A tiny, hardy livebearer that breeds readily in harder water. Keep more females than males.
- Temperature22–28 °C
- pH6.8–8
- Minimum tank40 L
- DifficultyBeginner
| Food | Micro-flake + tiny frozen |
|---|---|
| Feeding | Twice a day, lightly |
| Water change | 20–25% weekly |
Behaviour and habits
Endler's livebearers are tiny, hardy and constantly active, swimming at all levels and breeding readily, so a settled group soon fills the tank with fry. Males are brightly coloured and constantly display to the females, chasing them relentlessly, which is why the group should contain more females than males. They are peaceful, undemanding fish that suit a small tank, and they stay small enough to keep in a nano setup.
What to feed, and how often
Micro-flake or pellet plus tiny frozen foods; feed twice a day, lightly. They are greedy and easy to overfeed — only a pinch is needed — and overfeeding, rather than underfeeding, is the usual mistake.
Water changes and maintenance
Change 20–25% weekly. They tolerate harder water and small tanks better than most fish, but clean, stable water keeps them at their best and prevents the fin rot that follows poor conditions.
Care and how easy it is
One of the easiest nano fish, provided the group and sex ratio are right and the tank is not overcrowded from endless breeding.
Lifespan
With good conditions and steady water quality, this species typically lives around 2–3 years in a home aquarium; some individuals live longer.
Common health problems
Similar to guppies: fin rot and, occasionally, internal parasites.
If it gets sick
Quarantine new stock, keep the water clean and warm, and treat fin rot early with water changes.
Good tank mates
- 18–26°C
- pH 6.5–8
- 20 L+
- 20–26°C
- pH 6–7.8
- 60 L+
- 22-26 C
- pH 7.0-8.5
- 60 L+; 60 x 30 cm base
- 20–26°C
- pH 7–8.2
- 50 L+
- 22–28°C
- pH 7–8.5
- 70 L+
Best avoided with
Similar species
- 22-26 C
- pH 7.0-8.5
- 60 L+; 60 x 30 cm base
- 20–26°C
- pH 7–8.2
- 50 L+
- 22–28°C
- pH 7–8.5
- 70 L+
- 22–28°C
- pH 7–8.2
- 70 L+
- 20–25°C
- pH 7–8.2
- 60 L+
Compare at a glance
| Parameters | Endler's livebearer | Guppy | Platy | Molly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Parameters | ||||
| Temp | 22–28 °C | 22–28 °C | 20–26 °C | 22–28 °C |
| pH | 6.8–8 | 6.8–8 | 7–8.2 | 7–8.5 |
| GH | 8–20 °dGH | 8–20 °dGH | 10–25 °dGH | 12–25 °dGH |
| Min. tank | 40 L | 40 L | 50 L | 70 L |
| Size | 3 cm | 5 cm | 6 cm | 8 cm |
| Diet | Omnivore | Omnivore | Omnivore | Omnivore |
| Temperament | Peaceful | Peaceful | Peaceful | Peaceful |
| Difficulty | Beginner | Beginner | Beginner | Beginner |
Care guides
New to the words? See the aquarium glossary.
Sources and research notes
Parameters are typical ranges for the species in home aquariums and vary with the individual fish and the water you use.