Easy
Sunset Simpson Variatus Platy (Xiphophorus variatus)
18–25°C · pH 7–8.3 · 60L
£5.99
Platy Fish for Sale UK
Sunset, Mickey Mouse and Wagtail platies (Xiphophorus maculatus) — the easiest livebearer for a first community tank, happy at 20–28 °C. Singly or in trios.
- Check the listing for the exact sale unit and current price
- Match adult size, water needs and social behaviour
- Prepare a fully cycled aquarium before arrival
Current delivery and offer information
Follow each link for the latest terms before ordering.
Current Platy Fish listings
12 products
Easy
Assorted Platy (Xiphophorus maculatus) – 1–6cm & XL Size Grades
20–25°C · pH 7–8 · 60L
£2.99
Easy
Red Tuxedo Platy (Xiphophorus maculatus)
20–28°C · pH 7–8.2 · 60L
£2.99
−12%
Moderate
Bumblebee Platy (Xiphophorus maculatus)
20–25°C · pH 7–8
£6.15£6.99
Easy
Red Wagtail Platy (Xiphophorus maculatus)
20–25°C · pH 7–8 · 45L
£4.99
Easy
Blue Wagtail Platy (Xiphophorus maculatus)
20–28°C · pH 7–8.5 · 60L
£5.99
Easy
Platy Red (Xiphophorus maculatus red)
20–28°C · pH 7–8.5 · 60L
£4.99
Easy
Golden Mickey Mouse Platy (Xiphophorus maculatus)
20–28°C · pH 7–8.5 · 60L
£4.99
Assorted Variatus Platy (Xiphophorus variatus assorted)
£4.99
Easy
Xiphophorus maculatus red tiger
20–28°C · pH 7–8.5 · 60L
£3.99
Easy
Apple Platy (Xiphophorus maculatus)
20–28°C · pH 7–8.5 · 60L
£4.99
White Mickey Mouse Platy (Xiphophorus maculatus)
£5.99
Before you choose from this collection
Live platies in the full colour catalogue — red wagtail, tuxedo, bumble bee, sunset, Hawaii, parrot and mixed assortments — spanning both Xiphophorus maculatus and its slimmer, cooler-tolerant cousin the variatus platy. Few fish deliver this much colour per pound.
Platies are arguably the perfect first tropical fish: hardy in UK tap water, peaceful, unfussy eaters, and content from 20-28°C in a 60-litre tank. They ship in oxygen-charged bags inside an insulated box, and every order is covered by our live arrival guarantee.
Explore related collections
Visual route into our wider UK live-fish range.
Guppy
Fancy guppies bred for colour — Moscow, Cobra, Dumbo ear and Endler lines as males, females or pairs. Hardy in UK tap water; arrive alive or replaced.
Endler Guppy
Wild-type and selectively bred Endler guppies (Poecilia wingei) for nano and planted tanks — small and peaceful. Males, females and trios, size stated.
Molly Fish
Sailfin, Black and Dalmatian mollies — peaceful livebearers that prefer harder water. Sizes and sexes per listing, sent by UK live-animal courier.
Betta Fish
Halfmoon, plakat, koi, giant and wild-type Betta splendens, males and females, tail type and size stated per listing. Bagged singly, live arrival covered.
Angelfish
Koi, marble, platinum and zebra angelfish (Pterophyllum scalare), juvenile to near-adult, size stated per listing. Tall tanks, UK courier delivery.
Neon Tetra
Neon tetras (Paracheirodon innesi) in shoal-size groups — the classic community fish for 60-litre tanks and up, kept at 20–26 °C. Arrive alive or replaced.
Corydoras
Shop current Corydoras catfish listings in the UK. Compare scientific identity, size and sale unit, with price and availability shown per product.
Bristlenose Pleco
Shop Bristlenose plecos in the UK, including common, albino, Super Red, Snow White, longfin and selected L-number Ancistrus. Live Arrival Guarantee.
Frequently asked questions
From about £2 per fish, with nearly all named colour forms under £5 — platies are one of the cheapest ways to fill a community tank with reliable colour. Rarer patterns and premium lines cost a little more; everything below is live in-stock fish.
Among the very best. They shrug off the small mistakes new keepers make, thrive in the hard alkaline water most UK taps supply, accept any flake or pellet, and stay peaceful. A trio of platies in a cycled 60-litre tank is a textbook first setup.
Start with three or more. Keep one male to every two females so no single female gets chased constantly — males court all day. Remember they're livebearers: a mixed-sex group will produce fry every few weeks, so an all-male or all-female group is the no-fry option.
The range rotates with weekly imports, but regulars include red wagtail, tuxedo, bumble bee, sunset comet, Hawaii, parrot and assorted mixes across maculatus and variatus lines. If a colour shows on this page, it's physically in stock now — listings are live.
Xiphophorus variatus is a naturally slimmer, slightly larger cousin of the common platy that tolerates cooler water — happy from about 20°C — making it ideal for cooler rooms. Care, feeding and temperament are otherwise identical, and the two mix without any friction.
Platies (Xiphophorus maculatus, from Central America — Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras) are livebearers that give birth to free-swimming fry every four to six weeks, with no eggs to tend. Because platies and swordtails share the genus Xiphophorus they interbreed readily and produce fertile young — fine for colourful community fish, but keep them apart if you want a strain kept pure. A mixed-sex group in stable, slightly hard water will breed with no encouragement at all.
Keep exploring
Shop related
- Livebearers
Livebearer fish for sale UK — Guppies, Mollies, Platies, Swordtails, Endlers, Limias. Easy-breeding community favourites.
- Betta Fish
Halfmoon, plakat, koi, giant and wild-type Betta splendens, males and females, tail type and size stated per listing. Bagged singly, live arrival covered.
- Angelfish
Koi, marble, platinum and zebra angelfish (Pterophyllum scalare), juvenile to near-adult, size stated per listing. Tall tanks, UK courier delivery.
- Neon Tetra
Neon tetras (Paracheirodon innesi) in shoal-size groups — the classic community fish for 60-litre tanks and up, kept at 20–26 °C. Arrive alive or replaced.