How much color can Mother Nature stuff into one tiny fish? As it turns out, the answer is: pretty much the entire rainbow! Endler's livebearers are fancy guppies' little cousins, long underappreciated but now quickly gaining popularity thanks to their smaller size and hardier nature.
We've kept these microfish in our tanks for a long time, and we agree there's a lot to love. Here's what we've learned about Endler's livebearer care over the years!
Endler's livebearers are a small species of fish belonging to an unusual family (the Poeciliidae) that give birth to live young instead of laying eggs. They're closely related to aquarium classics like mollies and platies, and a sister species to the much more popular fancy guppy. Endlers were first scientifically described in 1937, but promptly forgotten about until biologist John Endler "rediscovered" them in 1975 and introduced them in the aquarium hobby.
These little livebearers are proof that good things come in small packages! Although they're more slender than their guppy counterparts, their wiggly, energetic swimming style and the males' lovely mottled colors make them look bigger than they are. Their base color is a greenish, sandy brown, but depending on the specific strain they might sport bright orange, metallic green and blue, black, or yellow patterns.
Female Endler's livebearers are a lot less colorful than the males, although some do show a modest splash of orange or yellow on their tail fins. Their dark scale edges also give them a pretty, reticulated "pineapple" pattern. At up to 2" in length the girls are a lot bigger than the boys, which usually don't even reach one inch. They're also significantly rounder, especially when gravid (pregnant), so you'll be able to easily tell the difference even if you've never kept livebearers before.
When Dr. Endler brought these little livebearers into the hobby, they promptly became known as Endler's guppies. Bickering about whether they really are just another guppy (Poecilia reticulata) or a separate species soon started, and has never really stopped since. Some researchers insist isn't enough genetic variation ; others say there is, and that differences in Endler appearance (like their forked tails and smaller size) and reproduction (smaller broods) earn them their own scientific name .
So far, the "splitters" have won out. Endlers were given their own scientific name ( Poecilia wingei ) and are now known as Endler's livebearers , not guppies. Although this hasn't ended the debate, we think they deserve their full species status!
Did you know? Because they do belong to the same genus and are closely related, Endlers and true guppies can interbreed. Serious breeders try their best to keep the two species separate to maintain genetic purity, but pet store Endlers are usually partial guppy hybrids. The guppy genes make them more colorful and introduce all sorts of patterns that don't exist in full Endlers.
Endler's livebearers don't have a wide natural range: they're exclusively naturally found in a few small coastal drainages on and around the Paria Peninsula in Venezuela (South America). These mostly consist of shallow, slow-flowing rivers and swampy areas with plenty of aquatic stem plants and Nymphaea lotus. The water is sometimes stained brownish from tannins released by organic matter and can reach very high temperatures during the dry season.
Some of these systems are partially tidal, like mangrove-littered lagoons and estuaries, which is no problem for these flexible little fish. Like many other livebearers, they can adapt to brackish conditions just fine!
Did you know? As common as they are in the aquarium hobby, Endler's livebearers are actually in serious danger of extinction in the wild. The IUCN Red List considers them Endangered due to habitat loss and interbreeding with guppies ( Poecilia reticulata ). Even though these fish are very hardy and able to survive in highly polluted waters, their population is shrinking.
Endler's livebearers are very closely related to guppies, but we think they make the better choice for first-time fishkeepers. Not only can they thrive in smaller tanks than their cousins, but we've also found them to be hardier and more beginner-proof. This is mostly because true guppies, especially the very fancy varieties, are extensively line-bred — basically inbred. This can make them more fragile than the more "natural" Endlers.
You can keep a trio of Endlers in a 5-gallon tank just fine, while larger groups will do well in systems of ten gallons or up. We will say that the bigger the tank, the better: livebearers in general are very prolific, and this is no exception. If there's even a single female, your Endler colony will soon double and triple in size!
Although Endler's livebearers thrive in a variety of aquarium types, we think they look best against the lush green of live plants and a dark substrate. Whatever décor you go for, the most important thing is to sure there's plenty of cover to help them feel safe. Some leaf litter will really help capture that Endler biotope feel; if you want something native to Venezuela, may we suggest guava leaves ?
Many sources list Endler's guppies as hard water fish. It's true they do well in water with a high concentration of dissolved minerals and a higher pH, but that doesn't mean it's a must. Measurements in their natural habitat vary a lot, and the water can actually be pretty soft with a pH below neutral. That's good news for us: unless the stuff that comes out of your tap is really funky, you can keep Endlers in it just fine.
Of course, despite being hardy and flexible, your Endlers will still need clean water. You should always cycle your aquarium before introducing any fish and keep up with weekly water changes. If they don't finish all their food, remove any uneaten pieces within an hour or two and feed less next time — overfeeding really does a number on the water quality.
As we've mentioned, Endler's livebearers can also adapt to brackish water and are sometimes found at very high salinities in the wild. There don't appear to be any studies on how much salt they can really handle long-term, but their cousins the guppies are known to live out their full lifespans in full seawater as long as they're acclimated slowly. A specific gravity of up to 1.010 (and possibly higher) should therefore be no problem for Endlers, giving you the option of setting up a brackish tank.
Temperature: 72–83°F
Your Endler's Livebearer Starter Pack:
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Endler's livebearers can make wonderful additions to a peaceful community aquarium, but there are a few considerations. Keep in mind these fish are tiny and slower-moving than something like a tetra: avoid combining them with tankmates that want to eat them or nip at their colorful fins. On the other hand, their high energy levels and endless wiggling around can stress out species that like their peace and quiet.
You can also choose to keep your Endlers without any tankmates at all. They're so colorful and active you don't necessarily need more fish to make your tank look nice. You won't even miss 'em! A few snails are never a bad thing, though; nerite species like horned nerites can even survive in brackish water if you decided to go for that.
Yep, Endler's livebearers get along swimmingly with shrimp. They will try to eat newborn baby shrimp — almost all fish do — but quick-breeding shrimp colonies like Neos should do just fine with Endlers in a densely planted tank. So will Amano shrimp , and thanks to their shorter fins these livebearers should be able to avoid any overly curious ghost shrimp just fine.
Endler's livebearers are omnivores that will snack on pretty much anything they can find. In the wild, they spend their days nibbling on algae, rummaging through detritus, and hunting small bugs like mosquito larvae. In your aquarium, they'll eat whatever you feed them as long as it's small enough.
A high-quality guppy granule food or microflake should work well for your Endlers, but don't forget to regularly offer some live food either. Variety is the spice of life, plus it's pretty fun to see them go crazy hunting down a batch of Daphnia or baby brine shrimp! You can also offer algae tablets and blanched veggies like spinach.
Livebearers in general are known for reproducing very quickly. Endlers are no exception. It's more common to end up with more of them than you know what to do with than to have trouble getting them to breed, even if it's your first time! That's why in nano tanks, it can be a good idea to keep only the more colorful males.
For those who do want to breed their Endlers (it really is a lot of fun, and you can even focus on specific colors or tail shapes), we've got you. We've been keeping them for a long while and have learned a thing or two, and we're working on a breeding guide to tell you all about it.
These little livebearers used to be pretty unusual in aquarium stores. They were completely overshadowed by fancier guppies, but we've really seen their popularity soar in recent years. We think that's well-deserved and are proud to carry them in our own online aquarium store. Order your Endler's livebearers at The Shrimp Farm today and we'll ship them right to your doorstep with live arrival guarantee!
Herdegen, M. (2022). Phenotypic traits, genetic variation and gene flow between guppy populations in Venezuela (Doctoral dissertation).
Păpuc, T., Balint, C., & Petrescu-Mag, R. M. (2022). Why is Poecilia wingei a distinct species from other species of the genus?. Poeciliid Research , 12 (1), 29.
Schories, S., Meyer, M. K., & Schartl, M. (2009). Description of Poecilia (Acanthophacelus) obscura n. sp.,(Teleostei: Poeciliidae), a new guppy species from western Trinidad, with remarks on P. wingei and the status of the Endler s guppy. Zootaxa , 2266 (1), 35-50.