20 Best Platy Fish Tank Mates
Unsure about which fish species can coexist with platies? This article offers a brief summary of the top platy fish tank mates.
When establishing a community aquarium, it is essential to consider fish compatibility. Comparable water parameters and behavioral characteristics play a significant role in determining if various fish can be housed together.
To guide you in the right direction, I’ve created this platy fish compatibility guide, outlining 20 distinct fish species that can harmoniously share a tank with your platies:
Guppy Fish
- Compatibility: 5/5
- Min. Tank Size: 10 gallons
- Care Level: Easy
- Diet & Feeding: Omnivore
- Max. Size: 2.5 inches
Platies and guppies get along well if kept in the same aquarium. Their water requirements are very similar, they both enjoy a planted aquarium, plus they’re both live-bearing fish.
Guppies are more impressive in their physical traits — they display strikingly beautiful colors, flowing fins, and they grow a bit smaller compared to platy fish.
Guppies are extremely useful in areas where mosquito populations are out of control. They’re in fact used as a natural means to control mosquito populations from getting out of hand.
Beyond water requirements and breeding habits, guppy fish are also omnivorous, which is another thing they have in common with platy fish.
Endlers
- Compatibility: 5/5
- Min. Tank Size: 10 gallons
- Care Level: Easy
- Diet & Feeding: Omnivore
- Max. Size: 1.5 inches
Endlers are another type of fish that are compatible with platies. They’re also compatible with guppies to the extent that they’ll even crossbreed.
Most endler fish strains have a metallic green color that’s complemented with other color variations including yellow, blue, purple, red, and others.
These are active fish that enjoy exploring the aquarium and enjoy thickly planted aquariums. They’re also schooling fish; therefore, you should keep several couple of fish at once.
They’re easy to keep and easy to feed, accepting several types of fish foods. They make a good tank mate for many peaceful freshwater fish including mollies, platies and guppies.
Molly Fish
- Compatibility: 4/5
- Min. Tank Size: 20 gallons
- Care Level: Easy
- Diet & Feeding: Omnivore
- Max. Size: 4.5 inches
An optimal fish for beginners, molly fish have a diverse habitat that ranges from freshwater to brackish waters.
They have an elongated body; they average at around 4 inches and they should be kept in a spacious tank planted with live plants as they enjoy grazing on algae that grows naturally on these plants.
Molly fish should not be kept in small or crowded aquariums and they won’t tolerate sudden temperature changes.
They’re peaceful and active fish that will breed almost uncontrollably if both genders are kept in the same aquarium.
Swordtails
- Compatibility: 4/5
- Min. Tank Size: 15 gallons
- Care Level: Easy
- Diet & Feeding: Omnivore
- Max. Size: 4 inches
A sword-shaped tail makes these fish an interesting sight along with the multiple color variations that are available. Depending on tank conditions, they can grow to 4-5 inches excluding the tail length.
As far as their temperament goes, they can be a hit or miss. Some strains are aggressive, others are peaceful and timid. Aggressive ones tend to be more aggressive towards male fish of their own kind.
They’re liked by beginner aquarists not only for their odd shape and interesting colors, but also for they low keeping requirements.
If you want to keep them with platies, make sure you limit the number of swordtail males and keep them in a planted aquarium to further discourage any aggression.
Neon Tetras
- Compatibility: 4/5
- Min. Tank Size: 10 gallons
- Care Level: Easy
- Diet & Feeding: Omnivore
- Max. Size: 1.5 inches
Small but feisty, the neon tetra has a beautiful translucent body that’s completed by metallic blue, green and red colors.
These fish don’t grow large, they average at around 1.5 inches, and despite this small size, they require a spacious aquarium because they’re schooling fish that best enjoy being kept in groups of 15.
A 20-gallon aquarium with plants is ideal for them and they’ll spend most of their time swimming in the middle of the water column.
They’re non-aggressive fish that make an excellent addition to a community aquarium.
Zebra Danio
- Compatibility: 4/5
- Min. Tank Size: 10 gallons
- Care Level: Easy
- Diet & Feeding: Omnivore
- Max. Size: 2 inches
The Zebra Danio fish is a good option for a platy fish tank mate, especially because platies don’t have long fins that zebra danios may nip at.
This platy tank mate is an active fish that spends a major part of its time in the upper levels of the water column, but they’re ready to explore all other corners of the aquarium.
They have a good appetite and a preference for vegetable matter and invertebrates. They’re easy to keep and I can even recommend them for beginners.
Betta Fish
- Compatibility: 3/5
- Min. Tank Size: 5 gallons
- Care Level: Easy
- Diet & Feeding: Carnivore
- Max. Size: 3 inches
Bettas and platies can be kept in the same aquarium given that their water requirements can be easily matched up.
However, there are a few things to watch out for, namely stocking issues and behavioral issues. Bettas are widely recognized as territorial fish that will pick fights with males of their own kind and other fish that display similar physical traits.
Platies are neither similar to bettas, nor do they display any aggressive behavior, but make sure to keep a watchful eye on the tank in case any fin-nipping may occur.
Don’t keep multiple betta males in the same aquarium and make sure to account for the fact that bettas are carnivores, while platies are omnivores.
Rummy Nose Tetras
- Compatibility: 4/5
- Min. Tank Size: 20 gallons
- Care Level: Moderate
- Diet & Feeding: Omnivore
- Max. Size: 2 inches
A bright red spot on its head and the white-black stripes on its tails are the distinctive marks of the rummy nose tetra.
Because of their peaceful temper, they can make a good tank mate for any peaceful freshwater fish. The minimum tank size is 25 gallons and they should be kept in a school of at least 7.
They’re omnivorous fish that thrive on a diversified diet. Make sure you have an external filter set up in the aquarium as they are sensitive to ammonia and nitrite levels.
Rosy Tetras
- Compatibility: 4/5
- Min. Tank Size: 15 gallons
- Care Level: Easy
- Diet & Feeding: Omnivore
- Max. Size: 1.5 inches
Its salmon-colored body is the distinctive mark that gave the name ‘rosy’ to this deep-bodied fish that’s a peaceful and relatively hardy fish.
They should be kept in a small group of 6. This will make them feel at ease and develop their beautiful colors more easily.
Rosy tetras reach sizes of 1.6 inches and feel best in a planted aquarium that also offers plenty of open space for swimming.
They should be kept with other small-sized peaceful fish that won’t bully them. Because platy fish meet these requirements, they’re a good tank mate for rosy tetras.
White Cloud Minnows
- Compatibility: 4/5
- Min. Tank Size: 10 gallons
- Care Level: Easy
- Diet & Feeding: Omnivore
- Max. Size: 2 inches
A small fish that’s generally peaceful, the minnow makes a good choice as a platy tank mate. Generally, minnows don’t impress when it comes to physical traits or colors.
Selective breeding, however, has resulted in more interesting specimens that showcase more interesting colors variations like the White Cloud Mountain Minnow, which has a splash of red on its fins and body.
Because some minnows come from mountain streams, they enjoy colder temperatures that may not be appreciated by platies, therefore, make sure to choose minnows that enjoy similar water temperatures as platies.
Corydoras
- Compatibility: 5/5
- Min. Tank Size: 20 gallons
- Care Level: Easy
- Diet & Feeding: Omnivore
- Max. Size: 2.5 inches
If you want a good tank mate for your platy fish, but also an avid tank cleaner to sweep up your aquarium substrate, Corydoras are an excellent choice.
As bottom dwellers, corydoras will spend a lot of time foraging in the substrate picking up leftover food and algae. Supplement their diet with a variety of foods to keep them healthy.
These fish are recognized as one of the most peaceful freshwater fish, making them a suitable tank mate for many freshwater fish varieties including platies. Corydoras prefer being kept in small groups and enjoy a planted aquarium.
Bristlenose Plecos
- Compatibility: 3/5
- Min. Tank Size: 30 gallons
- Care Level: Moderate
- Diet & Feeding: Herbivore
- Max. Size: 4-6 inches
Plecos are another bottom-dweller fish that would make a good platy companion. That is, if you have the space for it. They’re also excellent tank cleaners.
These fish can grow to a foot long, so the small aquarium that would be suitable for platies will not hold plecos as well. Plecos will thrive in 100-gallon aquariums.
While generally peaceful, this fish will exhibit territorial behavior against other males of its kind. But it won’t have the same behavior towards males of other species, therefore, you can keep them with platy males without issues.
You can keep a single pleco in a community aquarium and make sure you supplement their diet with veggie tablets and spirulina wafers.
If you don’t have the space for a 100 gallon aquarium, you can opt for Bristlenose Plecos, which are much smaller. They will grow up to 3-6 inches, depending on the type you choose.
Gouramis
- Compatibility: 3/5
- Min. Tank Size: 20 gallons
- Care Level: Moderate
- Diet & Feeding: Omnivore
- Max. Size: 2-6 inches (depending on species)
Gouramis are colorful freshwater fish that thrive if kept with peaceful fish that won’t harm them. Despite this, they do exhibit some aggressive behavior when multiple male gouramis are kept together or if kept with similarly colorful fish.
Female gouramis will tolerate each other and won’t pick fights with other fish. Males should be kept individually.
Some gourami varieties are omnivorous, others are primarily herbivores, therefore, you should research their feeding requirements and adjust their diet accordingly.
Angelfish
- Compatibility: 3/5
- Min. Tank Size: 30 gallons
- Care Level: Moderate
- Diet & Feeding: Omnivore
- Max. Size: 6 inches
Angelfish are tall-bodied fish with a preference for taller and larger aquariums. They should be kept in groups of 5-6 and should be offered plenty of hiding spaces and plants in the aquarium.
Angelfish are excellent parents that will hatch the eggs and continue caring for their juveniles after they’ve hatched.
During breeding time, they become territorial as they guard the eggs from other fish. At this time, both males and females display aggressive behaviors.
Platies, however, can stand their ground against such behaviors, therefore, it’s not really an issues when keeping these fish together.
Harlequin Rasbora
- Compatibility: 4/5
- Min. Tank Size: 10 gallons
- Care Level: Easy
- Diet & Feeding: Omnivore
- Max. Size: 2 inches
Compatible with many other community fish, the harlequin rasbora is a vibrant and colorful fish that grows to 2 inches and has a lifespan of 5 to 6 years.
If kept in small groups, they become timid and reclusive, therefore, you should keep them in larger groups of at least 8.
They should be offered a varied diet and they’re easy to care for otherwise. They’re peaceful and a good companion for platy fish.
Siamese Algae Eater
- Compatibility: 4/5
- Min. Tank Size: 20 gallons
- Care Level: Easy
- Diet & Feeding: Herbivore
- Max. Size: 6 inches
These large tank cleaners reach 6 inches in size; therefore, a larger aquarium is required to comfortably accommodate them.
Because they tend to become territorial and rather aggressive when kept individually, you should keep Siamese algae eaters in small groups of 3-5.
They’re excellent at removing algae including black beard algae. They thrive on a herbivore diet, so make sure you offer them algae wafers and flakes high in vegetable matter.
Otocinclus Catfish
- Compatibility: 5/5
- Min. Tank Size: 10 gallons
- Care Level: Moderate
- Diet & Feeding: Herbivore
- Max. Size: 2 inches
Otocinclus catfish are anther algae eater species that enjoys the company of other peaceful fish like the platy fish. Their maximum size in adulthood is around 2 inches.
They require a planted aquarium so they can graze on soft algae and vegetable matter. Their diet should include algae wafers and fresh vegetables.
They should never be kept with aggressive fish that will bully them or predatory fish as they have no defense mechanisms.
Freshwater Goby Fish
- Compatibility: 4/5
- Min. Tank Size: 10 gallons
- Care Level: Moderate
- Diet & Feeding: Carnivore
- Max. Size: 1-6 inches (depending on species)
The freshwater goby fish has an elongated body that reaches 2 inches in adulthood. It’s relatively easy to keep fish with water requirements similar to that of the platy fish.
Their minimum tank size is 15 gallons and the female-to-male stocking ratio is one male for two females.
They’re extremely useful fish that are known as excellent algae cleaners. They’re a bit timid and enjoy scavenging in the substrate of the aquarium.
Amano Shrimp
- Compatibility: 5/5
- Min. Tank Size: 10 gallons
- Care Level: Easy
- Diet & Feeding: Omnivore
- Max. Size: 2 inches
I don’t usually recommend keeping dwarf shrimp in the same aquarium with fish, but the Amano shrimp can be an exception.
They’re the biggest of the dwarf shrimp category and their near-transparent body makes them the masters of disguise.
Platy fish and Amano shrimp can be kept in the same aquarium, especially that they have similar water requirements.
Make sure to provide plenty of hiding spaces and plants, so your Amano shrimp can stay hidden from any curious platies.
Snails
- Compatibility: 5/5
- Min. Tank Size: 5 gallons
- Care Level: Easy
- Diet & Feeding: Herbivore
- Max. Size: Varies (0.5-6 inches, depending on species)
Snails are another type of invertebrate that you could keep with platies if you’re not keen on adding other types of fish to your aquarium.
Snails have a built-in defense mechanism compared to shrimp and can easily hide from curious fish.
Some snails that you can keep with your platies include nerite snails, rabbit snails, trumpet snails, and ramshorn snails. Be careful if you add more snails as their population can easily get out of control.
Avoid Keeping Platies With:
Platies don’t mix well with:
Cherry Shrimp
This small shrimp is defenseless against platy fish or any other fish. Their bright red colors and curious nature makes them easy prey for fish.
Goldfish
Goldfish and platy fish should not be kept together. For starters, their water requirements don’t match up, plus, platies may bully goldfish.
Aggressive fish
While platies aren’t very sensitive fish, aggressive fish such as barbs or cichlids should not be kept together with platies. Aggressive fish may cause injuries that can lead to infections and other health issues.
Conclusion
Behavior and water requirements should always match up in any fish that you plan on keeping in the same aquarium.
It’s crucial to avoid fights in the aquarium and related stress as it could lead to injuries and stress that will eventually cause a lot of complications.
As you can see platies are peaceful fish that get along with many freshwater fish that enjoy the same water requirements and display behavior similar to them.
Aren’t guramia eat platy babies?
Most fish, including gouramis will eat platy fry. If you want to keep the platy babies alive, then probably you should avoid keeping platies with any other fish species. Please remember, that adult platies will also eat their fry, so you need to offer cover for the babies