🐠Platy: gear and buying guides

The platy is a peaceful, colorful livebearer, perfect for a first community aquarium. It lives in a small group with more females than males, in at least 80 L between 20 and 26 °C, and prefers moderately hard to hard water. As prolific as the guppy, it requires planning for fry management.

Profile : 4 to 6 cm as an adult, 80 L minimum for a group, water between 20 and 26 °C.

Species profile

Lifespan

3 to 4 years

Adult size

6 cm

Minimum tank

80 L

Water temperature

20 to 26 °C

pH

7 to 8

Temperament

Hardy, calm and always busy in midwater, it is one of the easiest community fish to house together.

Health watch

white spot disease in cold water · digestive issues from too much protein

🩺 The health watchpoints on this page are for information only: only a veterinarian can examine your animal and make a diagnosis.

Platy gear, family by family

• 🍖 Food

  An omnivore with plant-leaning tastes: spirulina-based flakes, blanched vegetables and frozen foods as a supplement. It happily grazes soft algae off the decor.

• 🧴 Care & grooming

  Hardy in hard, slightly alkaline water, it declines in soft acidic water. A 20 to 25 percent weekly water change and stable parameters are enough to keep it healthy.

• 🎾 Toys & enrichment

  Bushy plants such as elodea or hornwort provide fry hiding spots and grazing areas. Alternate planted clumps with open swimming space.

• 🏠 Bedding & habitat

  A tank of at least 80 L, planted, with a trio of one male to two or three females to spread out harassment. Plan a solution for the monthly batches of fry.

• 🧳 Travel & safety

  Standard bag transport, a fairly sturdy species but sensitive to prolonged cold. Acclimate for 30 minutes, equalizing temperature then water parameters.

• 🧰 Accessories

  A standard internal or external filter, a 100 W heater, water conditioner and a fine net. Around 90 to 160 euros of equipment for an 80 to 120 L tank.

Guides to read

• Community aquarium or species-only tank: which is right for a first setup?Bedding & habitat

  Community aquarium or species-only tank: pros, cohabitation risks and advice for choosing how to set up your first aquarium.

• Best easy aquarium plants without CO2 for beginnersToys & enrichment

  Which aquarium plants can you choose without CO2 injection? A selection of hardy, easy plants for a beginner's planted tank.

• Budget for a first brackish water aquarium: the real cost to get startedBedding & habitat

  How much does a first brackish water aquarium cost? Tank, filtration, salt and salinity monitoring, budgeted item by item.

• Changing filter media too often: the mistake that wrecks your aquarium's cycleCare & grooming

  Why you should never replace all your filter media at once: nitrifying bacteria, replacement frequency and the right habits.

• Restarting a neglected aquarium: a step-by-step guideCare & grooming

  How do you restart an aquarium that's been left neglected without endangering the fish? Steps, water changes and mistakes to avoid.

• GH, KH and pH: understanding and adjusting aquarium water hardnessCare & grooming

  GH, KH, pH: what do these three readings actually measure, and how do you adjust aquarium water hardness without stressing the fish?

• Upgrading to a bigger aquarium: moving your fish without the stressBedding & habitat

  How do you upgrade to a bigger aquarium without breaking the biological cycle or stressing your fish? Steps and mistakes to avoid.

• Aquarium electrical safety: GFCI protection and good habitsTravel & safety

  Heater, filter, lighting near the water: what electrical precautions keep an aquarium safe for fish and people?