Black-Bellied Limia
Limia melanogaster
- Care level
- Beginner
- Adult size
- 4 cm
- Minimum tank
- 54 litres
- Temperature
- 22–28 °C
Species profile
Tiger Teddy Livebearer
Neoheterandria elegans
Common names: Tiger Teddy Livebearer, Tiger Teddy, Orange Dwarf Toothcarp
Recognized speciesLivebearers
Adult size
Up to 2.5 cm
Up to 2.5 cm
Countries of origin
Good fit for your tank?
Good fit for
- A small, well-kept nano tank
- A dedicated tank built around this one fish
Think carefully if
- Your water is soft and acidic, which often causes poor health in livebearers
- You only want to keep one or two, because this fish needs a group of 5 or more
A tiny, shy, banded livebearer from Colombia, at about 2.5 cm, also called the Tiger Teddy. Keep a group of at least 5 in 12 litres or more.
Appearance and Identification
A tiny, shy, banded livebearer from Colombia, at about 2.5 cm, also called the Tiger Teddy. It is rare, its fry are very small, and it needs a species tank.
Check the scientific name when buying, as common names vary between sellers and countries.
Males have a gonopodium, which is a modified anal fin used for mating. Females are larger and rounder.
Tank Requirements
- Suggested filter
- About 50–60 litres an hour
- Suggested heater
- About 25–50 W for this tank
- Minimum tank volume
- 12 litres
- Minimum tank length
- 30 cm
- Minimum group size
- 5
- Recommended group size
- 8
- Activity level
- Active
- Flow preference
- Low to moderate
- Planting preference
- Heavily planted
- Lid recommended
- Yes
- Jumping risk
- Moderate
Provide dense plants or floating cover for fry and for females that want a rest from males, and keep the water hard and alkaline.
Behaviour and Tankmates
Active, hardy and always on the move, with males displaying to females.
Keep a group, with two or three females for every male.
Not territorial, although some males chase each other.
Suits a peaceful community that likes hard water. Avoid fin nippers. Adults may eat shrimplets. It may eat baby shrimp. Choose its tankmates with care.
Water Parameters
Keep the pH steady, because this fish is sensitive to swings.
Parameter caveat
Keep up regular water changes, and acclimatise new fish slowly.
Feeding
- Diet types
- Omnivore
- Feeding frequency
- Daily
- Preferred foods
- Flake with vegetable contentA good staple for these grazing fish.
- Frozen or live daphnia and brine shrimpOffer a few times a week.
- AlgaeThey graze on it throughout the day, and it is good for them.
A tiny livebearer that needs small foods: fine flake, baby brine shrimp and microworms.
Feed small amounts, and remove anything left after a few minutes.
Breeding
- Breeding type
- Livebearer
- Breeding difficulty
- Easy
- Parental care
- None
- Baby foods
- Crushed flake or powdered fry foodFry can eat this from birth.
- Newly hatched brine shrimpSpeeds up growth in the first weeks.
Gives birth to live young, with no special setup needed. Adults may eat fry, so provide dense plants or move a heavily pregnant female to a separate, planted tank.
Habitat and Origin
- Geographic origin
- Colombia, South America
- Natural habitat
- River
- Aquarium contexts
- Nano Aquarium, Planted Aquarium, Species-Only Aquarium
- Audience level
- Intermediate
Classification
- Profile type
- Recognized species
- Genus
- Neoheterandria
- Family
- Poeciliidae
- Species group
- Fish, Livebearers
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