Description

Native to North and Central America from Ciudad Veracruz, Mexico, to northern Belize in Central America, this platy is not considered to be endangered. Nonnative populations now reside in a number of locations within the United States, including California, Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, Louisiana, Montana, Nevada, and Texas.

Tankmates

The Mickey Mouse platy is very peaceful and lives sociably with a wide variety of other fish. Because they are not schooling fish, they don’t need a great deal of room in which to move. Small tanks, therefore, are very comfortable habitats.

And yet, Mickey Mouse platies often prefer the company of other members of the genus Xiphophorus. These are all livebearing fish, such as the guppies, mollies, and swordtails. Other compatible tankmates include angels, catfish, danios, gouramis, and tetras.

Mickey Mouse Platy Habitat and Care

The Mickey Mouse platy is a terrific choice for new aquarium owners. Like other platys, the Mickey Mouse tolerates a wide range of conditions, and are suitable for even small aquariums. They will graze on vegetation, so keep that in mind if you have live plants. The ideal substrate is small to medium-sized and darker in color, which also serves as a good contrast to show off the pretty colors of this fish.

Water conditions are not critical. Alkaline water of moderate hardness is ideal, which is very similar to most city tap water. The temperature of a typical community tank, 76 to 78 F, will do quite nicely for the Mickey Mouse platy.

Mickey Mouse Platy Diet and Feeding

In nature, this fish feeds on live foods such as insects and worms, as well as vegetation. However, they are not picky and accept virtually any food, including flake, freeze-dried, frozen, and live foods. Live foods, such as brine shrimp, glassworms, and bloodworms, are a good supplement. Frozen or freeze-dried varieties of the same foods offer a good alternative.

A varied diet including plenty of vegetable matter ​ensures good health. Fresh produce such as lettuce, spinach, cooked peas, or zucchini will be readily accepted. In lieu of fresh veggies, try spirulina.