Care
The Tiger Teddy is a diminutive and very pretty livebearing species which is ideal for the mature heavily plantednano aquarium. Due to its shy nature, these fish are best maintained in large groups in a species-only setup. In the wild, they are found in shallow water that are packed full of aquatic plants. As long as clean water and ample plantlife are provided in the aquarium, they will be happy. Filtration should be gentle as these fish (and their fry) can all too easily be overwhelmed by powerful filters; many aquarists opt for a simple sponge air-driven filter or a small internal filter with it's output turned down to the minimum setting so as not to create too much current. Providing there is plenty of fine-leaved vegetation, these fish will spend much of their time out in the open; the more hiding places available to them, the more they will venture out (learning that they can quickly retreat to safety if needed). It is best to try and keep at least two females to every male. Excellent water quality is a must; these fish will not tolerate an elevated nitrate level. Be sure to keep the water temperature above 24 °C as Tiger Teddies will not do well at cooler temperatures. These species has not been evaluated for IUCN red list status, but it is thought they are quite rare in their native habitat. Most specimens available in the trade will have been tank raised in Europe.
Feeding
Small frozen foods such as baby brineshrimp, mini-bloodworm, cyclops, and daphnia, plus crushed flakes and micropellets.
Breeding
Reproduction is straightforward if you provide the fish with good conditions and quality foods. The male will display to the female, and if she accepts him, he will inseminate her using his gonopodium to transfer sperm to her oviduct. Males can sometimes be quite relentless in their pursuit of females, so an abundance of plants helps the females to get some respite. Interestingly, the female will simultaneously carry several broods at various stages of development at the same time. And rather than giving birth to all the young at once, she will drop one or two young at intervals of 2 to 4 days over a period of about 3-4 weeks. The fry areminiscule at around 2-3mm and requires very tiny first foods. In a heavily planted species-tank, most should make it to adulthood. Juveniles are sexually mature at around the three-month stage and will be ready to produce the next generation.
