Freshwater · Beginner
Guppy
Poecilia reticulata
Guppies are colorful, active livebearers for a heated 10-gallon (or larger) community, with one caveat: mixed sexes will produce fry, often lots of them.
Min. tank: 10 gal
Care notes →
Photo: Marrabbio2 · CC BY-SA 3.0
Freshwater · Beginner · 15+ gal
Platy
Xiphophorus maculatus
Platies are hardy, hard-water livebearers for a heated 15-gallon (20 is easier). Mickey Mouse, wagtail, and sunset are color strains, not different care. Mixed sexes mean fry.
| Water type | Freshwater |
|---|---|
| Care level | Beginner |
| Minimum tank | 15 gallons |
| Temperament | Peaceful livebearer. Males may chase females if the ratio is poor. They stay midwater and rarely bother calm tank mates. |
| Diet | Omnivore with a real plant component. Quality tropical flakes or micro pellets as a staple, plus blanched zucchini or spinach a few times a week. Occasional frozen brine or daphnia is fine. They are not a cleanup crew. |
| Temperature | 70–78 °F |
| pH | 7–8.2 |
| Hardness / salinity | Moderately hard to hard, alkaline water (roughly 10–20 dGH). They are a better match for hard municipal tap than soft Amazonian tetras. |
Hard water, honest gallons
Xiphophorus maculatus is a Central American livebearer that stays around 2 to 2.5 inches. Fifteen gallons is the floor for a small mixed group. Twenty gallons is easier to keep stable once fry start showing up and you are doing weekly water changes.
They want hard, alkaline water in the low-to-mid 70s F. Soft, acidic tanks built for neon tetras are a poor long-term match. If your tap is already hard, platies are often easier than Amazonian schoolers.
Strains are colors, not species
Mickey Mouse, wagtail, sunset, and the other shop labels are color and pattern strains of the same fish. Care does not change with the paint job. Buy healthy fish from a clean tank, not the prettiest bag in the worst water.
They are not swordtails. Swordtails (Xiphophorus hellerii) get larger and want more swimming length. A short, rounded body without a male sword is the platy.
Food and neighbors
Flake works if they finish it. Add blanched zucchini or spinach a few times a week so they get plant matter. Do not stock them as algae eaters and then skip feeding.
They mix well with guppies, zebra danios, and a cory group. Skip nippy barbs and male bettas. Dense plants give fry a chance if you want some to survive; most community tanks will eat many of them.
Tank mates
- Guppies and other calm livebearers
- Zebra danios and other peaceful midwater schoolers
- Peppered cories on sand
- Avoid nippy barbs, male bettas, and large cichlids
Gear for this fish
A few listings we would open for this species. Skip anything you already own that still works.
Aqueon Pro adjustable heater, 100W
Platies are tropical livebearers in the low-to-mid 70s F. A 15–20 gallon group wants a real adjustable heater. 100W is the Pro size for a 20 in a normal room.
Use the 50W Pro if the tank is a true 15 and a thermometer already holds the mid-70s. Skip a second heater. Still put a separate thermometer on the glass.
See this listingTetraMin Tropical Flakes, 7.06 oz
They are midwater omnivores that will finish a basic tropical flake. Small portions beat a blizzard on the gravel.
Add blanched zucchini or spinach a few times a week. Skip this if you already feed a quality flake or micro pellet they clean up. Leftover flake is how tanks crash.
See this listingPAIZOO stick-on digital thermometer
Hard-water livebearers still need a real number on the glass. Stick-on digital read outside the tank tells you the heater dial is not lying.
Place it away from the heater. A clip-on glass thermometer is fine if you already have one.
See this listing
Frequently asked questions
Will platies have fry?+
Yes, if you keep males and females together. A female can drop broods for months after a single mating. Keep males only, or plan to rehome and increase water changes.
What size tank do platies need?+
Fifteen gallons for a small mixed group. Twenty gallons is the kinder home once bioload and fry are in the picture.
Do platies need salt?+
No. Captive-bred platies live in freshwater. They need minerals (hardness), not a permanent aquarium-salt dose. Salt is optional short-term medicine, not décor.
Related species
Freshwater · Beginner
Zebra danio
Danio rerio
Zebra danios are hardy, fast-swimming beginners that want a school of six or more. Ten gallons is a tight floor. A 20-gallon long gives them the horizontal lane they actually use.
Min. tank: 10 gal
Care notes →
Freshwater · Beginner
Peppered cory
Corydoras paleatus
Peppered corydoras are social, sandy-bottom catfish. Keep a group of six or more in a 20-gallon tank with sand, not gravel that can nick their barbels.
Min. tank: 20 gal
Care notes →