Mickey Mouse Platy

Mickey Mouse Platy Thumbnail
Images & Content Courtesy of LiveAquaria.com
VN:F [1.9.22_1171]
Rating: 4.6/5 (7 votes cast)


The Mickey Mouse Platy is also known as the Moonfish or the Southern Platyfish, and is a hybrid color variation of Xiphophorus maculatus platy. The Mickey Mouse Platy is so named because of the black mark at the base of the body, reaching into the tail that is shaped like Mickey Mouse's silhouette. Color forms of orange, yellow, red, and blue are the most common. Platys add brilliant colors to the aquarium as well as being very easy to keep, making them a great fish for beginners and accomplished aquarists alike.

The Mickey Mouse Platy requires a tank of at least 10 gallons that is densely planted with hardy plants like Java Fern and Java Moss. They are very peaceful fish and make an excellent addition to the community tank. Any other peaceful fish can be housed with them.

The Mickey Mouse Platy is a livebearer and is capable of reproducing at three to four months of age. The male is smaller and more brightly colored than the female, and can be distinguished by his gonopodium. The fry will most often reach maturity in a community tank.

The Mickey Mouse Platy is an omnivore that will eat commercially prepared flaked foods and algae, as well as freeze-dried bloodworms, tubifex, and brine shrimp.

Mickey Mouse Platy, 4.6 out of 5 based on 7 ratings
11 Reviews to “Mickey Mouse Platy”
*Platy* on May 19th, 2009 2:42 pm

LOVE Platies. I’ve had one for over a year now. Brought a new one about 4 months ago and didn’t know it was female. I now know how to tell the difference between male and female which is very easy. They’re live bearers and she’s given birth quite a few times. Once they get pregnant they have babies (fry) over and over for the next several months. Very easy to care for and exciting to watch. Recommended to everyone^_^!

Brett on September 18th, 2009 12:46 am

Great fish, easy to look after, prolific live-bearing breeder like guppy’s usually between 25-28 days from time of birth it shell give birth again.

Females are easily spotted, at the rear of the platy you should see a dark grey, black spot know as the gravid spot, over time this spot will grow darker and the female will grow size-able and noticeably, when it is near to the time of birth you will notice she may not eat as much, swimming near the heater lowering her tail and leaning her head towards the surface in a position to help push out the ready fry, when she is about it give birth you will notice black in her anus this is usually the fry ready to come out, I recommend (If you wish to keep the fry) that you put her in a separate tank or even if you have a fish net breeder, or even a glass bowl small enough to float in the tank, put half water and leave the female in there and drop some food in the bowl so if she gets hungry she will be more incline to eat the food and not her little babies. Once she has finished you may leave her in the bowl to recover for a few minutes-hours, But if you see she is stressed and swimming frantically trying to get out! well then let her out back in the community tank, you can keep and raise the baby fry in the bowl or you can put in a separate tank if you have.

Male is easy to tell usually longer in length, will chase the female, and has no gravid spot.

All in all easy fish for first time aquarium lovers, and very lovely peaceful fish.

Tami Fuller on November 4th, 2009 5:36 pm

I have a Mickey Mouse Platy and she(I think it is ) always stays in the Tiki Hut at the bottom of the tank. The platy will not come out.
The color is vivid not belly rot on her. Anyone know what might be wrong with her? She will not school with the other Platys. My tank is a 36 gallon . Three Platys plus the Mickey Mouse (4 all together)
and four neon glo fish.

Cora on April 9th, 2010 7:30 pm

i am getting mickey mouse fish….i have never took care of any before ….i have a 15 gallon tank
Any tips how to take care of them?
How do you rell the boys and girls apart?
How mant times a day do i feed them?
How do you know if they are pregnat?
How long do they live for?
if you could help me that would really help(:
i have more questions but no answers
Please and thank you(: :)

Nicky on June 8th, 2010 2:12 pm

can anyone help? i have 3 micky mouse platys..2 female 1 male…i of my females has a rather large belly and i can see a pinky browny gravid spot..on closer inspection i think i can see little tiny black dots in the gravid spot…assume she is pregnant but not sure how far along she is….

mav on December 11th, 2010 4:51 am

Hi. I have 5 mickey mouse platy in a fish bowl, then I have 4 cichlids in a tank, I was wondering if I can put them together in just one tank. Thank you.

MARY DAY on January 27th, 2011 6:38 pm

OUR METHODS SO FAR -HAVE BEEN LEARNING THE HARD WAY THE MICKEY MOUSE ARE MY FAVORITES AND I AM TRYING TO RAISE 17 WEEKOLD FREY. NODEATHS YET AS SADLY EVENTUALLY 2 OTHER LITTERS PERISHED IN SPITE OF WHAT I THOUGHT WAS DILIGENT CARE .

brooke on April 9th, 2011 4:42 pm

how can i tell the difference between a girl and a boy mickey mouse fish? PLEASE ANSWER!! =)

Lani Munnik on May 23rd, 2011 3:40 am

3 weeks ago, I bought 2 Female mickey mouse platties and 1 Male, i noticed one of the females is pregnant and this morning i found 2 fry in my tank. I’ve read its recommended to put them in a seperate tank, but i don’t have one. any suggestions on how i can raise them without them getting eaten by the other adult fish in my tank?This is my first tank and i’m clueless when it comes to raising the fry. please help!

lainey on August 17th, 2012 11:18 am

i have two red mickey mouse platies one boy one girl. the female has a bottom fin that fans strait down and the males bottom fin kinda fans backwards. i have heard that when the females have their babies they will eat them if they are hungry enough so i would recommend either putting the babies in a separate tank for a couple of days to a week. or if you dont have another tank feed the fish so the new mother doesnt get hungry and decide to eat her own young. this kind of fish is a live bearer.

AMANDA on August 18th, 2012 7:46 am

I HAVE ONE MICKEY MOUSE PLATY, ABOUT TWO WEEKS AGO WE NOTICED 6-7 FRY SWIMMING AROUND. TODAY THERE’S MORE LIKE 15. WE HAVE NOT SEPERATED THEM, WE FEED 1-2 TIMES DAILY. IT’S A 45 GALLON TANK WITH TWO ADULTMOLLYS, TWO ADULTY ZEBRAS, TWO ADULT NEONS, AND ONE ADULT MICKEY MOUSE. WE ALSO HAVE A BABY DALMATION FRY MOLLY THAT IS THE ELER OF ALL THE BABIES BY A WEEK OR YTWO, BUY HER MOM DIEDTHE SAME DAY SHE WAS BORN, UNLESS SHE CAMWE FROM THE BLACK MOLLY AND NOT THE WHITE MOLLY. SORRY FOR SPELLING ERRORS MY KEYBOARD IS MESSED UP.


If you have experience with this profile, please leave your review. If you have questions regarding this profile, please ask questions on our forum.







**Remember to rank this profile above before pressing submit!**



Xmas moss Aquarium Fish Tank 55 75 90 100 125 Gallon A1
Xmas moss Aquarium Fish Tank 55 75 90 100 125 Gallon A1
$4.70
Time Remaining: 8d 14h 56m
Buy It Now for only: $4.70
100 Gallon Tenecor Salt Water Fish Tank Aquarium
100 Gallon Tenecor Salt Water Fish Tank Aquarium
$520.00 (2 Bids)
Time Remaining: