black-bellied limia
The black-bellied limia, scientific name Limia melanogaster, belongs to the Poeciliidae family. Easy to keep and breed fish that can get along with many other fish. These qualities make them excellent candidates for beginner aquarists. The disadvantages, perhaps, include only not too expressive coloring.
Contents
Habitat
It comes from the Caribbean, in particular from the island of Jamaica. Occurs in shallow streams and rivers with large sandbars and rocky rapids flowing through hilly terrain.
Brief information:
- The volume of the aquarium – from 40 liters.
- Temperature – 22-28°C
- Value pH — 7.0–8.5
- Water hardness – medium to high hardness (15-30 dGH)
- Substrate type – any
- Lighting – any
- Brackish water – no
- Water movement – light or moderate
- The size of the fish is 5 cm.
- Meals – any
- Temperament – peaceful
- Content alone or in a group
Description
Adult individuals reach a length of up to 5 cm, males are somewhat smaller (no more than 4 cm). The coloration is gray with a bluish sheen, the abdomen is silvery. A characteristic feature is the presence of a dark area in the lower part of the body.
Food
Undemanding to the diet, the species will accept most popular foods of a suitable size (live, frozen and dry).
Maintenance and care, arrangement of the aquarium
The optimal volume of the tank for a flock of Black-bellied Limes starts from 40 liters. Any decoration is at the discretion of the aquarist, the main thing is to provide areas with dense vegetation and several open areas for swimming. There are no special requirements for the content of this species. It is enough to replace part of the water weekly (15–20% of the volume) with fresh water and regularly clean the aquarium from organic waste.
Behavior and Compatibility
Peaceful and calm fish, goes well with many other species of similar size and temperament. It is advisable to keep a ratio of 2-3 females per male so that his attention is dispersed to several partners, since during the spawning period he becomes overly active and can pretty much bother the female if she is alone.
Breeding / breeding
The black-bellied 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, an adult female is capable of producing offspring every 6–8 weeks. Each brood can contain up to 25 fry. Unlike other viviparous species, cases of cannibalism are rare among Limia, especially if there are reliable shelters (plant thickets) for juveniles, so offspring can be left with adult fish.
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.
