Platy fish, or platies, are a popular species of aquarium fish. Platies are popular as a “beginner” fish for aquarium hobbyists due to the fact they are hardy, adaptable and easygoing. Platies aren’t just aquarium fish, they are a wild species as well.
Platies are native to the east coast of Central America and Southern Mexico, in an Atlantic region from Veracruz to Belize.
Learn more about the beautiful, easy-to-care-for platy fish in this informative article.
What is the Native Habitat of the Platy Fish?
Platy fish are freshwater fish native to the east coast of Central America and Southern Mexico. Their wild habitat includes slow moving waters, vegetated canals, ditches, warm springs, ponds and rivers.
By Marrabbio2 [CC BY-SA 3.0]Where Else Have Platy Fish Been Found in the wild?
Platies have been found outside of their native habitat in places as far flung as ponds in Montana; canals in Tampa, Florida; Orange County, California; even Hong Kong and Puerto Rico! These wild but non-native populations are the result of aquarium or fish farm releases.
What Are the Different Subspecies of Platies?
There are three subspecies of Platy fish. They are the Southern (common) Platy, Variatus Platy, and Swordtail Platy. The Swordtail Platy is rare and only found in the waters of Rio Soto La Marina in Mexico. The Southern and Variatus Platies have been extensively interbred and most aquarium fish are a hybrid of the two.
Are Wild Platies Different from Aquarium-Bred Platies?
Platies have been bred for aquarium stock since the early 20th century, so most aquarium Platies are hybrids of wild species. They are prolific breeders and breed on a monthly cycle. Because of this, many colorful, distinct variations have been bred. They are generally more colorful than their wild Platy cousins, who are found in shades of brown, beige, or muted orange.
Varieties of Platy Fish
Aquarium platy fish come in a wide variety of patterns and colors. Some have been bred to have a specific tail shape enhanced from their wild cousins.
Some popular colors:
Gold, rainbow, red, orange, blue, black, yellow, and brown.
Some popular patterns:
- Tuxedo: The front half of the body can be any color, the back half is black.
- Mickey Mouse: A distinctive grouping of three dark circles near the base of their tail resembling the head of Mickey Mouse.
- Twinbar (aka Comet): Have angled black stripes along the top and bottom of the caudal fin.
Some popular fin and tail shapes:
- Wag tail: The body of the fish can be any color, but the anal fins, dorsal fins and caudal fins are black.
- Pin tail: Have elongated caudal rays at the top and bottom of the tail, with a central pin extending from the middle.
- High fin (aka sailfin or moonfish): The dorsal fin is three to four times larger than the dorsal fins of other platies.
How do I care for my Platy fish?
What do Platies eat?
Platies are omnivorous in the wild, eating plants, small crustaceans, insects and worms. Aquarium Platies are easy to care for and will eat anything you put in the tank, so make sure you add variety with a mixture of high-quality flakes, pellets, and freeze dried foods so they get all their needed vitamins and nutrients for a balanced diet.
How Often Should I Feed my Platy Fish?
The recommended feeding for Platies is once a day for adults, and two – three small meals a day for juveniles. Platies will survive just fine skipping meals, so don’t worry if they go without for a few days. Platies in the wild are used to going for periods of time without food. If anything, overfeeding is more of a risk than underfeeding.
How Should I Set Up my Aquarium for my Platy Fish?
Platies do well in a 10 to 20 gallon aquarium or larger. Platies are hardy fish and can tolerate pH levels from 6.5-8.5. They can tolerate water temperatures of 70-82 degrees F and water hardness of 10-28 dGH. Remember, Platies live wild in warm, slow-moving, highly vegetated areas, so adding live aquarium plants makes a great addition to their habitat.
Will Platies Get Along with My Other fish?
Platies are peaceful, non-aggressive fish that get along well with other species. Of course, other species of fish may be aggressive towards them, so do your research before introducing other species. The best bet is to match platies with similar sized fish that require similar aquarium conditions. Some examples are guppies, mollies, and swordtails. Platies also do fine with other aquatic animals such as snails.
How Many Platy Fish Can I Have in One Tank?
Platy fish do well in groups or solo. If you want to have a group of Platy fish together in a tank, a good place to start is 3-6 in a group. Platies breed frequently, so if you have a grouping of platies be sure to have a few females for each male to give the females a break from the male occasionally! To prevent breeding, keep only one gender.
My Platies are Having Babies! What Should I Do?
Platies can produce 20-50 live offspring (or “fry”) per month. They demonstrate no parental care towards their young and will cannibalize them. Too many offspring in a tank can create cloudiness and pollution so if you have breeding fish, consider culling them or separating them out of the tank. Once separated, they can be given away or sold. Some options are aquarium stores, friends or even local schools.
Can I keep Platy Fish in an Outdoor Pond?
Ponds are a natural habitat for Platies in the wild, and they will do just fine in warm, vegetated outdoor ponds. Platy fish, typical of other live-bearing fish, reproduce so quickly that they can keep a stable population in spite of predation or die-offs of natural causes. They are also fairly disease resistant.