Endler Guppy Care Guide And Species Profile

Endler Guppy is one of the most popular freshwater fish species for beginners as well as seasoned fish keepers. They are nice-looking fish, which are a close relative of the common Guppy species.

This fish species has gained fame due to its peaceful temper, small size, and appealing appearance. Endler’s Livebearer like to swim in groups. They are active swimmers and move around most of the time.

Let’s talk about Endler’s Livebearer Care in detail in this guide.

Species Overview

Endler Guppy, scientifically known as Poecilia Wingei, is also known as Endler’s Livebearer or Endler’s Guppy. These Guppy fish do best in groups and are very active even with their small adult size.

Therefore, they require a tank with ideal swimming space, that is, an aquarium that contains at least 20 gallons of water. Also, add plants to provide hiding places using floating plants.

The plants help to diffuse the aquarium lights thus creating dimmer conditions that are best for these fish species.

Endler Guppies are peaceful species and can be kept with other peaceful species of similar size, but not with larger fish since they may become their meal. The fish are omnivores and can be fed with small pellets and algae-based flake food.

For treats, this species can be fed with tubifex, brine shrimp, and blood worms. Males are not territorial and surprisingly, it is the females that become aggressive toward each other mostly during spawning times.

The best thing is to outnumber the males with females to prevent a single female from being bullied. You can buy these fish from online markets including eBay or your local fish store.

Endler Guppy Size

The average size of an Endler’s guppy is approximately 1.8 inches when fully grown. These fish do not grow that big. Interestingly, females are a bit longer and can grow up to 2 inches or a maximum of 2.5 inches.

Endler Guppy Lifespan

Typically an Endler guppy lifespan is between 2 to 3 years. In most cases, females have a shorter lifespan than males due to the toll of frequent spawning that takes place on their bodies.

But, there is no specific way to know how long an Endler guppy will live. The lifespan is affected by many factors including the quality of care you provide and genetics.

If you want to see your fish live longer, feed them with highly nutritious foods and provide them with suitable environmental conditions.

Origin And Distribution

The Endler Guppy species is a small fish native to the Paria Peninsula in Venezuela, South America.

Their natural habitat is quite small due to the active human activity and the fish are endangered, although not included in the international endangered species.

Its natural population has disappeared due to the disposal sites approved by the local authorities lang dos Patos that pollute the local waters. The fish population is only in one of the four lakes which were its initial natural habitats.

This endangered species is not well-distributed and apart from its natural habitats, you will only find it in the aquarium of enthusiasts.

Appearance And Colors

There is no chance of mistaking an Endler Guppy species for another species. They look similar in size and shape, but the bright colors of Endler guppies are unmistakable.

The male guppies are the most colorful of all. They boast a series of metallic and neon hues. Mostly, these colors are blocked out to create a psychedelic appearance.

Moreover, you might see bright green, yellow, blue, and orange patches. Some fish have transparent fins featuring splashes of color.

The Endler guppies have numerous color strains including emerald, white peacock, red stripe, peacock, sunburst cobra, yellow tiger, snake chest, and more.

Behavior & Temperament

The Endler guppies are active and curious. They are the type of fish that you won’t get bored of. They are constantly exploring their environment, that is, the tank, and zipping through the water.

You will occasionally see them playing with one another or see them weaving through the plants to check out the substrate.

Rarely will you find them aggressive, but this behavior can be observed with the females once in a while during spawning.

While in a group, the fish tend to establish a social hierarchy and on rare occasions, you might see the larger fish picking on the big ones. Additionally, females can get territorial.

The ideal way is to keep every male with at least three females. More females ensure that one specimen is not the target of everyone’s bullying. The bigger the group, the better!

Endler Guppy Care

Endler’s guppies are easy-to-care-for fish species and this makes them beginner-friendly. You don’t have to be an expert to handle these species. As long as you meet the required guidelines, nothing more should worry you.

These fish originate from a single wild habitat, and therefore, you need to address the following distinct needs:

– Endler Guppy Tank Size

Due to their small size, the Endler’s guppies are perfect inhabitants for nano tanks such as 5 to 7 gallons. But, the most ideal option is a 20-gallon tank, suitable for a group of four or five.

If you intend to keep more fish, increase the size of your tank accordingly. For a good thumb rule, add about five gallons of water by volume per fish.

Very small tanks, as others would recommend, are not suitable since they will lead to a poor quality of life for these fish. It is recommended to cover the top of the tank to prevent these fish from jumping out.

– Endler Guppy Tank Setup

A well-decorated tank is perfect for the Endler’s guppy species. The fish feel comfortable in tanks with floating plants. Live plants act as shelter and source of food for the fish.

The tanks should be planted with plants, mostly the small-leaved ones, and then some areas left free for the fish to swim. When the fish spawn, these plants are the safe hiding for the vulnerable species.

On the bottom of the tank, use a suitable soft substrate. Although the fish spend most of the time at the top and middle of the water, they occasionally proceed to the substrate to burrow.

To keep your tank clean, a small internal filter that does not create a strong water flow is okay. The fish do not produce a lot of waste thus no need for an extremely powerful filtration system.

Make sure that the intake is covered with a sponge to prevent the weak and young fish from being sucked into the filtration system. Again, always renew about 30% of the water weekly.

An abrupt change in water quality and temperature can affect the males’ fins thus the need to renew the water in a small amount.

The tank lighting system is also crucial. In case of long-term and intensive illumination of the tank, that is, more than twelve hours your fish coloring becomes pale.

– Water Conditions And Parameters

The key to keeping your Endler’s guppy healthy is by replicating their natural environment as closely as possible. Apart from the decor, the water conditions are also very important.

Poecilia Wingei is indigenous to a single waterbody: The Laguna De Patos. The lake is very warm with a high concentration of algae. The fish prefer hard water with high levels of pH.

They can also withstand a wide range of temperatures, but moderate temperatures are the most appropriate. The general water parameters are:

pH levels are between 5.5 to 8.0, but you should aim for neutral
Water temperatures range between 64 to 84 degrees Fahrenheit
Water hardness of 10 to 30 KH

– Suitable Plants

Live plants act as shelter and source of food for the fish. You can add algae into the tank, but most importantly live plants.

The suitable plant options include Water wisteria, Polyspermy, Duckweed, Java Fern, Hornwort, Hygrophila Polysperma, Water Sprite, and more.

– Possible Diseases And Prevention

The Endler’s guppy is not known to suffer from any specific diseases, but they are still vulnerable to the common diseases that freshwater fish encounter. Some of the major issues you will encounter include fin rot and Ich parasites.

Ich is a parasitic infection that attacks fish whenever they feel stressed. Therefore, you will possibly encounter this disease if your water parameters in the tank are not properly set.

This could be too much ammonia or temperature ranges. This disease must be addressed quickly since it can spread throughout the community and wipe your entire fish if you are not careful.

The fin rot disease is caused by physical injuries and bacteria. It is very common with the Endler’s livebearer due to its unique fins. To treat this disease, quarantine your fish and use general medications to stop the spread of the bacteria.

– Diet and Feeding

In their natural habitats, Endler’s livebearer diet includes small warms, algae, and maggots. In your tank, you can feed them with vegetable flakes, live food, frozen and live Maxillopoda, dry food with vegetable supplements, and spirulina.

The fish is prone to obesity and should not be overfed. Also, it is important to keep the diet diversified with various additives such as color boosters. This ensures your fish stay healthy throughout.

Gender Differences

Endler’s guppy females have silvery or golden bodies. They also have unpronounced spots on them. The females have a longer and fatter body than the male fish. Additionally, the female fish fins are pale-colored and short.

On the other hand, male fish have numerous colors like a rainbow. Their colors range from red to violet and have long tails with fancy patterns.

The anal fin of the male fish is like a gonopodium- its latest organ. The pattern of each male fish is unique just like a snowflake.

Endler’s Guppy Breeding

If you have reared or had any experiences with guppies before, there is not so much difference with the Endler’s Livebearer and you already know what to expect.

You do not have to do anything to enhance spawning since this species breeds naturally on its own. They also breed cautiously.

That’s why it is important to keep more females than males. Interestingly, females give birth to fully-formed fish and not eggs.

After breeding, it takes about twenty-three days for the female fish to give birth. She can give birth to 30 fries at a go. If you only have a single female, the male guppy will impregnate her repeatedly.

After exiting the womb, the fry sink to the bottom of the tank where they stay for a while feeding on the yolk sac. The fish lack parental instincts and can eat the young if given the chance.

Therefore, it is important to separate the adults. You can feed the fries with food immediately. They already know how to swim from birth and will feed without any issues.

Within two weeks, you can graduate them to baby brine shrimp. This species matures fast and within two months they are already mature. Males take their signature color after four to five weeks of age.

Endler Guppy Tank Mates

There are numerous compatibility options for your Endler’s guppy. However, you must be very careful with this. Never keep them with aggressive species since they are too small to defend themselves from agitated or hungry fish.

The best idea is to keep them with fish of similar sizes that are docile and live peacefully.

The suitable mates for your Endler’s guppy include Betta fish, Otocinclus, Glassfish, Neon tetra, Cory catfish, Zebra danio, Bolivian ram cichlid, and White cloud minnow.

Are Endlers Aggressive?

Endlers can be aggressive when they are not in groups. Female Endler’s Livebearers are more aggressive than males and to ensure that there is no bullying, keep at least three females in a group.

On the other side, male Endler creates a hierarchy where there is a dominant male or you have a couple and they duel and challenge each other.

Are Endler Guppies Hardy?

Endler Guppies are hardy and undemanding in their aquarium with freshwater tropical set-up and parameters. With the ideal conditions, these fish will do well.

They thrive well in planted tanks that closely resemble their natural environment. They prefer harder and warm water around 22 to 26 degrees Celsius.

How Long Do Guppies Live?

An average Gappy fish’s lifespan is about 1 to 2 years in their natural habitats. But in captivity and controlled environments, they might have a lifespan of up to 3 years under optimal care.

Endler Guppy had no difference they have the same lifespan.

Are Endlers And Guppies the Same?

Endler guppies closely resemble guppies and there has been a controversy over the species. Even today, people believe that Endler’s guppy is another variety of guppy.

In 2009 Manfred Schartl and Manfred. K. Meyer published their finding showing that the Endler’s guppy species closely resemble the guppies.

They are different species and have been classified as Poecilia Wingei and not Poecilia Obscura or Poecilia Reticulata.

Are Endlers Better Than Guppies?

Endlers closely resemble the common guppy and some even argue that both are the same species, but this is not true. Endlers are hardy and can survive a wide range of pH.

They are also more peaceful with a significant range of temperatures. To determine which species is better, you have to weigh the adaptability and disease resistance of both and get the answer according to your preferences.

Can Endlers Mate with Guppies?

Endlers and guppy species can be crossed and the resulting offspring will be fertile and can, therefore, be used to develop more Endler/guppy varieties.

What you should know is that there is more to determining the fish species than just looking at the physical aspects such as size, shape, bones, and color.

If these fish can cross-breed and produce viable offspring which can then reproduce and also produce fertile offspring, they are of the same species.

How Many Endlers Are in A 10 Gallon?

Up to 8 guppies can be kept in a 10-gallon tank. The general rule is that a one-inch guppy needs a gallon of water to live a comfortable life.

An adult female guppy can grow up to two inches while a male adult guppy attains a length of 1.5 inches. With these numbers in mind, you can know how many Endler’s guppies you can keep in your tank.

If you are a beginner in fish keeping, you can try with three guppies in a 10-gallon tank, and later on, add more fish when you are comfortable.

Where Is Endler’s Guppy for Sale?

You can find Endler’s Guppy from online markets such as eBay, but these species might be hard to find at your local fish store since they are rare and are considered to be endangered species.

How Much Does an Endler Guppy Cost?

The price of Endler Guppy depends on the number of these fish you intend to buy. Buying more fish will cost you less overall compared to buying just one. The average price of an Endler Guppy is around $10 per piece.

Final Thought

The Endler’s Livebearer is an incredible freshwater fish to own. Ranging from their wide range of beautiful colors, hardy nature, and high activity, this species has a lot for you to like.

Moreover, you do not need to be an expert to keep this species since they are beginner-friendly and less demanding.

Additionally, they do not have a special disease apart from the common diseases that attack freshwater diseases, so, no major concern about your fish project being wiped out completely by diseases.

With this complete profile, it is upon you to take the next step and reward yourself with Endler Guppy fish species.