions two or three times daily. Use a high quality micro pellet and a fine flake that includes spirulina for the plant side, then add live or frozen baby brine shrimp, daphnia, cyclops, and finely chopped bloodworms for protein and conditioning. Rotate color friendly foods rich in carotenoids to support the red tail. In planted tanks, natural microfauna in the leaves and mosses give bonus snacks between meals.

Behavior and Tank Setup

Peaceful, active, and social. Keep them in groups with more females than males so courtship is spread out and everyone stays relaxed. A 20 gallon planted tank is a simple starting point for a small colony. Use a gentle filter with a pre filter sponge, fine sand or smooth gravel, and a mix of stem plants, floating plants, and mosses for cover. A little wood and leaf litter adds comfort and a natural look. Good neighbors include peaceful rasboras, small tetras, Corydoras, Otocinclus, and shrimp that are large enough not to be viewed as snacks.

Breeding

Conditioning: Platinum Redtail Dumbo Ear is a livebearer, which makes breeding both accessible and rewarding. Condition adults with frequent small meals and very clean water. Females usually drop fry about every three to four weeks once mature. A calm nursery with dense plants such as guppy grass, hornwort, or java moss helps fry avoid curious adults. Many keepers move a very pregnant female to a planted breeder box, then return her to the main tank after the drop so she can rest.

Line management: For a high end line, keep clear records and separate grow out groups by sex early so males do not breed before you select your keepers. Select for clean platinum on the body, bold red in the tail, balanced Dumbo Ear fins that move smoothly, and strong body shape. Rotate breeders to avoid inbreeding fatigue, and consider a planned outcross to a compatible line every few generations to keep vigor high while holding the look.

Fry care: Fry start on powdered foods and newly hatched brine shrimp, then move to fine flakes and micro pellets as they grow. Small daily water changes maintain rapid growth and fin development. Provide floating plants and moss for security, and keep flow gentle so fry can feed easily.

Quick Facts

• Scientific name: Poecilia reticulata, fancy strain
• Common name: Platinum Redtail Dumbo Ear Guppy
• Origin: domesticated strain, species native to the Caribbean and northern South America
• Adult size: males about 2.5 to 3.5 cm, females about 4 to 6 cm
• Temperature: 74 to 80 F preferred
• Wild pH: often neutral to slightly alkaline, favor steady mineral content in captivity
• Temperament: peaceful community fish, best in groups with more females than males
• Diet: omnivore, mix of quality prepared foods with live or frozen micro foods
• Breeding type: livebearer, frequent broods, fry benefit from plant thickets and gentle filtration

Tropical Fish Co. Notes

Our Platinum Redtail Dumbo Ear stock is hand selected by the exporter, then re screened here, so you receive pairs that are ready to shine and perfect to start your own high end breeding project. Give them plants, steady minerals, and a varied menu, and you will see why guppies have won hearts for a century. For breeders, keep the line clean by avoiding mixed strains in the same tank, take notes on every drop, and be selective. The result is a consistent school of platinum bodies with glowing red sails that looks like a tiny parade every time you walk by.