Central American Livebearers?

[eschaton]

I'm looking for some information on Central American livebearers for an ecotope I'm putting together in a few months focusing on Panama/Costa Rica. It's going to be a paludarium with a minimal amount of water (10-20 gallons), so larger livebearers like Mollies won't work. Ideally something small, easy to keep, but more interesting than a Platy

 

[dunchp]

Sounds like an excellent plan; although a 50-100 litre aquarium may be better suited to a single species than a number.

Costa Rica you have a choice of the following: - Alfaro cultratus, Brachyraphis cascajalensis, Brachyraphis rhabdophora, Brachyraphis parismina, Brachyraphis holdridgei, Brachyraphis terrabensis, Poecilia sphenops, Xenophallus umbratilis, Phallichthys amates, Phallichthys tico, Phallichthys quadripunctatus, Poecilia gilli, Priapichthys annectens or Xiphophorus maculatus.

Of the list above, the Brachy's are only really suitable to a species tank, although the smaller ones such as holdridgei would be suitable, Xenophallus umbratilis would do great if you can find some, but the most likely candidate would be the Phallichthys tico or quadripunctatus. Both are relatively easy to get hold of. Alfaro cultratus would also do well.

Panama you have a choice of the following: - Alfaro cultratus, Brachyraphis cascajalensis, Brachyraphis episcopi, Brachyraphis rhabdophora, Brachyraphis terrabensis, Carlhubbsia kidderi, Carlhubbsia stuarti, Neoheterandria tridentiger, Neoheterandria cana, Poecilia sphenops, Phallichthys amates, Poecilia gilli, Poecilia mexicana, Priapichthys panamensis.

Of the list above, the same comments apply although the Carlhubbsia and the Neoheterandria species would also be suitable.


There are other species but I have left out those which are impossible to get hold of; I have seen most of the fish above in the last 2-3 years; if you need help as to where to get hold of these species then please drop me a line or you could join the British Livebearer Association which would be your best bet.

www.britishlivebearerassociation.co.uk

or the American Livebearer Association

www.livebearers.org

 

[nmonks]

It's not endemic to the region you're discussing but from South America, but one of my favourite small livebearers is Micropoecilia picta. Known as the "swamp guppy" in the trade it is primarily a brackish water fish. It's small (3 cm) and has very variable but lovely colours.

Cheers, Neale

 

[dunchp]

It's not endemic to the region you're discussing but from South America, but one of my favourite small livebearers is Micropoecilia picta. Known as the "swamp guppy" in the trade it is primarily a brackish water fish. It's small (3 cm) and has very variable but lovely colours.

Cheers, Neale

Yup, it is certainly a cracking fish. It is quite difficult to keep through a number of generations though.

I have always thought that it needed soft water; another fish that I have never kept in brackish water.

 

[eschaton]

Thanks for the replies.

For some further explanation, I decided on Central America because I've been wanting to get into keeping Poison Dart Frogs, and since I'm coming at it as a aquarist, I would like a "planted community." The only land animal I can find which will almost certainly coexist with PDFs peacefully (as they overlap in the wild) available as a pet are Gonatodes albogularis - the yellow-headed gecko, meaning I'll probably use Dendrobates Auratus as the Dart. Which really restricts me to Costa Rica - maybe Panama if I change which dart species I want slightly.

However, neither geckos or PDFs are generally strong swimmers, which means I have to have the available water restricted, with lots of exposed wood, minimal water area, and gentle slopes. There will probably be a large hidden reservoir underneath the land (the land will be built up over diffuser panel) meaning more water for filtration, but a comparably small swimming area. I'm fine with a small group of livebearers - even a species tank below the water - as the focus will be on plants and above the water.

dunchp: Brachyraphis holdridgei seems to be the most attractive of the livebearers you mentioned, and someone from Canada is selling them currently online. I did find one reference to them being "a miniature piranha" though. Are they extrememly foul-tempered? I do rather like the look of the other Costa Rican species you mentioned as good choices however, and they seem to be of a better size (endler-size is probably better than Platy-size).

 

[dunchp]

I am afraid that I do not know anything about Poison Dart Frogs or Geckos and assume that you are happy that you would not just be providing them with a fishy meal of some description.

I have no experience of any Brachyraphis species being 'miniature piranha', that sounds like a pretty daft statement (not from you, but from the reference that you got it from). All Brachyraphis species are a little bad tempered, some more than others and they will all eat their fry and nip fins of other unsuitable tank mates, they do best in a species aquaria and would not dream of putting them in a community aquaria, but aslong as you do that they will be fine.

Brachy fry are generally very good at escaping from the adults and if you are providing an aquaria which is heavily plant biased then you should always get a few which survive.

Phallichthys tico and quadripunctatus are relatively easy species to keep once you have them settled in; they are far better tempered than Brachys and are smaller; you will get far more young surviving and they are smaller than the Brachys and possibly better suited.

One final thing to mention, you say you will be having alot of wood in the terrarium so you will have to watch that the water is not too soft as the livebearers mentioned are mainly hard water species. They will probably be able to adapt but if you are going to have too soft water then it may be a good idea to consider some of the soft water livebearers such as (as Neale suggests) some of the Micropoecilia species.

Aslong as you can manage the water hardness then I would say that the Phallichthys tico is your best bet.

 

[eschaton]

dunchp: The dart frog species in question is only 1.75 inches long, and the Gecko is only around 3 inches long including tail. Both will eat mainly fruit flies - I don't think it's possible for either one of them to capture and/or consume an adult livebearer, even a small one, but I suppose they could snack on a fry or two if they took a swim.

Central American rivers and lakes are typically hard-water. I may decide to put some crushed coral into into the filtration system or substrate to help fix the PH. It all depends on what sort of water the Darts (or rather their tadpoles) prefer.

 

[dunchp]

Aha, thanks for the info on the dart frogs and gekko eschaton, it is always good to learn a bit about other animals and it will be good to see some photos of the project when it is finished.

Good luck with the project, if I can be of any more help then do let me know.