Platy
Xiphophorus maculatus
Photo: Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons
Sturdy livebearer for a 10–20 gallon. They like harder water than tetras. Mix sexes and you will have fry on the glass.
Sturdy livebearer for hard tap water.
In the tank
- Grazes a bit of algae and leftover food.
- Forgiving if the tank is cycled.
- Water
- freshwater
- Temperament
- Peaceful
- Swims
- Midwater
- Adult size
- 2.5 in
- Minimum tank
- 10 gal
- Group
- Can be kept singly
- Temperature
- 70–80°F
- pH
- 7.0–8.2
- Diet
- Flakes, pellets, blanched veg.
- Beginner
- Yes, if the tank is cycled
How to keep them
- 10–20 gallons. Mix sexes and you will have fry on the glass.
Tankmates
Mollies, swordtails, hardy tetras that like harder water.
Avoid
Soft-water Amazon specialists.
Check tankmates · Stocking calculator
Same group
Guppy
Poecilia reticulata
Colorful livebearer. A population bomb if you mix sexes.
They pick leftover flakes and biofilm.
Endler's Livebearer
Poecilia wingei
A smaller, wilder guppy.
Grazes biofilm in planted nanos.
Molly
Poecilia sphenops
A livebearer that actually grazes algae.
Picks green film off glass and décor more than guppies do.
Swordtail
Xiphophorus hellerii
A bigger livebearer that uses the full water column.
Active swimmer in a 20 long.