The SMP fish were a big hit at the convention and I've seen more interest in species preservation over the past few years.
I usually have a tank or three with at least one threatened species, and have enjoyed distributing them on this side of the border. The most recent was Xenoophorus captivus. I donated the last of those to a school, and will soon try another species.
I love this higher purpose to fishkeeping - it's very rewarding on a personal level.
Are you breeding any threatened/endangered Livebearers? Tell us about them, including what you enjoy about keeping these species from becoming extinct, if only in captivity. Pictures would be great too. Maybe you'll inspire others.
I currently keep Z. Tequila, Z. Quitzeoensis, Skiffia Bilineata, Xenotoca Eiseni, Characadon Audax, Jenynsia Lineata, and Xiphophorus Clemenciae. I should have more tanks available for endangered Goodeids and thats something i'm working on. It's basically up to us keep some of these species going especially Xiphophorus Couchianus (which I seem to have a hard time keeping alive) and Skiffia Francesae.
I picked up this year's SMP fish Mel. They are C. encaustus. I also am maintaining a colony of A. towerii from last year's offering. I also keep the usual Goodea gracilis, Xenotaenia resolanae, Ilyodon whitei, C. captivus, Xenotoca eisenii (a bit too common these days) and other hard to find fish. The biggest problem I have had is maintaining a thriving C. captivus population. Mine try to crash on me about once a year and often call for rather drastic water change measures to keep them going.
Beautiful fish! Thanks for sharing your experiences.
The interest in preservation has grown in recent years. I believe the internet has a lot to do with that, from information to sourcing. We can encourage that by talking about our experience with them, sharing photos, etc.
Taking these fish to schools is an easy way to bring home the issues. You may make an up & coming construction king think twice before plowing over habitat.
Maybe ALA members could work together to develop support materials for school visits and club presentations. I usually just wing it, but it would be nice to have Powerpoint presentations, etc.
I am keeping a colony of Ameca splendens, Xenotoca variata "Jesus Maria" and "Zacapu", Xenotoca eiseni, and just started working with Chapalichthys pardalis and Xenotaenia resolanae. I will also be getting some Zoogoneticus tequila in a month or two. I started keeping Goodeids about a year and a half ago. My first species was Ameca splendens and then it grew. I am very addicted to Goodeids and enjoy them a lot! I have been a Central and South American cichlid keeper for about 6-8 years but when I got my Ameca's I fell in love with them and Goodeids in general and started devoting tank space to them instead. I currently don't have any cichlids but plan on having some in the future. Goodeids and all threatened fish need our help so we can keep them away from extinction and able to live on for the future. Goodeids are beautiful and fun fish to keep! I have a lot of fun with mine and actually finding myself enjoying them more then I did with cichlids!
I know that this is an old thread, but I thought that I'd weigh in. In the past year, I have bred Xenatoca eiseni and Xiphophorus couchianus. Both species seem to have made the move down from PA this fall in pretty good shape. I am looking forward to trying some new species this coming year
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