Photo: VDWIKI (CC BY-SA 3.0) — via Wikimedia Commons
Endler's Livebearer (Poecilia wingei)
A jewel-bright nano livebearer that packs guppy-level colour into a body half the size — active, prolific, and effortlessly peaceful.
Will it live with a Endler's Livebearer?
We compare each fish against your endler's livebearer on temperament, size, water parameters and swimming zone. Set your tank size and filter the results.
- African Dwarf Frog✅ CompatiblePeaceful · 4 cm · Medium care · 22–26 °C (72–79 °F)
- Both are peaceful; temperature, pH and hardness ranges all overlap and neither outsizes the other enough to be a threat.
- Keep Endler's Livebearer in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Amapá Tetra✅ CompatiblePeaceful · 4 cm · Medium care · 24–27 °C (75–81 °F)
- Both are peaceful, and their water overlaps around 24–27 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
- Keep Endler's Livebearer in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Keep Amapá Tetra in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Assassin Snail✅ CompatiblePeaceful · 3 cm · Easy care · 22–26 °C (72–79 °F)
- Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 22–26 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
- Keep Endler's Livebearer in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Blackwing Hatchetfish✅ CompatiblePeaceful · 3.5 cm · Medium care · 23–28 °C (73–82 °F)
- Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 23–28 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
- Both favour the top of the tank — offer enough cover so they aren't always in each other's space.
- Keep Endler's Livebearer in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Keep Blackwing Hatchetfish in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Blue Danio✅ CompatiblePeaceful · 4 cm · Easy care · 21–26 °C (70–79 °F)
- Both are peaceful; temperature, pH and hardness ranges all overlap and neither outsizes the other enough to be a threat.
- Keep Endler's Livebearer in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Keep Blue Danio in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Blue Emperor Tetra✅ CompatiblePeaceful · 4 cm · Medium care · 23–27 °C (73–81 °F)
- Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 23–27 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
- Keep Endler's Livebearer in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Keep Blue Emperor Tetra in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Cherry Shrimp✅ CompatiblePeaceful · 3 cm · Easy care · 18–28 °C (64–82 °F)
- Both are peaceful, and their water overlaps around 22–28 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
- Keep Endler's Livebearer in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Keep Cherry Shrimp in a shoal of 10+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Clown Killifish✅ CompatiblePeaceful · 3.5 cm · Medium care · 22–26 °C (72–79 °F)
- Both are peaceful, and their water overlaps around 22–26 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
- Both favour the top of the tank — offer enough cover so they aren't always in each other's space.
- Keep Endler's Livebearer in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Keep Clown Killifish in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Dawn Tetra✅ CompatiblePeaceful · 2.5 cm · Easy care · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
- Both are peaceful; temperature, pH and hardness ranges all overlap and neither outsizes the other enough to be a threat.
- Keep Endler's Livebearer in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Keep Dawn Tetra in a shoal of 8+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Dwarf Spotted Rasbora✅ CompatiblePeaceful · 2.5 cm · Medium care · 23–28 °C (73–82 °F)
- Both are peaceful; temperature, pH and hardness ranges all overlap and neither outsizes the other enough to be a threat.
- Keep Endler's Livebearer in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Keep Dwarf Spotted Rasbora in a shoal of 8+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Eyespot Rasbora✅ CompatiblePeaceful · 3.5 cm · Medium care · 20–25 °C (68–77 °F)
- Both are peaceful; temperature, pH and hardness ranges all overlap and neither outsizes the other enough to be a threat.
- Keep Endler's Livebearer in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Keep Eyespot Rasbora in a shoal of 8+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Glowlight Danio✅ CompatiblePeaceful · 3 cm · Easy care · 22–26 °C (72–79 °F)
- Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 22–26 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
- Keep Endler's Livebearer in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Keep Glowlight Danio in a shoal of 8+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Glowlight Rasbora✅ CompatiblePeaceful · 3.5 cm · Easy care · 23–28 °C (73–82 °F)
- Both are peaceful; temperature, pH and hardness ranges all overlap and neither outsizes the other enough to be a threat.
- Keep Endler's Livebearer in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Keep Glowlight Rasbora in a shoal of 8+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Gold Ring Danio✅ CompatiblePeaceful · 3 cm · Easy care · 18–26 °C (64–79 °F)
- Both are peaceful, and their water overlaps around 22–26 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
- Keep Endler's Livebearer in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Keep Gold Ring Danio in a shoal of 8+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Lambchop Rasbora✅ CompatiblePeaceful · 3 cm · Medium care · 23–28 °C (73–82 °F)
- Both are peaceful, and their water overlaps around 23–28 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
- Keep Endler's Livebearer in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Keep Lambchop Rasbora in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Malaysian Trumpet Snail✅ CompatiblePeaceful · 3 cm · Easy care · 21–27 °C (70–81 °F)
- Both are peaceful, and their water overlaps around 22–27 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
- Keep Endler's Livebearer in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Neon Tetra✅ CompatiblePeaceful · 3 cm · Easy care · 20–26 °C (68–79 °F)
- Both are peaceful, and their water overlaps around 22–26 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
- Keep Endler's Livebearer in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Keep Neon Tetra in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Nerite Snail✅ CompatiblePeaceful · 2.5 cm · Easy care · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
- Both are peaceful; temperature, pH and hardness ranges all overlap and neither outsizes the other enough to be a threat.
- Keep Endler's Livebearer in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Northern Glowlight Danio✅ CompatiblePeaceful · 3.5 cm · Medium care · 18–24 °C (64–75 °F)
- Both are peaceful; temperature, pH and hardness ranges all overlap and neither outsizes the other enough to be a threat.
- Keep Endler's Livebearer in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Keep Northern Glowlight Danio in a shoal of 8+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Pea Puffer✅ CompatibleSemi-aggressive · 2.5 cm · Medium care · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
- Peaceful + Semi-aggressive, but with no direct clash here, and their water overlaps around 24–28 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
- Keep Endler's Livebearer in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Pygmy Corydoras✅ CompatiblePeaceful · 3.2 cm · Easy care · 22–26 °C (72–79 °F)
- Both are peaceful, and their water overlaps around 22–26 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
- Keep Endler's Livebearer in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Keep Pygmy Corydoras in a shoal of 8+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Tail-spot Corydoras✅ CompatiblePeaceful · 3 cm · Easy care · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
- Both are peaceful; temperature, pH and hardness ranges all overlap and neither outsizes the other enough to be a threat.
- Keep Endler's Livebearer in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Keep Tail-spot Corydoras in a shoal of 8+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Tailspotted Oto✅ CompatiblePeaceful · 3.5 cm · Medium care · 22–27 °C (72–81 °F)
- Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 22–27 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
- Keep Endler's Livebearer in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Keep Tailspotted Oto in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Trinidad Guppy✅ CompatiblePeaceful · 3 cm · Easy care · 19–24 °C (66–75 °F)
- Both are peaceful, and their water overlaps around 22–24 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
- Keep Endler's Livebearer in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Black Darter Tetra⚠️ With cautionSemi-aggressive · 4 cm · Hard care · 21–28 °C (70–82 °F)
- Different pH ranges (7–8.5 vs 3.5–6.5); doable if you sit in the shared band, but not ideal long-term.
- Water hardness preferences differ (Endler's Livebearer 10–25 vs Black Darter Tetra 0–5 dGH).
- Black Darter Tetra is semi-aggressive and may chase or nip the smaller Endler's Livebearer — plant heavily and break up sight lines.
- Keep Endler's Livebearer in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Cardinal Tetra⚠️ With cautionPeaceful · 4 cm · Medium care · 23–27 °C (73–81 °F)
- Water hardness preferences differ (Endler's Livebearer 10–25 vs Cardinal Tetra 1–6 dGH).
- Keep Endler's Livebearer in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Keep Cardinal Tetra in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Chili Rasbora⚠️ With cautionPeaceful · 2 cm · Medium care · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
- One likes softer water and the other harder (10–25 vs 1–8 dGH) — a compromise, not a perfect match.
- Keep Endler's Livebearer in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Keep Chili Rasbora in a shoal of 8+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Crimson Red Betta⚠️ With cautionPeaceful · 3.5 cm · Hard care · 24–29 °C (75–84 °F)
- pH preferences only just meet (Endler's Livebearer 7–8.5 vs Crimson Red Betta 4–6.5) — target the overlap and acclimate slowly.
- One likes softer water and the other harder (10–25 vs 0–5 dGH) — a compromise, not a perfect match.
- Keep Endler's Livebearer in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Crystal Red Shrimp⚠️ With cautionPeaceful · 2.5 cm · Hard care · 20–24 °C (68–75 °F)
- pH preferences only just meet (Endler's Livebearer 7–8.5 vs Crystal Red Shrimp 6–6.8) — target the overlap and acclimate slowly.
- One likes softer water and the other harder (10–25 vs 2–5 dGH) — a compromise, not a perfect match.
- Keep Endler's Livebearer in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Keep Crystal Red Shrimp in a shoal of 10+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Exclamation Point Rasbora⚠️ With cautionPeaceful · 2 cm · Medium care · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
- Water hardness preferences differ (Endler's Livebearer 10–25 vs Exclamation Point Rasbora 1–8 dGH).
- Keep Endler's Livebearer in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Keep Exclamation Point Rasbora in a shoal of 8+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Fire Red Licorice Gourami⚠️ With cautionPeaceful · 3.5 cm · Hard care · 23–28 °C (73–82 °F)
- pH preferences only just meet (Endler's Livebearer 7–8.5 vs Fire Red Licorice Gourami 4–6.5) — target the overlap and acclimate slowly.
- One likes softer water and the other harder (10–25 vs 0–4 dGH) — a compromise, not a perfect match.
- Keep Endler's Livebearer in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Green Neon Tetra⚠️ With cautionPeaceful · 2.5 cm · Hard care · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
- Different pH ranges (7–8.5 vs 4.5–6.5); doable if you sit in the shared band, but not ideal long-term.
- Water hardness preferences differ (Endler's Livebearer 10–25 vs Green Neon Tetra 0–4 dGH).
- Keep Endler's Livebearer in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Keep Green Neon Tetra in a shoal of 8+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Neon Blue Rasbora⚠️ With cautionPeaceful · 2.5 cm · Medium care · 23–26 °C (73–79 °F)
- pH preferences only just meet (Endler's Livebearer 7–8.5 vs Neon Blue Rasbora 4–6.5) — target the overlap and acclimate slowly.
- One likes softer water and the other harder (10–25 vs 1–6 dGH) — a compromise, not a perfect match.
- Keep Endler's Livebearer in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Keep Neon Blue Rasbora in a shoal of 10+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Neon Green Rasbora⚠️ With cautionPeaceful · 2 cm · Easy care · 22–26 °C (72–79 °F)
- Water hardness preferences differ (Endler's Livebearer 10–25 vs Neon Green Rasbora 1–8 dGH).
- Keep Endler's Livebearer in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Keep Neon Green Rasbora in a shoal of 10+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Purple Tetra⚠️ With cautionPeaceful · 4 cm · Medium care · 22–26 °C (72–79 °F)
- Different pH ranges (7–8.5 vs 5.8–6.8); doable if you sit in the shared band, but not ideal long-term.
- Water hardness preferences differ (Endler's Livebearer 10–25 vs Purple Tetra 1–8 dGH).
- Keep Endler's Livebearer in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Keep Purple Tetra in a shoal of 8+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Rainbow Emperor Tetra⚠️ With cautionSemi-aggressive · 3.6 cm · Medium care · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
- Expect Rainbow Emperor Tetra to harass Endler's Livebearer at times; give dense cover and watch them at feeding.
- Keep Endler's Livebearer in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Keep Rainbow Emperor Tetra in a shoal of 8+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Serpae Tetra⚠️ With cautionSemi-aggressive · 4 cm · Easy care · 23–28 °C (73–82 °F)
- Expect Serpae Tetra to harass Endler's Livebearer at times; give dense cover and watch them at feeding.
- Keep Endler's Livebearer in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Keep Serpae Tetra in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Strawberry Betta⚠️ With cautionPeaceful · 4 cm · Medium care · 22–27 °C (72–81 °F)
- One likes softer water and the other harder (10–25 vs 0–8 dGH) — a compromise, not a perfect match.
- Keep Endler's Livebearer in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Tiger Badis⚠️ With cautionSemi-aggressive · 4 cm · Medium care · 22–24 °C (72–75 °F)
- Tiger Badis and Endler's Livebearer are close in size, but the semi-aggressive one tends to dominate — add endler's livebearer in a group to spread the pressure.
- Keep Endler's Livebearer in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Tiger Shrimp⚠️ With cautionPeaceful · 3 cm · Hard care · 20–25 °C (68–77 °F)
- Water hardness preferences differ (Endler's Livebearer 10–25 vs Tiger Shrimp 0–6 dGH).
- Keep Endler's Livebearer in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Keep Tiger Shrimp in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Alligator Gar⛔ Not recommendedAggressive · 250 cm · Hard care · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
- Endler's Livebearer is bite-sized to a 250 cm predatory alligator gar — it will be eaten.
- Expect Alligator Gar to harass Endler's Livebearer at times; give dense cover and watch them at feeding.
- Your 75 L tank is below the ~3785 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
- Keep Endler's Livebearer in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Clown Knifefish⛔ Not recommendedAggressive · 90 cm · Hard care · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
- Size gap is too large (90 vs 3 cm): Clown Knifefish will treat Endler's Livebearer as food.
- Clown Knifefish is aggressive and may chase or nip the smaller Endler's Livebearer — plant heavily and break up sight lines.
- Your 75 L tank is below the ~750 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
- Keep Endler's Livebearer in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Fire Eel⛔ Not recommendedSemi-aggressive · 100 cm · Medium care · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
- Size gap is too large (100 vs 3 cm): Fire Eel will treat Endler's Livebearer as food.
- Fire Eel is semi-aggressive and may chase or nip the smaller Endler's Livebearer — plant heavily and break up sight lines.
- Your 75 L tank is below the ~380 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
- Keep Endler's Livebearer in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Koi⛔ Not recommendedPeaceful · 90 cm · Medium care · 4–28 °C (39–82 °F)
- Endler's Livebearer is bite-sized to a 90 cm koi — it will be eaten.
- Your 75 L tank is below the ~3800 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
- Keep Endler's Livebearer in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Redtail Catfish⛔ Not recommendedAggressive · 120 cm · Hard care · 24–27 °C (75–81 °F)
- Redtail Catfish (120 cm) is big enough to swallow the 3 cm Endler's Livebearer whole.
- Redtail Catfish clearly outsizes Endler's Livebearer and is aggressive; risky unless the tank is big and well-planted.
- Your 75 L tank is below the ~5700 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
- Keep Endler's Livebearer in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Spotted Gar⛔ Not recommendedAggressive · 90 cm · Hard care · 18–26 °C (64–79 °F)
- Size gap is too large (90 vs 3 cm): Spotted Gar will treat Endler's Livebearer as food.
- Expect Spotted Gar to harass Endler's Livebearer at times; give dense cover and watch them at feeding.
- Your 75 L tank is below the ~600 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
- Keep Endler's Livebearer in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Wels Catfish⛔ Not recommendedAggressive · 300 cm · Hard care · 15–25 °C (59–77 °F)
- Endler's Livebearer is bite-sized to a 300 cm predatory wels catfish — it will be eaten.
- Expect Wels Catfish to harass Endler's Livebearer at times; give dense cover and watch them at feeding.
- Your 75 L tank is below the ~20000 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
- Keep Endler's Livebearer in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Wolf Cichlid⛔ Not recommendedAggressive · 72 cm · Hard care · 24–30 °C (75–86 °F)
- Wolf Cichlid (72 cm) is big enough to swallow the 3 cm Endler's Livebearer whole.
- Wolf Cichlid is aggressive and may chase or nip the smaller Endler's Livebearer — plant heavily and break up sight lines.
- Your 75 L tank is below the ~760 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
- Keep Endler's Livebearer in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
Compatibility is computed from each species' care data — a strong starting point, not a guarantee. Individual temperament varies, so always introduce new fish slowly and watch them.
Endler's Livebearer care specs
- Care level
- Easy
- Breeding
- Easy
- Max size
- 3 cm (1.2 in)
- Min tank size
- 38 L (10 gal)
- Temperature
- 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
- pH
- 7–8.5
- Hardness
- 10–25 dGH
- Lifespan
- 2–3 years
- Diet
- Omnivore
- Swim level
- Top
- Group size
- 6+ (shoaling)
- Family
- Poeciliidae
- Origin
- Venezuela — Laguna de Patos and nearby coastal lagoons near Cumaná
What is an Endler’s Livebearer?
The Endler’s Livebearer (Poecilia wingei) is a small, brilliantly coloured freshwater fish from Venezuela and one of the best choices for a nano or planted community aquarium. Males barely reach 1.8 cm (0.7 in) and carry electric patterns of orange, lime-green, black and iridescent metallic patches — varying between wild-type strains and selectively bred “fancy” lines. Females are larger at up to 3 cm (1.2 in) but plain silver-olive by comparison.
Closely related to the common guppy (Poecilia reticulata), Endlers were formally described as a separate species in 2005. Pure P. wingei cross freely with guppies — fertile hybrids appear within a generation — so most dedicated breeders keep them in species-only set-ups. For a fishkeeper who wants vivid colour, peaceful behaviour and easy care in a small footprint, the Endler’s Livebearer is hard to beat.
Where do Endler’s Livebearers come from?
Wild Endler’s Livebearers come from a narrow range in north-eastern Venezuela — principally the Laguna de Patos and nearby coastal lagoons close to the city of Cumaná. These habitats are warm, hard and alkaline, with dense aquatic vegetation and algae-rich shallows. Water hardness runs high (10–25 dGH) and pH sits on the alkaline side, between 7.0 and 8.5.
Pollution and habitat loss have made wild populations vulnerable, so almost all fish in the hobby are captive-bred. It pays to source from reputable breeders who track lineage — unlabelled stock from chain stores is often a guppy hybrid.
What size tank does an Endler’s Livebearer need?
The minimum recommended tank is 38 litres (10 gallons). In practice, a 38 L planted tank is genuinely comfortable for a group of six or more — males stay tiny, and even gravid females are only 3 cm (1.2 in) long. A longer, shallower footprint suits them better than a tall column: Endlers spend most of their time in the top and mid zones, surfacing frequently and patrolling open water between plant stems.
Because they are active and prolific, provide plenty of floating plants (such as frogbit or water sprite) and dense mid-ground planting. Floating cover diffuses bright light, gives fry immediate refuge from hungry adults, and mimics the lush vegetation of their native lagoons. A gentle filter — sponge filters are ideal in nano set-ups — keeps water clean without sweeping tiny fish around. A snug-fitting lid is advisable: Endlers are capable jumpers.
What water parameters do Endler’s Livebearers need?
- Temperature: 22–28 °C (72–82 °F) — they tolerate a slightly wider range than many tropical fish, though the mid-range of 24–26 °C (75–79 °F) is optimal.
- pH: 7.0–8.5, neutral to moderately alkaline.
- Hardness: 10–25 dGH — they actively prefer hard water and can struggle in the very soft, acidic water that suits tetras or discus.
Their Venezuelan lagoon origin makes hard, alkaline tap water an advantage: many hobbyists who struggle to soften water for other fish find Endlers thrive straight from the tap. As always, stability beats precision — avoid large water changes with drastically different temperature or chemistry, and cycle the tank thoroughly before introducing fish.
What do Endler’s Livebearers eat?
Endler’s Livebearers are omnivores and easy to feed. A quality micro-pellet or crushed flake forms the staple — standard flake is often too large for males, so crushing it between your fingers before dropping it in makes a real difference. Supplement two or three times a week with baby brine shrimp, micro-worms, daphnia or vinegar eels to bring out the deepest colour in males and condition females before breeding.
In a well-planted tank they will also graze on algae and biofilm throughout the day, which provides useful nutrition and keeps them busy. Two small feedings per day beat one large one: their tiny mouths and high metabolism suit frequent, modest meals, and uneaten food in a nano tank degrades water quality fast. Remove any uneaten food after a few minutes.
Are Endler’s Livebearers aggressive — and what fish can live with them?
Endler’s Livebearers are peaceful. Males occasionally posture and chase each other, but at their size the interactions are rarely damaging. Keep at least two females per male to prevent any single female from being constantly harassed, and aim for a minimum group of six to spread attention and create a livelier display.
Tank-mate selection is mainly about avoiding predators — any fish large enough to swallow an Endler is a risk. Reliable companions include pygmy corydoras, Otocinclus, ember tetras, chili rasboras, celestial pearl danios and neocaridina shrimp (adults are safe; fry may be eaten). Avoid larger barbs, cichlids, bettas and fin-nippers. Do not mix with common guppies unless hybridisation is acceptable.
For a full list of compatible and incompatible species, see Endler’s Livebearer tank mates.
How do you tell male and female Endler’s Livebearers apart?
Sexing is straightforward, even in juveniles. Males are noticeably smaller — around 1.8 cm (0.7 in) at maturity — and carry vivid, species-specific patterning: bold blocks of orange, black and iridescent green or blue that vary between strains. They also develop a gonopodium, a modified anal fin that is pointed rather than fan-shaped, which they use for internal fertilisation.
Females are larger (up to 3 cm / 1.2 in), plain silver-olive with minimal patterning, and have a conventional fan-shaped anal fin. Gravid females develop a visible dark gravid spot near the anal fin as fry develop, and their belly becomes noticeably rounded in the days before they give birth. Males colour up and show gonopodium development at just a few weeks of age, making early sexing reliable.
How do Endler’s Livebearers breed?
Endler’s Livebearers are livebearers — females carry fully developed young internally and give birth to free-swimming fry. Fertilisation is internal via the male’s gonopodium, and females can store sperm for months, so a single mating can produce several successive broods.
A female drops 5–30 fry every 23–28 days. Fry are born fully formed and free-swimming, large enough to eat crushed flake or baby brine shrimp from day one. In a heavily planted tank a proportion survive without intervention; for higher yields, move gravid females (look for a squared-off belly and restless near-surface behaviour) to a separate container, then return them after the drop.
Population management is the main challenge: a mixed-sex nano tank can become overcrowded within weeks. Keeping a males-only group is the simplest solution if you want colour without reproduction.
What are common Endler’s Livebearer diseases?
Endlers share the health vulnerabilities of other small livebearers:
- Ich (white spot): Salt-like dots on the body and fins, typically triggered by chilling or stress. Stable temperature is the best prevention.
- Velvet: A fine, gold or rusty dust on the skin; fish often scratch against surfaces. Quarantine new arrivals and maintain stable water chemistry.
- Fin rot: Ragged, receding fins from bacterial infection — almost always a water-quality problem. Regular water changes and a mature filter cycle prevent it.
- Wasting / internal parasites: Fish eat well but lose condition over weeks. Sourcing from reputable breeders and quarantining all new fish reduces the risk.
Prevention always returns to the same foundation: a cycled tank, stable temperature, regular water changes and quarantine for new arrivals.
Health note: disease identification can be difficult, and symptoms often overlap between conditions. Always confirm a diagnosis against a reputable veterinary or fish-health source before treating.
How long do Endler’s Livebearers live?
With good care, Endler’s Livebearers typically live 2–3 years. That is shorter than a betta or goldfish, but their rapid reproduction means a well-managed colony essentially renews itself continuously. Males in their prime — roughly 6–18 months — show the most intense colour. Providing stable, hard, clean water and a varied diet keeps fish at peak condition and at the longer end of the lifespan range. Because they are so widely captive-bred, age at purchase is often unknown; buying from a breeder rather than a chain pet store usually means younger, healthier stock.
Frequently asked questions
Can Endler's livebearers live with guppies?
They can share the same tank, but it is usually a bad idea. The two species hybridise readily, and the offspring are fertile — within a few generations your pure Endlers are gone. If you want to keep true Poecilia wingei, house them in a species-only or Endler-only community. Compatible peaceful nano fish such as pygmy corydoras, ember tetras and small rasboras make better tank mates.
How fast do Endler's livebearers breed, and how do you manage the population?
Very fast — a single female can drop 5–30 fry every 23–28 days, and the fry are immediately free-swimming and large enough to eat crushed flake. Keep a heavily planted tank so fry have cover, or separate females just before they give birth. Stocking males-only (or a single-sex group) is the simplest way to enjoy their colour without a population explosion.
What you need to keep a endler's livebearer
The baseline is a heated, filtered 38 L+ tank: a reliable heater to hold 22–28 °C (72–82 °F), a gentle filter that won't batter a endler's livebearer in the current, and a tight-fitting lid. Cycle the tank fully before adding any fish.
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