CHARACTERISTICS

The Platy (Xiphophorus sp.) is a genus of small, livebearing fish. "Mickey Mouse" platy have a distinct black "Mickey Mouse" pattern on the base of their tails. 

These small, friendly live-bearing fish are an extremely popular choice among freshwater fish keepers. They stay little, with males reaching approx. 1.5 inches, and females reaching around 2.5 inches. They prefer water temperatures in the low-to-mid 70's. While these fish are not technically shoaling, they do prefer to be kept with other platys. A group of around 5 platys can comfortably live in a 10-gallon aquarium. Keep in mind that these fish are prolific breeders; if you keep males and females together, it will result in platy babies.

These fish are easily kept with many other friendly community fish. They do particularly well with other livebearing fish, such as guppies and swordtails. Small tetra species and peaceful barbs are a good option, too. If you are keeping multiple platy, you should aim to keep more females than males (ideally 2-3 females per male), as the males can become aggressive when attempting to mate.