Platies and zebra danios are two of the most popular freshwater fish within the fish keeping hobby. They’re both beautiful, easy to care for, and fun to watch with many people wanting to keep the two species of fish in the same aquarium.
In most cases, you are able to keep platies and zebra danios in the same tank but some aquarium setups and stocking options may end up causing aggression between the two species.
Depending on your setup, this may be very easy to fix and not cause any real problems for most people.
Platies and zebra danios are a peaceful species of fish that do well in community tanks with other platies, guppies, mollies, and swordtails.
They can also be kept with peaceful corydoras catfish and dwarf gouramis. However, platies can become aggressive when they are not kept in groups.
Are Platies And Zebra Danio Fish Community Friendly Fish?
Yes, platies and zebra danios are both community friendly fish that do well in most community aquariums setups.
However, in heavily stocked tanks or tanks with poor water parameters, both species can become stressed and start to become aggressive towards their tank mates so always keep this in mind.
While platies and zebra danios are both community fish, there are a few things you need to take into consideration before adding either species into your aquarium.
The first thing you need to look at is the size of your aquarium. Platies and zebra danios can both grow up to 3 inches in length so you will need an aquarium that is at least 30 gallons in size.
The next thing you need to look at is the water parameters of your aquarium. Both platies and zebra danios prefer neutral to slightly alkaline water with a temperature range of 72-78 degrees Fahrenheit. It’s important to maintain these water parameters in order to keep your fish happy and stress free.
Will Platies Be Aggressive To Zebra Daninos?
Platies are generally a peaceful species of fish but they can become aggressive when they are not kept in groups.
For this reason, it’s important to keep platies in groups of 3 or more and to provide them with plenty of hiding spots and places to swim in their tanks free from other fish.
Just like most other species of fish, they don’t do well in a heavily stocked tank so you always have to make sure your aquarium is on the larger size compared to the fish stocked in it.
As we covered in our article on platies hiding in the plants in their tanks, platies absolutely love to hide for a few hours each day so you really should make sure there are plenty of hiding spots.
If your tank doesn’t have any hiding spots at all then your platy may start to hide behind the filter in its tank and this can cause problems with the filter itself or injury the fish.
We have seen a number of reports of a platy trying to hide behind the intake valve of a pump that unfortunately ended up killing the fish.
Your platy may also become aggressive if it’s not getting enough food. All fish need to be fed a varied and nutritious diet in order to stay healthy but platies are known to be a bit greedy when it comes to food so you really should make sure they’re getting enough to eat.
Will Zebra Danios Be Aggressive To Platies?
Zebra danios are usually a peaceful species of fish that do well in community tanks that include platies but they can be unpredictable at times.
Zebra danios are usually not an aggressive fish species provided that they are kept in groups of at least five but one or two zebra danios can end up being aggressive to their tank mates.
In addition to incorrectly stocking your zebra danios in your tank, other causes of aggression from the species include poor water quality, a lack of food, and aggression from other fish in the tank.
If you notice that your zebra danios are becoming aggressive make sure to check all of these factors and correct them if necessary.
While platies and zebra danios are community fish, there are a few things you need to take into consideration with the species as covered above.
Thankfully though, for the most part, when kept in a suitable environment in your aquarium, your zebra danios should not be aggressive to their tank mates.
Can Platies Live With Zebra Danios Without Problems?
Yes, platies and zebra danios can live together without any problems for the most part. You will need an aquarium that is large enough for both species, often meaning you will need a tank that is a minimum of 30 gallons but in some cases, a perfectly laid out 20 gallon tank can also work.
Make sure that you have plenty of hiding spots in the aquarium as well as sight blocks to help keep any potential stress and anxiety in your platies and zebra danios as low as possible.
It’s also important that you maintain the water parameters within the ideal range for both species as platies and zebra danios prefer slightly alkaline water that is within the temperature range of 72-78 degrees Fahrenheit.
By providing your platies and zebra danios with a suitable environment in your aquarium, you should have no problems with aggression between the two species.
What Can You Do To Reduce Aggression Between Platies And Zebra Danios?
If you’re worried about aggression between platies and zebra danios, the best thing you can do is to make sure that your aquarium is set up correctly. This means having the correct number of fish, the right size tank, and plenty of hiding spots and places for the fish to swim.
You should also make sure that you are feeding your platies and zebra danios a nutritious diet that includes both live food and pellets or flakes. By taking these precautions, you can help to reduce the potential for aggression between platies and zebra danios.
Just because aggression between the two species may have already broken out does not mean that this will always be the case. It is generally easy to stop aggression between platies and zebra danios and get the peace and tranquility of your aquarium back by following our advice above.
