🐠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.

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

• 60-litre aquarium kit: the full beginner budget with no nasty surprisesBedding & habitat

  How much does a 60-litre aquarium kit really cost? The full start-up budget, item by item: equipped tank, substrate, decor, water tests and consumables.

• Nano shrimp tank: the essential equipment to start off rightBedding & habitat

  What equipment does a nano shrimp tank need? Volume, gentle filtration, the right substrate and a full budget: the complete checklist for keeping Neocaridina.

• Betta tank of 20-30 litres: the ideal setup, step by stepBedding & habitat

  How do you set up a 20 to 30 litre betta tank? Low-flow filtration, heating, resting plants and a lid: the ideal setup explained in detail.

• Garden pond for goldfish: volume, equipment and budgetBedding & habitat

  How do you build a garden pond for goldfish? Minimum volume, frost-free depth, filtration and predator protection: the complete guide with budget.

• RO units and reverse osmosis water in aquariums: who actually needs it?Care & grooming

  Is reverse osmosis water essential for an aquarium? Find out who really needs an RO unit, how to remineralize and what budget to plan (unit or jerrycan).

• Water conditioner and starter bacteria: essential or just marketing?Care & grooming

  Water conditioner and starter bacteria: what do they actually do? Chlorine, heavy metals, faster cycling: what to buy and what to skip.

• Fertilizer and CO2 for aquarium plants: start simple, skip the lab setupToys & enrichment

  Do aquarium plants need fertilizer and CO2? The simple starter method: liquid fertilizer, easy plants, and when injected CO2 actually becomes worthwhile.

• Driftwood and rocks for aquariums: which ones are safe for your fish?Toys & enrichment

  Which driftwood and rocks are safe in an aquarium? Tannin-releasing woods, limestone rocks to avoid, the vinegar test and preparation: the complete guide.