TankBud

One species · 4 varieties

Southern platy

Xiphophorus maculatus

Also known as Red Tuxedo Platy

FreshwaterFish

Southern platy (Xiphophorus maculatus)
Marrabbio2 · CC BY-SA 3.0

Care at a glance

Temperature
68–79°F
20–26°C
pH
6.8–8.0
Adult size
2.8 in
7 cm
Minimum tank
10 gal
38 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Social
Swim level
Middle
Difficulty
Beginner
Breeding
Livebearer · Easy
Rarity
Very common
Family
Poeciliidae
Origin
Mexico, Central America

Pick a variety

One setup covers every line on this page: care is the species' care.

Overview

The southern platy is a small, peaceful livebearer for the middle of a community tank. It is an easy, beginner-friendly fish.

Did you know

Platies and swordtails belong to the same genus and interbreed freely, which is how the hobby produces so many hybrid color and fin varieties. Certain crosses develop melanoma, so platies have long been a model animal in cancer research.

Caring for the southern platy

Keep southern platies in a small group in a tank of at least 10 gal (38 L). A planted tank with some open swimming space suits them. They spend most of their time in the middle of the tank.

Southern platies are hardy and forgiving. Keep the water neutral to slightly alkaline, at 68 to 79°F (20 to 26°C) and a pH of 6.8 to 8.0. They tolerate harder water well.

Feed a varied diet of flakes with some algae or vegetable content. Add occasional frozen treats.

They are peaceful and mix easily with other calm community fish. Keep more females than males to ease the pressure on the females. Females grow a bit larger than males.

Southern platies bear live young rather than laying eggs, and they breed readily. A female can store sperm and produce several broods from one mating.

Good to know

Xiphophorus maculatus is a livebearer in the family Poeciliidae, also sold in forms such as the red tuxedo platy. Most of the bright color forms in the hobby come from selective breeding rather than the wild fish.

In the wild

Southern platies come from warm, slow waters in Mexico and Central America. They live in weedy ditches, ponds and stream margins.

Other named lines

Trade platies mix this species with the variable platy, so most shop fish carry both bloodlines. The names below describe pattern, not ancestry.

Tuxedo
black rear body over a colored front

Weekly picks

Tank mates

Every variety on this page wants the same water, so one set of picks fits them all. These picks match on water type, temperature, pH, size and temperament.

Check the full mix in the stocking calculator

Common questions

What size tank does a southern platy need?

A southern platy needs at least 10 gal (38 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

What temperature and pH does a southern platy need?

A southern platy is comfortable at 68–79°F (20–26°C) with a pH of 6.8–8.0.

What does a southern platy eat?

A southern platy eats a varied diet of flakes with some algae or vegetable content. Give it occasional frozen treats as well.

How big does a southern platy get?

An adult southern platy reaches about 2.8 in (7 cm).

How can you tell a male southern platy from a female?

Females grow a bit larger than males.

How does a southern platy breed?

A southern platy bears live young instead of laying eggs and breeds readily. A female can store sperm and drop several broods from one mating.

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