If you are looking for small aquatic creatures to add to your aquarium, look no further than Tiger Teddy fish.
It’s an attractive addition to any tank. Moreover, this species is easy to care for and suitable for novice aquarists.
This article will discuss everything related to these fish. Let’s scroll down to explore!
Tiger Teddy Fish Overview
Here are some facts you may want to know about Tiger Teddy fish.
Distribution
These aquatic creatures are members of the Poeciliidae family, along with platies, guppies, swordtails, and mollies.
Tiger Teddy fish (or Neoheterandria Elegans) are uncommon in the wild. They are mainly native to South America, including the Truando river and Colombia.
Maintenance
It’s relatively easy to care for these Tiger Teddy fish. You can keep them in a heavily planted and softly filtered tank with clean water.
Behavior
Despite their cute appearance, these creatures are relatively greedy, unlike other members of the Poeciliidae family.
These fish are generally peaceful but sometimes get aggressive and become micro predators.
The males are often more territorial and hostile than females, which makes it hard for them to live in a community tank.
Let’s watch this video to have a look at this species:
Dimorphism & Reproduction
Male Tiger Teddy fish are smaller than female ones and have a noticeable gonopodium.
These aquatic creatures are livebearers. The male transfers sperm to the female via his gonopodium.
The female carries the fertilized eggs inside her belly until they all hatch, at which point the babies are delivered to swim freely.
Lifespan
Many factors affect how long Tiger Teddy fish can survive, like diet, tank conditions, or maintenance level.
In general, the longevity of these fish isn’t longer than two years.
Tiger Teddy Fish Care Guides
Is it your first time keeping Tiger Teddy fish? Let’s consider the following care guides!
Tank Size And Setup
Due to their small size, these creatures are ideal for any nano tanks with dense plant cover. A tank with 10 gallons of water is suitable for a Tiger Teddy fish group.
These fish won’t be territorial, but there may be a conflict between females and males.
That’s because the males always try to transfer their sperm, which causes the females to get stressed.
Therefore, despite their tiny size, you should house their creatures in a moderately larger tank with 10 gallons of water.
However, this species doesn’t require much space. Instead, these fish will prefer well-decorated environments with live plants.
These creatures will feel comfortable and safe when living in plated tanks. This lush ecosystem resembles their native habitat and reduces stress.
Read more: New tank cloudy water no fish
Water Requirements
These fish love warm and stable water. The water temperature should be from 75 to 82°F, and the ideal pH level should be between 7.0 and 7.8.
It’s advisable to stabilize the water temperature at around 80°F to make your fish comfortable and happy.
These fish also require good water quality. They are sensitive to poor tank conditions because nitrites and ammonia can stress them.
Moreover, cleaning the tank is essential to avoid health issues in this species.
Diet And Feeding
These creatures are versatile predators, meaning they can feed on various diets, such as cyclops, small brine shrimp, microworms, or floating food.
Furthermore, these aquatic creatures can eat micro pellets and flakes if these foods are small enough to fit their mouths.
If you want to provide flakes for these fish, remember to crush them into tiny fragments, so they can eat effortlessly.
It’s best to offer live foods for them instead of veggie diets, although these fish are omnivorous.
Tankmates
These creatures are not suitable to live in community tanks due to their tiny size. They are even smaller than the fry of some species.
If these fish don’t require clean water conditions and regular tank maintenance and cleaning, you can keep them with snails and shrimp.
The best tank mates for Tiger Teddy fish are the members from their species and live plants.
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Breeding
It’s a typical breeding procedure, like other members of the Poeciliidae family.
The mating ritual will begin with the male pursuing the female until she agrees to accept.
After mating, the female incubates the fertilized eggs for between 20 to 25 days, depending on the surrounding circumstances, particularly the temperature. This period is shorter in warm water conditions.
When the incubation ends, the female delivers batches of fry, around 2 to 5 babies/session for many days.
The birthing behavior of this species is not the same as mollies, swordtails, or guppies because Tiger Teddy fish are superfetative livebearers.
Therefore, these creatures may need up to 2 to 4 weeks to finish giving birth.
FAQs
What Size Can Tiger Teddy Fish Reach?
These aquatic creatures may only reach a maximum size of 1 inch. Typically, males won’t grow over 0.75 inches.
For this reason, they are not a suitable addition to any community tank because their tank mates may attack and kill them.
Do Tiger Teddy Fish Display Aggression?
These fish are only aggressive to the members of their species instead of other tankmates.
They are tiny and lack offensive abilities to cause danger to other species if housed in a community tank.
Instead of fighting, they often hide or flee from predators. For this reason, they prefer planted tanks for extra protection and comfort.
Do Tiger Teddy Fish Require A Filter?
The short answer is yes! These creatures are sensitive to poor water.
Do Tiger Teddy Fish Require A Heater?
Yes! It’s essential to install a heater in the tank because these fish can’t withstand temperature fluctuations.
How Long Do Tiger Teddy Fish Live?
This species may survive from 1 to 2 years if maintained properly in captivity.
Final Thoughts
If you are a novice aquarist, consider keeping Tiger Teddy fish in your tank. They don’t require special care and are easy to breed.
Remember to maintain clean water conditions with live plants for these creatures to grow healthily and happily.
If you have further questions, please comment below. Thanks for taking the time to follow this post!
