Endler’s Livebearer – scientifically known as the poecilia wingei – is a beautiful species of freshwater aquarium fish. It is known as the livebearer because this fish gives birth to a baby fish instead of laying eggs. It is a trait that is seen only in a few genera of fish. This makes it a very unique fish species, but it is not the only thing that is unique about this fish. It is also a very beautiful, and colorful fish species. In aquariums, it is known with multiple names such as Endler’s, and Endler’s Guppy. It belongs to the genus of fish known as Poecilia.
These fish are known as guppies because the original Engler’s Livebearer species can breed with guppies and produce colorful offspring. These colorful offspring are known responsible for the popularity of the fish. A lot of fish keepers want to have them in their tanks. Also, it is a fish species that is known for being an active breeder. According to data collected by researchers and fish keepers, the average birthing time of the Endler’s Livebearer is about 23 days. They produce new offspring every 23 to 24th days. This is something that has helped this breed survive in captivity because, in the natural habitats, their population was declared under the threat of extinction. Below is complete information about this fish and how to keep it in your tank.
Basic Facts Table
| Family | Poeciliidae |
| Lifespan | Up to 5 years |
| Size | Up to 1.5 inches |
| Colors | Fluorescent and Silver, Male and Female have different colors. |
| Diet | Omnivore |
| Freshwater or Saltwater | Freshwater |
| Care Level | Minimum |
| Compatibility | Peaceful Aquariums of small fish. |
Tank Companions
Here is a list of the possible tank mates or tank companions of the Endler’s Livebearer.
- Honey Gourami
- Cory Catfish
- Zebra Danios
- White Cloud Minnow
- GlassFish
- Betta Fish
- Neon Tetras
- Otocinclus Fish
- Ram Cichlids
- And any other peaceful, and small species of fish except Guppies.
How To Select Tank Companions?
Endler’s Livebearer is one of the most beautiful fish species that comes with a fluorescent color combination. As these look very beautiful, a lot of fish keepers want to keep them in a separate tank to enjoy their beautiful appearance. But if you want to pair them with other species, you can also do that. The Endler’s Livebearer is a very peaceful, joyous, and social fish species that can get along with any of the smaller members of the tank. They do not do well with larger and more aggressive fish species, also some small aggressive fish species are not meant to be in the same tank with the Endler’s Livebearer.
The list above contains a list of the possible tank mates for the Endler’s Livebearer, but if you want to pair them with other fish species, you can do that as well. But you will need to select the tank mates with great care. Because these fish are small and defenseless, you must select a tank mate that is suitable for them, and that is also compatible with them in terms of environmental conditions. To decide if Endler’s Livebearer can live with any other fish, you need to check three things about the other fish species. Here are further details about this.
First, you need to make sure that the species of fish you are selecting for the tank of Endler’s Livebearer, is not an aggressive fish species. This is a very important factor because the lifespan and quality of life of your Endler’s Livebearer fish would depend on it. There are a lot of fish species that are peaceful, and social. You need to select a species that shows no signs of aggression towards any other fish species, whether it is small or large.
Size is the second most important factor here because size determines whether a fish can live with the Endler’s Livebearer or not. There are a lot of fish species that can live with other fish species peacefully, but when you put them in a tank with smaller fish, they would become aggressive and would try to attack the smaller fish. You can prevent this from happening by selecting the fish of appropriate size. Make sure that the fish is not too big to eat the Endler’s Livebearer or too small for them.
Living conditions are the third most important factor when selecting a tank mate for the Endler’s Livebearer. This is important because you cannot select a tank mate that can not live within the same environment or living conditions as the Endler’s Livebearer. For example, the Endler’s Livebearer is a freshwater fish species, you cannot pair it with a marine or saltwater fish species. Because the hostile environment will affect other fish species. For these reasons, you need to make sure that you select a small fish, that has peaceful nature, and that can live in the same tank as the Endler’s Livebearer.
Apart from this, you may also have to look for a few factors. For example, the Endler’s Livebearer is an active breeder, which means that they breed a lot. So, if you are not planning on breeding them, you should not introduce any species of fish that can spawn with them. For example, the Guppies are a common mate for the Endler’s Livebearer. So, you should not put them in the same tank unless you want them to spawn and breed. It will help you create new varieties and genetically mutant Endler’s Livebearer subspecies.
Species Overview
The Endler’s Livebearer is one of the most unique fish species, from its coloration to body shape, and its breeding habits, everything is unique and rare about this fish. For example, the coloration of the bodies of Male and Female Endler’s Livebearers are different. Male has a more fluorescent appearance, and colors, while the females have a dull, and silver appearance. Male use their appearance to attract females for spawning and breeding in the tank. You will notice this behavior more often if your tank is full of opposite genders of Endler’s Livebearer fish.
The Endler’s Livebearer is from the genus of Poecilia. It is a genus that also contains other fish species such as mollies, and guppies. Due to this genetic similarity, the Endler’s Livebearer fish can breed with guppies and mollies. According to researchers in genetics, the species of Endler’s Livebearer is not an actual species. They are the same as the Guppies, but due to breeding with other species, Guppies’ genetic material changed and a new subspecies was born.
But researchers wanted to conserve the population of this species, hence it was given a separate name and status as a separate fish species. It is native to Laguna de Patos, which is in Venezuela. Also, the researchers say that its natural habitat has been destroyed and this fish is prone to becoming extinct. Hence it was declared an under-threat species of fish. As it is a colorful fish species, its popularity grew and it became a common aquatic fish. This is helping in the conservation of this species. This fish is capable of surviving in a tank environment and can breed quickly, which is helping this species successfully survive in tanks.
Appearance
It is one of the most colorful fish species, with a very unique appearance. The bodies of male Endler’s Livebearer are covered with different types of fluorescent colors. Meanwhile, the bodies of females are physically similar to the male, but they do not have a colorful appearance. The bodies of female Endler’s Livebearer are dull and silvery in color. Most Endler’s Livebearers grow up to 1.5 inches. If you provide them proper care, some can reach 2 inches in length. Anything larger than 2 inches would be a rare incident. Also, if you do not provide the proper care, the size of this fish can be smaller than 1.5 inches.
As mentioned above, it is not a single species of fish, but a group of fish that come from Guppies, but is known as a separate species. As they can breed with more than one fish species, they are capable of creating multiple varieties of fish. Each of these varieties can have different shapes, sizes, and colors, but in most cases, only the color is different while the shape and size remain the same. Here is a list of a few popular aquarium varieties of the Endler’s Livebearers.
- Emerald: This Endler’s Livebearer is known for having a greenish fluorescent appearance.
- Flame Tail: This Endler’s Livebearer has a similar shape, and size as the others but the color of their tail is different. Its tail is orange-yellow and gives a fiery or flame-like appearance.
- Snake Chest: It is one of the most common types of Endler’s Livebearer known for having a multi-colored chest. Its scales are similar in appearance to the scales of the snail’s body.
- Red Stripes: This is one of the most beautiful varieties of Endler’s Livebearer. It is covered with red stripes that start from the back and go towards the belly.
- White Peacock: The white peacock is also a color variation of the Endler’s Livebearer.
There are many other variants, you can ask your aquarist to help you find the one that you want.
Origin/Native
This fish is native to the Laguna De Patos in Venezuela. The genetic make-up of this fish suggests that it is the same species as the Guppies but with more colors. This coloration happened because the guppies were breeding with other species of fish from the same genus in their natural habitats. This led to the creation of a subspecies that has become so popular that it has been given a separate name. It became a very popular aquarium fish because of its beautiful fluorescent appearance.
Natural Habitat
Endler’s Livebearer lives in freshwater, soft, and neutral habitats. It is a small fish species that live near the banks of rivers and lakes. It also lives in the small seasonal ponds that are formed by floods in its natural habitat. When the river recedes, this fish also moves back to the river area. It lives in the middle layer of the river, where it has plenty of food and where it can breed with other members of its natural habitat. This is an omnivorous fish, so in its natural habitat, it can eat anything. From these details, you can guess that it is one of the easy fish that require almost no care.
Endler’s Livebearer Lifespan
This fish can live for up to 5 years. But that is only possible if the conditions are kept perfect for them to grow and live. But if the conditions inside their tank are not perfect, or if there are fluctuations in the tank habitat, there is a chance that your Endler’s Livebearer would die within a year or two. The average lifespan of the Endler’s Livebearer is about 3 to 4 years. As mentioned earlier, this lifespan is not an exact limit. You can enhance the lifespan of your fish by properly taking care of it and if you fail to do that, your fish would die sooner.
Habitat and Tank Conditions
If you want to keep your Endler’s Livebearer fish alive for a long time, you need to keep them in perfect conditions. Which means creating a perfect habitat, and maintaining perfect tank conditions continuously. Below are a few things that you need to do to create a suitable habitat for your Endler’s Livebearer.
Tank Size
Endler’s Livebearer does not need a very large tank to live and thrive, but if you are planning on creating a community fish tank, you will have to select a large tank. Also, a large tank impacts positively on the health and wellbeing of your fish. Endler’s Livebearer needs more space to swim and explore, hence selecting a medium tank would be a great idea. Make sure to select a medium-sized tank of 10 to 20 gallons for the Endler’s Livebearer fish. Also, select a tank that is wide and long, instead of a tall tank. Taller tanks have a low surface area and that can cause oxygen shortages in the tank. You can only prevent this by making sure that you select a tank with the right size and dimensions.
Tank Setup
After you are done with the selection of an appropriately sized tank, it will be time for you to start creating a tank setup for the Endler’s Livebearer. For this purpose, you need to know the living conditions of Endler’s Livebearer in their natural habitat. You need to start with knowing more about their natural habitat and create a tank setup that is similar to their natural habitat. When you are creating a tank setup, you need to start from the bottom layer of the tank. There are a lot of different types of substrates that you can use.
It would be better to use soft treated sand, refined gravel, and a layer of fine-grained substrate. This would act as a bed underwater for your fish where they can come to find food, hide, and explore the bottom layer. After doing this, you need to find some aquatic plants that are suitable for your fish and that can produce more oxygen. After that, add them into the tank and once you are done with that, you can put some decorations, and caves inside the tank to make the habitat more interesting for the fish.
Water Conditions/Parameters
There are some parameters and water conditions that you need to control and maintain before putting your fish inside the tank and while your fish is in the tank. These parameters include acidity, temperature, and hardness of the water. Apart from this, filtration, lighting also needs to be maintained properly. Here are the recommended parameter ranges that you need to maintain.
- The temperature is at 64°F to 84°F.
- Acidity level at 5.5 to 8.0, try maintaining neutral.
- The hardness of the water at 10 to 30 KH.
To maintain the temperature in your tank, you will need to put in a temperature sensor, and controller devices in the tank. These devices are available for tanks of all sizes and are very easy to use. It will allow you to directly monitor the temperature and make changes according to the season. For example, if it is too hot, you can add ice cubes to lower the temperature while if it is too cold, you can heat the water.
A filtration system is also one of the important systems that allow you to cycle the water in the tank and provide more oxygen to the tank of fish. Also, the Endler’s Livebearer needs movement in the water to breathe and swim. Apart from the filtration system, you also need digitally controlled lights for your tank to make sure that they light up during the day and turn off during the night. Additional items that you may also need to use include a tank lid to cover the tank.
Water Source
According to expert fish keepers, you can use the water from any freshwater resource, but you will have to make sure that the water is safe for the fish. You can do it using the water quality tests. If there are any harmful elements inside the water, you should remove them first before using the water.
Behavior and Temperament
The Endler’s Livebearer is known as one of the most peaceful, joyous, and socially active fish species. It is a fish species that live in your tanks peacefully with other members of the tank. It is capable of getting along with any other peaceful fish species. Also, Endler’s Livebearer is a fish that avoids fights of all types. They are not territorial, but male members sometimes show aggression, especially when the female is pregnant.
But they do not attack any member of the tank. Also, if your Endler’s Livebearer is being intimidated by other fish, it would run and hide instead of fighting. These fish are very active breeders, so you will notice them spawning every few weeks, but this can be prevented by only using males or females exclusively and not using both of them in the same tank.
Breeding Endler’s Livebearer
From the discussion above, you may have noticed that it is one of the easiest fish species when it comes to breeding. They do not lay eggs and carry their babies inside their belly for three to four weeks. After that, they give birth to the baby and start spawning once again. This quick breeding behavior allows you to successfully breed them. You do not need a special tank for them to breed. You just need to introduce a healthy amount of males and females in the same tank and wait for them to acclimate and start spawning.
Eggs and Fry Care
When a female Endler’s Livebearer gives birth, she can give birth to more than 30 Fry. The females do not protect these small creatures and might even try to eat them as food. So, it is better to remove the male and female from breeding tanks. It will take a few weeks for the Fry to be able to defend themselves and find food for themselves. Until then, you can feed them the food that is developed for them.
Diet of Endler’s Livebearer
The diet of Endler’s Livebearer is an omnivore, similar to many other fish species. In their natural habitat, Endler’s Livebearer can eat anything to stay alive. So, in the tanks, it is easy for you to feed them. From algae flakes to vegetables, fruits, and meat-based food items. You can also feed them live invertebrates such as bloodworms. You should feed them twice a day. It is important to put a very small amount of food in their tanks that they can eat quickly. Anything that they can’t eat would sit in the bottom layer and would decay. This causes hygiene and health issues in the tank.
Diseases of Endler’s Livebearer
Here is a list of the diseases that can attack the Endler’s Livebearer population.
- Ich Disease: Ich is the most common disease found in many fish species. It is a disease that is identified by the white spots on the scales of the fish. These white spots happen because of bacteria that are found in contaminated waters. So, you can prevent this by using clean water and keeping your tank clean. Also, this disease is treatable, but you will have to quarantine the infected fish.
- Fin and Tail Rot: It is also a very common illness seen in the Endler’s Livebearer. Their fins and tail are small and thin. Some fish species might try to nibble on them or they can get damaged because of the gravel or stones in the bottom. It can lead to the fins and tail rotting because of infection. It can be prevented, but you need to clean your tank and treat the wounds of fish with medicine.
- Parasitic Diseases: There are a lot of parasitic diseases that can also attack the Endler’s Livebearer fish. Most of them are serious and can kill your fish. The main reason behind these parasitic diseases is unhygienic conditions and unfiltered water. You need to test the water before using it in the fish tank and you need to recycle the water of your entire tank according to schedules.
From these three examples above, it is clear that the Endler’s Livebearer is only susceptible to diseases when the conditions in their tanks are not perfect. Make sure that you provide the perfect conditions and hygienic living environment and your fish would live longer and healthier.
What is the Ideal Size For The Tank?
You can use the smaller tanks of five to ten gallons, but it is always better to use a large tank of 10 to 20 gallons. Smaller tanks are only suitable for a small group of Endler’s Livebearers but if you want to build a community tank, you need more space and that’s why you need a bigger tank. Also, a large tank would provide more space for your fish to explore and use as a shelter.
Is Endler’s Livebearer Saltwater or Freshwater Species?
Endler’s Livebearer is a freshwater fish species.
Is the Endler’s Livebearer a schooling species or not?
No, it is not a schooling fish species. The Endler’s Livebearer is known for being social, and they swim in groups. But this is not a coordinated swimming behavior, hence it is not called schooling or shoaling.
Conclusion – Is Endler’s Livebearer Suitable For Your Aquarium?
Yes, the Endler’s Livebearer is one of the most beautiful fish species that you can have in your aquarium. It is one of those fish species that have so many qualities and are suitable for any aquarium. If you are a new fish keeper, you can keep them because they are easy to care for and easy to breed. Meanwhile, if you are an expert fish keeper, you can keep them in your tank as they are a beautiful and exotic fish species that you can use for creating varieties of colorful fish.
FAQs
Question: How many Endlers should be kept together?
Answer: As the Endler’s Livebearer fish is a social fish species, it needs to be kept with other Endlers in the same tank. The smallest group that you can keep in a tank is a group of 5 Endler’s Livebearer fish.
Question: Are Endlers good community fish?
Answer: Yes, Endler’s Livebearer is a good community fish because it is peaceful and it can live with a large group of possible tank mates.
Question: What is the Endler’s perfect tank size?
Answer: The smallest tank you can use is a 5 gallons tank, and the recommended sized tanks start after 10 gallons. Meanwhile, for a large community, a 20 gallons tank would be more suitable.
