Endler's Livebearer care guide
Endler's Livebearer (Poecilia wingei) — minimum tank 20 L, temperature 22-28 °C, pH 6.5-8. Peaceful middle-water species.
Compiled by Aquairi from published sources · Published · Updated
Overview
Endler's Livebearer (Poecilia wingei) is a small livebearer closely related to the common Guppy. Males display intense, neon-bright patterns of green, orange and black; females remain drab and slightly larger. Hardy and prolific, the species is well suited to nano aquaria.
Taxonomy
- Family: Poeciliidae
- Genus: Poecilia
- Scientific name: Poecilia wingei
- Common synonyms: Endler Guppy
Habitat
Native to the Paria Peninsula in north-eastern Venezuela, including the Laguna de Patos and Laguna de Campoma systems. The natural waters are warm, slightly hard and often subject to seasonal change.
Tank requirements
- Minimum tank volume: 20 L (5.3 US gal)
- Adult size: 2-3 cm
- Temperature: 22-28 °C (72-82 °F)
- pH: 6.5-8
- GH: 10-25 °dGH
- Water flow: low
- Lifespan: 1-3 years
Diet
An omnivore. In aquaria a varied diet of micro-pellets and crushed flake supplemented with small live or frozen foods (daphnia, brine shrimp nauplii) and an occasional vegetable component supports colour and reproduction.
Compatibility
A peaceful community species. Suitable companions include small Corydoras, Neon Tetra, Otocinclus and dwarf shrimp. Avoid keeping with common Guppies as the two species hybridise readily, which contributes to genetic loss in pure Endler stocks.
Breeding
A prolific livebearer; females give birth approximately every 23 days, with litters ranging from one to about 30 fry. Males develop full colouration within roughly six months. To preserve pure lines, keep separated from common Guppy stocks.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List: Endangered (2024 assessment). Wild populations are threatened by habitat destruction, pollution and hybridisation with feral Guppies; the aquarium trade today relies overwhelmingly on captive-bred stock.
Breeding Endler's Livebearer
Overview
Poecilia wingei is a livebearer and one of the easiest aquarium fish to breed. Seriously Fish describes it as incredibly prolific, breeding readily in the community tank and producing new broods every 23-24 days. Wikipedia similarly reports births approximately every 23 days.
Sexing
Males are noticeably smaller and far more colorful, developing intense black, orange, and metallic green hues, while females remain drab silver to gold and are much plumper, being almost perpetually gravid. Wikipedia notes adult females can be twice the size of males.
Breeding Setup
- Keep several females per male to spread out male harassment
- Dense planting to give fry cover
- Move heavily gravid females to a separate tank to give birth; breeding nets and traps are discouraged because the fish are small
Spawning Behavior & Trigger
Males court constantly, spreading their fins and quivering in front of females. No special trigger is needed; given mixed sexes the fish reproduce continuously.
Egg & Fry Care
Broods range from roughly 5-25 fry depending on the age and size of the female (Wikipedia gives a wider range of one to about 30). The fry are relatively large at birth and adults rarely eat their young, though newborns are most vulnerable in their first hours. Feed brine shrimp nauplii, powdered flake or fry food 2-3 times daily. Males begin to color up within 3-5 weeks and females reach reproductive maturity around 2 months.
Common Challenges
The main concern is keeping a strain pure: Wikipedia notes that Endler's readily hybridize with guppies (Poecilia reticulata) to produce fertile offspring, so they must be kept away from guppies if pure lines are wanted. Because they breed so readily, keeping males only is an option if offspring are not desired.