Southern Platyfish

The southern platyfish (common platy or simply platy), is a live-bearig fish that grows to about 6.5 cm in length, with females just slightly larger. As pets, platys have been bred to be far more colorful than their wild counterparts, and come in several varieties. They are peaceful fish, but it is best to have at least two females for every male, in order to keep the male from harassing the same female continuously. They should be kept in a tank of at least 10 gallons (ideally larger), populated with hardy plants. They are omnivores and will do well on a diet of flakes with supplements of live and frozen foods, and will live up to 3 years with proper care.