One species · 4 varieties
Southern platy
Xiphophorus maculatus
Also known as Red Tuxedo Platy
FreshwaterFish
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
- 15 gal
- 55 L
- Temperament
- Peaceful
- Social behavior
- Social
- Swim level
- Middle
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Breeding
- 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
Platies are peaceful, social fish that do well in a small group in a tank of around 55 liters. Keep more females than males to ease pressure on the females. They sit in the middle of the tank and mix easily with other calm community fish. Feed a varied diet of flakes with some algae or veg content, plus occasional frozen treats. They are an easy, beginner-friendly fish that breeds readily.
In the wild
Southern platies come from warm, slow waters in Mexico and Central America, including weedy ditches, ponds, and stream margins. That background makes them hardy and forgiving. A planted tank with some open swimming space, neutral to slightly alkaline water, and a temperature in the low to mid-20s C is plenty. They tolerate harder water well, with pH from about 6.8 to 8.
Good to know
Xiphophorus maculatus is a livebearer in the family Poeciliidae, related to swordtails. Adults stay small at around 7 cm, with females a bit larger than males. They bear live young rather than laying eggs, and females can store sperm to produce several broods from one mating. Most of the bright color forms in the hobby come from selective breeding rather than the wild fish.
Did you know
Platies and swordtails are the same genus and interbreed freely, which is how the hobby produces so many hybrid color and fin varieties. They have also been a long-standing model animal in cancer research because certain crosses develop melanoma.
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.
Zebra pleco
Hypancistrus zebra
Freshwater3.1 in (8 cm) · 15 gal (55 L)79–86°F (26–30°C)
New Guinea blue-eye
Pseudomugil novaeguineae
Freshwater1.8 in (4.5 cm) · 15 gal (55 L)79–86°F (26–30°C)
Volcano rasbora
Rasbora vulcanus
Freshwater1.8 in (4.5 cm) · 15 gal (55 L)73–79°F (23–26°C)
Butterfly moth catfish
Erethistes pusillus
Freshwater2 in (5 cm) · 14 gal (54 L)68–79°F (20–26°C)
Infrafasciatus killifish
Epiplatys infrafasciatus
Freshwater2.4 in (6 cm) · 14 gal (54 L)68–77°F (20–25°C)
Pygmy gourami
Trichopsis pumila
Freshwater1.6 in (4 cm) · 15 gal (55 L)72–82°F (22–28°C)
Common questions
What size tank does a Southern platy need?
A Southern platy needs at least 15 gal (55 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.
How big does a Southern platy get?
An adult Southern platy reaches about 2.8 in (7 cm).
Related species
2.8 in (7 cm)15 gal (55 L)68–79°F (20–26°C)Variable platy
Xiphophorus variatus
2.8 in (7 cm) · 15 gal (55 L)
2 in (5 cm)16 gal (60 L)68–79°F (20–26°C)Spiketail platy
Xiphophorus xiphidium
2 in (5 cm) · 16 gal (60 L)
4.1 in (10.5 cm)29 gal (110 L)73–82°F (23–28°C)Kallman's swordtail
Xiphophorus kallmani
4.1 in (10.5 cm) · 29 gal (110 L)
2.8 in (7 cm)24 gal (90 L)68–81°F (20–27°C)Sheepshead swordtail
Xiphophorus birchmanni
2.8 in (7 cm) · 24 gal (90 L)
5.9 in (15 cm)24 gal (90 L)68–82°F (20–28°C)Green swordtail
Xiphophorus hellerii
5.9 in (15 cm) · 24 gal (90 L)
3.5 in (9 cm)29 gal (110 L)68–79°F (20–26°C)Northern mountain swordtail
Xiphophorus nezahualcoyotl
3.5 in (9 cm) · 29 gal (110 L)