Endler's livebearer

Overview

Endler’s livebearer (Poecilia wingei) is the guppy’s smaller, flashier cousin — a thumbnail-sized fish that packs metallic green, orange and black into a body barely 3 cm long. Endlers are hardy, peaceful and even more suited to nano tanks than guppies, and a group of displaying males is a riot of colour under good light. Originally from the coastal lagoons of Venezuela, wild Endlers became rare, but they are now widely bred in the hobby and easy to find. As livebearers they breed freely, so the same population planning applies as for any guppy.

Tank & water

Their small size makes Endlers ideal for planted nanos of 20 litres (5 gallons) or more, though a larger tank supports a bigger, more colourful group.

• Temperature: 22–28 °C, held with a heater.
• Water: hard and alkaline, pH 7.0–8.5, suits them best — most tap water is fine.
• Filtration: a gentle sponge filter keeps water clean without harming fry or fighting their swimming.
• Planted: floating and fine-leaved plants give fry cover and show off the males’ colours.

Feeding

Endlers are small omnivores. A quality micro-flake or crushed pellet is the staple, with frequent small live and frozen treats — baby brine shrimp, daphnia, cyclops — and some algae or vegetable-based food. Feed little amounts once or twice daily; their tiny mouths need appropriately sized food.

Tankmates

Peaceful and tiny, Endlers do best with other small, calm species: guppies (if you accept crossbreeding), chili rasboras, celestial pearl danios, pygmy corydoras, snails and dwarf shrimp. Avoid larger or nippy fish that will bully or eat them.

Bright, hardy and compact, Endler’s livebearer is one of the most rewarding colourful fish for a small cycled tank — see our best beginner aquarium picks to build a first home for a group.