One species · 4 varieties

Endler's livebearer

Poecilia wingei

Also known as endler guppy

FreshwaterBrackishFish

Endler's livebearer (Poecilia wingei) — (c) Dgrummon, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · cc-by-sa

Care at a glance

Temperature: 72–86°F; 22–30°C
pH: 6.5–7.5
Adult size: 1.6 in; 4 cm
Minimum tank: 10 gal; 38 L

Temperament: Peaceful
Social behavior: Social
Swim level: Middle
Difficulty: Beginner
Breeding: Livebearer · Easy
Rarity: Very common
Family: Poeciliidae
Origin: Venezuela

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Overview

The Endler's livebearer is a small, active fish that does best in a peaceful group. It is easy to keep and a good choice for a beginner.

Did you know

Endler's livebearers breed so easily that a single trio can fill a tank with fry in a few months. Many keepers use them as a steady source of live food for larger fish. The colony replaces itself faster than the predators can eat it.

Caring for the Endler's livebearer

Keep Endler's livebearers in a group in a tank of at least 10 gal (38 L), which can hold a small colony. A planted tank with floating plants suits them. They are active and cruise the middle and upper water.

Keep the water at 72 to 86°F (22 to 30°C) with a pH of 6.5 to 7.5. Feed quality flake and micro pellets, with the occasional frozen brine shrimp or daphnia.

Endler's livebearers are peaceful and safe with other community fish. Keep more females than males to spread out the males' constant courtship and reduce stress on any one female. Males stay small at roughly 2.5 cm, while females grow to about 4 cm.

They are livebearers and drop batches of fully formed fry rather than laying eggs. They breed readily, so expect numbers to climb fast.

Good to know

The Endler's livebearer is a poeciliid, closely related to the common guppy, and the two will interbreed. It is also sold as the Endler guppy. Wild populations have a limited range and are under pressure from habitat loss and pollution.

In the wild

Endler's livebearers come from warm lagoons and small streams in northeastern Venezuela, around the Paria Peninsula. The water there is usually clear, warm and slightly alkaline. Heavy plant growth shelters the fish and the tiny invertebrates they eat.

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Tank mates

Every variety on this page wants the same water, so one set of picks fits them all. These picks match on water type, temperature, pH, size and temperament.

Check the full mix in the stocking calculator