Black-banded Lime
The black-striped limia, scientific name Limia nigrofasciata, belongs to the Poeciliidae family. An easy to keep and breed fish, it gets along well with other species, which makes it a good choice for a beginner aquarist. The only drawback is the inexpressive coloring.
Contents
Habitat
It comes from the Caribbean from the island of Haiti. It lives in various water bodies, including brackish ones, from small rivers to oxbow lakes. It occurs in shallow water in areas with dense aquatic vegetation, usually kept in large flocks.
Brief information:
- The volume of the aquarium – from 40 liters.
- Temperature – 22-26°C
- Value pH — 7.0–8.0
- Water hardness – soft to hard (5-25 dGH)
- Substrate type – any
- Lighting – any
- Brackish water is permissible (5 gr./1 l.)
- Water movement – light or moderate
- The size of the fish is 6 cm.
- Meals – any
- Temperament – peaceful
- Content – preferably a group / flock
Description
Adults reach about 6 cm, and males are noticeably smaller than females and have a narrower keel, which makes them appear more graceful than their partners. The coloration is silvery-gray with a yellowish area around the head and abdomen. A characteristic feature in the body pattern are black transverse stripes.
Food
Undemanding to the diet, accepts all types of popular foods of suitable size (live, frozen, dry). It is recommended to use feeds that contain herbal supplements.
Maintenance and care, arrangement of the aquarium
A small flock of Blackbanded Limia will thrive in an aquarium as large as 40 liters. The design is arbitrary in the presence of areas with dense vegetation and open areas for swimming.
It belongs to one of the most unpretentious and hardy species, and, accordingly, does not impose high requirements on its content. Successfully adapts to various water conditions. Able to stay in brackish water for a long time at a concentration not higher than 5 g. per 1 liter.
Behavior and Compatibility
It has a peaceful and calm disposition, gets along well with representatives of other species that have similar sizes. When choosing tankmates, overly active and aggressive fish should be avoided.
Breeding / breeding
The black-striped limia belongs to the representatives of viviparous species, i.e., the fish do not lay eggs, but give birth to fully formed offspring, the entire incubation period takes place in the body of the female. Under favorable conditions, offspring can appear every 6–8 weeks, the number of fry in a brood often reaches 50. Sexual maturity is reached by 6 months.
During the mating season, males begin to actively pursue females, in order to avoid possible problems, there should be much less males in the aquarium. In addition, regions with dense vegetation should be provided, which will serve as a temporary refuge for females from excessive courtship from partners.
Adult fish eat juveniles, so it is advisable to place a pregnant female in a separate tank and return it back at the end of spawning.
Fish diseases
Health problems arise only in case of injuries or when kept in unsuitable conditions, which depresses the immune system and, as a result, provokes the occurrence of any disease. In the event of the appearance of the first symptoms, first of all, it is necessary to check the water for the excess of certain indicators or the presence of dangerous concentrations of toxic substances (nitrites, nitrates, ammonium, etc.). If deviations are found, bring all values back to normal and only then proceed with treatment. Read more about symptoms and treatments in the Aquarium Fish Diseases section.
