Platy care
Xiphophorus maculatus · Atlantic slope of Mexico and Central America
Platies are calm, colorful and forgiving: a 10 gallon or larger tank, 70 to 80 °F, hard water and a group of three or more.
- Tank size
- 10 US gal or larger
- Temperature
- 70 to 80 °F (21 to 27 °C)
- Group size
- 3 or more
- Temperament
- Peaceful
- Adult size
- 2.5 in
- pH
- 7 to 8.2
- Hardness (GH)
- 10 to 25 dGH
- Lifespan
- 3 to 4 years
- Diet
- Omnivore
- Care level
- Easy
In a 10 gallon
20¼ × 10½ × 12 9/16 in outsideHow to keep platies
Platies are calm, colorful and forgiving: a 10 gallon or larger tank, 70 to 80 °F, hard water and a group of three or more. They are one of the best first fish, and like other livebearers they breed in the tank.
Diet: Omnivore: flakes, micro pellets, vegetables, frozen foods. Fish food types compared · how often to feed.
Where they swim: Middle of the tank.
Platy tank mates
Share the temperature and water, and neither side eats, nips or bullies the other. Check the full group in the stocking checker.
Dwarf chain loach
2.5 in · 20+ gal · 75–82 °F
Julii corydoras
2.5 in · 20+ gal · 72–79 °F
DrawingGolden pencilfish
2.6 in · 15+ gal · 75–82 °F
Pearl danio
2.6 in · 20+ gal · 68–77 °F
Sterbai corydoras
2.6 in · 20+ gal · 74–82 °F
Gardneri killifish
2.6 in · 10+ gal · 72–79 °F
Bumblebee catfish
2.4 in · 20+ gal · 70–77 °F
Leopard frog pleco
2.4 in · 20+ gal · 77–84 °F
Keep apart
Pea puffer: Pea puffers belong in a tank of their own.
Red-tail dwarf puffer: Red-tail dwarf puffers belong in a tank of their own.
Everglades pygmy sunfish: Everglades pygmy sunfish belong in a tank of their own.
Axolotl: Axolotls belong in a tank of their own.
Electric blue crayfish: Electric blue crayfish belong in a tank of their own.
Discus: No shared temperature: platies need 70 to 80 °F, discus 82 to 88 °F.
What a platy tank needs
A tank of 10 US gallons or more (such as the 10 gallon) with a cover, and the equipment below.
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hygger AquaFall Aquarium Filter, S
Rated by the maker for 7–10 US gal, which covers a 10 gallon platy tank without being built for a far bigger one.
Aqueon QuietFlow Internal Power Filter 5–15 gal
Rated by the maker for 5–15 US gal, which covers a 10 gallon platy tank without being built for a far bigger one.
hygger Precise Aquarium Heater 50W
Platies need 70 to 80 °F; most homes run cooler, so a heater holds the temperature.
API Freshwater Master Test Kit
Tests ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH, the readings that matter most before and after adding platies.
Seachem Prime 100 mL
Removes chlorine and chloramine from tap water at every water change.
Fluval Edge Thermometer
Shows the water temperature at a glance, so you know it stays within 70 to 80 °F.
More choices, each with the reason it is in or out: Filters for a 10 gallon tank · Heaters for a 10 gallon tank. We don’t list fish food: any good brand of the foods under Diet will do. Plan the whole tank's equipment →
Common platy problems
- Too many males chasing one female; keep two or three females per male.
Test the water first whenever fish look unwell: see what your readings mean, then match the symptom. For disease, a vet who treats fish can diagnose it and advise treatment.
More to compare
Sources
Name, origin and adult size checked against Wikipedia: Xiphophorus maculatus. Temperature, pH, hardness, group size, lifespan and minimum tank size are common hobby guidance, not figures from that article. Ranges are the range the species tolerates; aim for the middle. Minimum tank sizes are for an adult group. Drawings are our own; photo credits follow.
Photo credits
Real photographs from Wikimedia Commons, resized and cropped to fit; each is used under the license named.
- Platy Monika Korzeniec, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Dwarf chain loach Stefan Maurer, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Julii corydoras Bob Jenkins, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Pearl danio Павлик Лисицын, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Sterbai corydoras Matthew Mannell, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
- Gardneri killifish Tommy Kronkvist, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Bumblebee catfish CHUCAO, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Leopard frog pleco Frank M Greco, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Pea puffer Beta Mahatvaraj, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Red-tail dwarf puffer Neale Monks (English Wikipedia), CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Everglades pygmy sunfish Brian Gratwicke, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Axolotl LoKiLeCh, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Electric blue crayfish Dirk Rohlfs, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
- Discus Patrick Farrelly, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
- Guppy Marrabbio2, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Endler's livebearer Dgrummon, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Molly LPA74, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Swordtail Usien, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
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