Can Endlers breed with Guppies? This is a basic question you often have when you keep these two species in the same tank.
To answer this question, you need to understand the features of Endlers and Guppies, such as habitat, feeding, compatibility, or lifespan.
Keep reading to get useful information about these fish with a detailed guide on caring for them properly.
Contents
Endlers – What To Know?
Description
The small size is one of the most distinctive features of this fish. Males can grow up to 2-2.5 cm (1 inch), while females will be up to 3.5 cm (1.4 inches).
The female has a monochromatic color with a silvery or golden tint. A small spot on the back of the abdomen indicates several embryos inside.
Meanwhile, the male has a golden body with small red areas and an emerald green spot near the tail.
The tail fin’s edge is also red with a distinct center. Their most gorgeous color is Japanese blue.
Their tail and body are light blue with black spots on the body’s sides, and the head is silver. It is hard to describe all existing Endlers on the globe fully.
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Feeding
Endlers are omnivorous, so they may eat live or frozen foods such as worms, shrimp, and other small invertebrates. Their diet can also consist of plants such as spirulina.
Special care will be useful to help them avoid obesity because these fish tend to get fat.
Young Endlers feed on fine flakes and chopped food. Both young and adult Endlers may eat algae growing in tanks.
When choosing bait, you must note that these species have small mouths and spend most of their time in the middle and upper layers of the tank.
Also, their diet must contain plants to help the gastrointestinal tract work better.
Habitat
This fish type is native to Venezuela and Paria Peninsula. They often inhabit connected streams and freshwater lagoons within the country with dense populations.
These lagoons appear in Carúpano in north-eastern Venezuela, the Buena Vista, and Campoma.
Besides, they also live in Cumana, Laguna de Patos, and the canals and lagoon’s connected streams.
They are in the canals and streams leading to the Cumana and Laguna de Patos.
Their habitat is surrounded by trees, giving them shade, and may contain warm water with considerable salinity.
Thus, it would be best if you replicated these factors in aquariums.
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Compatibility
Due to their small size, Endlers should always be compatible with gentle and small fish such as Cardinal Tetra, Neon Tetra, Oto Catfish, or White Cloud Minnow.
You shouldn’t place Endlers with huge species. Putting them together with little fish and gentle shrimp in an aquarium is best.
Breeding
Breeding Endlers is simple in a regular aquarium. Female Endlers will lay eggs for about 22 to 24 days.
(Males are smaller than females with lighter and more colorful appearances if you don’t know how to distinguish them).
Breeding takes place in an aquarium without special preparations such as temperature, water depth, restrictions, or female and male ratio.
Female Endlers can give birth to a full-fledged young Endler (fry) every 23 days.
A female will store sperm from previous matings, allowing her to produce offspring for up to a year without the additional mating.
Young male Endlers’ growth favors warmer water temperatures, while cooler water temperatures are ideal for female Endlers’ growth.
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What Are The Differences Between Guppies And Endlers?
The Endlers have some clear differences from the Guppies. You can learn more through this detailed summary.
First, the Endlers’ size is smaller than the Guppies. They can be only about 1.5 – 2 inches, while Guppies are up to 1.5 or 2.5 inches.
Another feature you can notice in the difference between the two species is the tail. Endlers come with two smaller fins with a more intense color.
Meanwhile, the Guppies’ tail is richer and wider in shade. In terms of color intensity, Endlers are bolder with an enhanced metallic body than Guppies.
The main coloration of Endlers is golden gray, while Guppies’ is silvery gray.
Besides, you can distinguish Endlers from Guppies through the black comma on their body as the special marks.
These species have body shapes with less stock, whereas Guppies are more overweight.
The Endlers’ gonopodium includes one hook, but Guppies often comprise some themes.
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Can Endlers Breed With Guppies?
Yes, they can. Endlers can breed with Guppies without difficulty, producing crossed offspring called Endler’s Guppies.
First, these species come from the same family of Poecillidae, which both have a gorgeous appearance, gentle temper, and small size. You can find them in various pet shops for breeding.
Besides, the two fishes can get along well since they are peaceful creatures.
Endlers are happy and friendly when you allow them to breed with more Guppies in the same tank.
Check out this video for a detailed breeding guide:
How To Care And Keep The Hybrid Endler’s Guppies?
Setup Decorations And Plants In The Tank
Endler’s Guppies prefer small tanks of lens water with various aquarium plants.
They can feel comfortable in an aquarium with floating botanicals. Thus, putting small leafy plants and open areas in the tank for these species to swim is suitable.
It is also an excellent idea to add variable species to the aquarium. You may place coarse sand or small pebbles at the tank’s bottom.
Water Parameters
For temperature, Endler’s Guppies can live in warm water in the wild, so you need to mimic this in your aquarium.
Keep the tank temperature between 22 and 28°C with these species.
Regarding pH: These hybrid fish are hardy fish tolerating a wide range of water parameters.
Yet, a neutral or alkaline pH is best between 7.0 and 8.0 for optimal conditions.
Besides, you must often monitor the pH of your water with a test kit and add the buffer to troubleshoot low pH.
Filtration System
A small internal filter preventing a strong water current is the best choice to keep the aquarium clean.
Besides, you should replace about 25-30% of the water volume in the tank every week.
Rapid changes in water quality and temperature in an aquarium can adversely affect the fins of male fish, so frequent but small refreshments of the water are desirable.
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Aquarium Size
A Nano tank with a small size is the best option for these species due to their small size.
They also like living in small aquariums with lentic water and dense colonies of some flora.
Tank dimensions also depend on the general rule of thumb that 1 gallon of fresh water is sufficient for every inch of fish in the aquarium.
Normally, a 10-gallon (40L) tank is recommended for maintaining groups of 5 Endler’s Guppies.
Conclusion
Now, you got the right answer: Can Endlers breed with guppies? It is possible to allow Endlers to mate with the small and gentle Guppies in the same aquarium.
Besides, you should note that Endler Guppies need special and thorough care.
Thus, follow the ultimate guide in this article to keep them in your tank with the most favorable conditions for their ideal growth and lifespan.