Platies are beautiful Fish that are pretty popular among aquarium hobbyists today.
You want to make sure you choose fish that work well with them in an aquarium and that won’t take them, however.
I’ve put together a list of different fish that can be safely put with them in an aquarium.
Dwarf Gourami
Dwarf Gouramis are a great tank mate for your Platy fish. Most of the Gouramis you get are large to medium-sized, but these bigger Fish can take up a large amount of tank space and crowd a 10- or 20-gallon tank.
But the Dwarf Gouramis are the perfect size for these smaller tanks. These fish are peaceful and beautiful. The female’s colors are a subdued silver, while the males are the more colorful of the species. These fish have been bred in aquariums for decades, just like Platies, meaning they are tolerant to a wide range of tank conditions. So, these fish are also easy to care for.
Guppy Fish
Guppies get along well with Platies when they are kept in the same aquarium. The tank requirements for Guppies are very similar to those of the Platies, making them ideal tank mates.
Both the Guppies and the Platies are live-bearers too. Guppy’s may be more colorful as they come in such a wide variety of colors and patterns, but they stay smaller than Platies.
Swordtail
Swordtails are closely related to Platies; both fish are some of the most popular live-bearer Fish in the aquarium market. These two Fish come from the same area, so their care requirements are identical.
Swordtails are significantly longer and slightly slimmer than Platies, but they are just as peaceful. These fish are similar in looks to the Platy fish, so similar in the fact that they do sometimes hybridize with each other, making offspring that has characteristics from both fish.
Endlers
Endlers are another fish that are perfectly compatible with Platy fish. These fish can also be kept with Guppies, so you can create a large fish community with the Endlers fish. Most of the Endlers fish that you can find in aquarium stores have a metallic green color, complemented with some blue, yellow, red, purple, or other colors.
Endlers are schooling fish, meaning you will need to keep more than one in the same tank to ensure they feel safe and happy. Endlers are highly active fish and enjoy exploring their aquarium, so you need to ensure the tank is thickly planted, so they have places to explore. Apart from that, these fish are easy to care for.
German Blue Rams
German Blue Rams are a popular species of dwarf cichlid, and these fish will only grow to 3 inches in length. German Blue Rams can be a little aggressive because of their cichlid nature, but they are too small to do much harm to the platies in your aquarium.
German Blue Rams love to dig, so ensure you give them a sandy substrate at the bottom of the tank to dig their small pits in.
Mollies
Mollies is easy to care for as they can survive in a diverse habitat ranging from brackish water to fresh water, making these fish ideal for beginners. These fish are peaceful and active, so they will do well when kept with Platies.
Mollies have an elongated body, and their average length is about 4 inches. These fish need to be kept in a spacious tank planted with live plants as they enjoy grazing on the algae that usually grows naturally on these live plants. These fish cannot tolerate sudden temperature changes, so you need to be careful with temperature monitoring.
Betta
Betta Fish can make perfect Platy tank mates if done correctly, but it can be a bit hit or miss – as Betta Fish can be pretty aggressive. To do this safely, you want to make sure there are plenty of hiding places and plants (real or fake) to break up lines of sight and put your betta in last.
Bettas thrive in heated aquariums with a good filtration system, but they are hardy fish and can survive in basically any tank conditions that stay above 74F.
Neon Tetras
Neon Tetras are small but feisty little creatures that are strikingly beautiful. These fish have a mix of green, metallic blue, and red colors on their body. They need to be kept in a group of at least 6.
Zebra Danio
Zebra Danio fish are one of my favorite fish. They work great in aquariums with a wide variety of fish, including platies.
Generally, they like to spend most of their time racing around top of the tank, but they will also explore the rest when they want to. These fish are easy to care for and are highly recommended for beginners.
Dwarf Otocinclus
Otos are another fish that will work with almost any fish, and platies are no different. They love to eat brown algae (diatoms) and prefer to be kept in groups of 6 or more. These fish can be bred in aquariums, but most of them are wild-caught. Because of this, they’re used to having a large supply of algae to eat, and they can starve once they completely clean the brown algae out of your aquarium.
Rummy Nose Tetras
Rummy Nose Tetras are a unique looking fish, as they have a red spot on their heads and white and black stripes on their tails, with the rest of their bodies being almost translucent. These markings are very distinctive of the Rummy Nose Tetra.
Rummy Nose Tetras have a peaceful temperament and make a great tank mate for Platies, but they need to be kept in a fish tank that is a minimum of 25 gallons, and they need to be kept in a school of a least six fish. They do need an external filter as they are sensitive to ammonia and nitrite levels in the water.
Rosy Tetras
Rosy Tetras have a salmon-colored body that is distinctive from this small fish. These fish are peaceful and will be excellent tank mates for Platy fish as they require the same living conditions. These are schooling fish, so they need to be kept in a school of at least 6 to say happy and comfortable.
These tiny fish will only reach about 1.6 inches long, and they will thrive in a planted tank that also offers some good swimming space.
Ghost Shrimp
Adding some Ghost Shrimp into your tank with your Platy fish makes for a fascinating tank community. Ghost Shrimp have translucent bodies that are mottled with different patterns to help with camouflage.
Ghost Shrimp will eat anything, from decaying leaves to algae. These Shrimp are not very hardy, however, due to often being wild caught from brackish water. They are cheap, though, so it’s easy to get some and see if they work for you.
Cherry Barb
Cherry Barbs are one of the best tank mates you can get for Platies as they are hardy Fish, omnivores, and they are easy to breed, making them inexpensive. Cherry barbs are a bit shy, so they need active dither fish in their tank, and they need to be in a school of at least 5 Cherry Barbs to help them feel safe and secure.
These fish thrive in heavily planted aquariums. These Fish are a vivid red color, but the females color is more subdued than the males. The Cherry Barb is quite easy to care for, so they are a good choice for beginners.
Corydoras
Corydoras are an excellent tank mate for Platy Fish, with the bonus of also helping to keep the tank clean. These fish are bottom dwellers and will spend most of their time foraging in the tank’s substrate, looking for food.
All aquarium hobbyists recognize Corydoras as one of the most peaceful freshwater fish. This makes them the ideal tank mate for all freshwater fish and not just Platy Fish, so you can make a lovely community with them. They do prefer to be kept in a small group of Corydoras.
Nerite Snail
Most snails are difficult to control as they can breed fast and become a pest, but the Nerite Snail cannot breed in the freshwater of Platy fish tanks, making them great tank mates. These snails will lay in the water, but they will not hatch unless in salt or brackish water.
These snails are detritivores, but they love all types of algae. These snails come in a large variety of colors and patterns.
Clown Plecos
Plecos are bottom-dweller fish that are great tank mates for Platy fish. Clown plecos in particular stay relatively small, so you can keep them in a lot smaller of a tank than common or sailfin plecos.
Angelfish
Angelfish are tall-bodies fish, and therefore prefer a larger and taller tank, but they are good tank mates for Platy fish as they require the same living conditions. Angel Fish should be kept in a group of 5 or 6 Angle fish, and they need to be given lots of hiding spots with plants in the tank.
These fish will only become territorial during breeding, and they will guard their eggs against other Fish. Platy fish can stand their ground against Angel Fish during this period, so there should be no issues.
Harlequin Rasbora
Harlequin Rasbora are compatible with a large number of other community fish. These Fish are colorful and vibrant, and they generally grow to about 2 inches long. These fish need to be kept in a group of 6 or more, or they will become timid and reclusive.
These Fish are peaceful, and they are a good companion for Platy fish. Just ensure the tank is big enough for all your Fish to have enough space to swim, play and hide when they need to.
