Endler’s Guppy

The Endler’s Guppy is originally from Venezuela, where it lives in calm-flowing waters close to shore. These bodies of water can have both soft water and brackish water. It was discovered by the eponymous Prof. John Endler in 1975 and, with a body length of around 4 cm, remains smaller than its relative guppy Poecilia reticulata. This guppy is particularly popular because of its intense, brightly shimmering coloration.

Care in the aquarium

Due to its adaptability to a wide range of water parameters and uncomplicated keeping, the Endler’s Guppy is also well suited for beginners. Poecilia wingei needs an aquarium volume of at least 60 liters or an edge length of at least 60 cm as well as dense planting around the edges, roots or stone structures in order to be able to withdraw if necessary. There should still be enough free swimming space for this lively fish and the water current should not be too strong. This animal should not be socialized with closely related fish, since it can often lead to deformities in the offspring. If males and females are kept mixed, care should be taken to ensure that the number of females exceeds that of males, as the male animals often harass the females and this can often lead to stressful situations.

Feeding

As an omnivore, the Endler’s Guppy willingly takes all conventional fish food of the appropriate size, as well as small frozen and live food.

Sexual characteristics and breeding

In contrast to the colorful males, the Endler’s Guppy females are a simple silver-grey color, which does not make it difficult to determine the sex. Males are also significantly smaller at around 2 – 3 cm and have a slimmer physique than the roundish females, which can be up to 4 cm long. The reproduction of the Endlers guppies is also very easy in the aquarium. Guppies are viviparous fish, so they don’t lay eggs but give birth to fully developed young. This very prolific fish – which is not called “million fish” for nothing – can produce around 30 offspring every 30 – 40 days.