Cuban Limia

[C.low88]

Hello everyone. I just recently purchased a couple female cuban limia fish from a petstore around me. I did some general research on them and was prepared for the buy. I’ve got my water parameters around where they like it as I am pretty sure that they are closely related to mollies. I guess my reason for creating this thread was to ask if anyone knows anything more about this fish. Up until now I had not heard of limia and when I initially saw them I mistook them for goodieds. Are these fish common or rare. Are they worth breeding? Any additional information would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

-Corey

 

[Colin_T]

Just making a call to @emeraldking who is our resident livebearer expert. And he needs a capitol E at the start of his name so it looks better

 

[emeraldking]

Limias are indeed related to mollies. They can also crossbreed with mollies, guppies and endlers. Are they rare? That depends on where you live. Yes, they're rare as a commercial fish but not rare when it comes to keepers like me.
Here's a link to my own site: https://www.emeraldking-aquatics.com/limia
They're not that hard to keep.

 

[GaryE]

I kept a few Limia back in the day, and they are nice fish. For livebearer specialists, they're one of the first groups you find. That said, livebearer specialists are rare. It 's a subset in the hobby, and they trade among themselves. In the general hobby, they are quite uncommon.

I have seen them in stores where I am maybe twice in my 50 years with fish. So that would qualify as rare to me. Limia are around where aquarists are really into the hobby, and chances are that's how your store got them. I used to see them in aquarium society auctions maybe once a year. But there are are a bunch of Limia species, so you can go years without seeing one like your vittata. That's a good catch!

Most hobbyists see a strange fish and walk right by to something familiar.

 

[emeraldking]

I kept a few Limia back in the day, and they are nice fish. For livebearer specialists, they're one of the first groups you find. That said, livebearer specialists are rare. It 's a subset in the hobby, and they trade among themselves. In the general hobby, they are quite uncommon.

I'm one of them that keeps them. Yes in general, those fish will be traded among other serious livebearer keepers. Fish that are not that easy to find in the commercial trade will result in just trading within the community of serious keepers. For if such fish will die, you just can't go to a store to get another one that easy.

I have seen them in stores where I am maybe twice in my 50 years with fish. So that would qualify as rare to me. Limia are around where aquarists are really into the hobby, and chances are that's how your store got them. I used to see them in aquarium society auctions maybe once a year. But there are are a bunch of Limia species, so you can go years without seeing one like your vittata. That's a good catch!

Livebearer auctions could be indeed a solution to find them. Fortunately, I'm in a network that can provide rare livebearers.
This coming sunday and two weeks later I'm also offering rare livebearers at relevant events. Tomorrow, I'll have our national livebearer meeting and there will be some trading as well.

 

[GaryE]

I'm one of them that keeps them. Yes in general, those fish will be traded among other serious livebearer keepers. Fish that are not that easy to find in the commercial trade will result in just trading within the community of serious keepers. For if such fish will die, you just can't go to a store to get another one that easy.

Livebearer auctions could be indeed a solution to find them. Fortunately, I'm in a network that can provide rare livebearers.
This coming sunday and two later I'm also offering rare livebearers at relevant events. Tomorrow, I'll have our national livebearer meeting and there will be some trading as well.

For many people here, your posts are kind of torture. It's a bit of a drive across the Atlantic, and even a tough old Toyota would sink! I'd end up parked on the Titanic.

 

[ClownLurch]

I’m currently staring out of the pub window at the English Channel*. It’d be nice if @emeraldking could fish whisper some into forgetting theyre freshwater fish and getting them to swim over here in time for me to bagvem up and take em home next Friday.

*What is it known as in the Netherlands?

 

[emeraldking]

I’m currently staring out of the pub window at the English Channel*. It’d be nice if @emeraldking could fish whisper some into forgetting theyre freshwater fish and getting them to swim over here in time for me to bagvem up and take em home next Friday.

Unfortunately, the North Sea is salt water. To send them in the sea water to the UK is a bit tricky... And they just don't know how to use a navigator...
Btw, limias can be adjusted to brackish water.

*What is it known as in the Netherlands?

In general, limias are rare within the commercial world. But if they are occasionally offered within the commercial trade in Holland, it would most likely be the L.nigrofasciata, L,tridens, L.vitatta and the L.melanogaster. All other Limia species are only to be found at private breeders. We don't have dutch names for most of them. We only have a dutch name for the L.nigrofasciata. All the rest will only be labeled by their scientific names.