My Guppies Endler in the Aquarium: Experiences of an Aquarium Enthusiast
Hello! I'd like to share my story with you. My first fish were simple guppies. Now, I remember, they were in a small 5-liter aquarium with algae and a few colorful fish. Let's leave the stories and failures of everyone else aside. We all come with experiences...
I've been in love with aquariums since my childhood years. There were goldfish, catfish, scalars, barbs, and many more.
But for me, guppies were the ones that stole my heart. They were the least demanding fish. And the most important thing was that they were livebearers. (I'm not sure why it's like that, but I accept it as a fact. For me, everything is about multiplying and multiplying.)
I now have three aquariums: 35 L (main), 15 L (shrimp and Endler guppies), and 5 L (with Endler guppies).
Recently (two years ago), I heard about Endler guppies. I did some research on the internet and found out that they weren't just a simple guppy variation. They only gained popularity recently.
Endler guppies (Poecilia wingei) or mixed guppies (Poecilia wingei) are the closest relatives of known livebearing fish. They were first identified in 1937, but it was John Endler who popularized them in the aquarium culture with his 'second discovery'.
These fish are expensive in markets and bird markets. But you can find them at a more affordable price on Avito. That's where I got my first Endler guppies.
Male and female fish can be easily distinguished from each other.
Firstly, there's a difference in size. Female fish are two centimeters larger than male fish. (Female fish are approximately 3-4 cm, while male fish are 2.5-3 cm in size.)
Secondly, there's a difference in color. Male fish are colorful and have different colors. Each fish has its own unique pattern.
My photos can't fully express the color and beauty of these fish. Seeing them with your own eyes is much more beautiful.
There are many different varieties of Endler guppies. They have different colors. You can see their photos on Google.
Temperature +22 to +28 degrees. But I sometimes heat them up to +30 degrees with heating devices. There's no problem, and all of them are alive.
It's recommended to feed Endler guppies and many other fish 1-2 times a day. But there's a tradition among aquarium enthusiasts: 'A healthy fish is a hungry fish.' Of course, this shouldn't be taken literally. We just need to avoid overfeeding.
I feed them once a day. I also do a weekly partial water change. There's no problem. It's better to feed them a little less than to overfeed them.
Endler guppies are easy to feed. They're not picky about what they eat.
I buy adult fish from markets or online shopping websites.
They eat live or frozen food. (I rarely use live food.)
But for small fish, I recommend using a feeding ring. They need to be fed very little, as they grow very quickly.
I've been breeding these fish for a week now, and it's been a fun and easy experience. I've seen their breeding cycle at least once a month. There's no need for any special conditions; the fish do it on their own.
However, there's one thing to note: there should be more females than males. If not, the males will follow the females, and this can sometimes lead to bad outcomes.
So, how do we know if a female is pregnant?
The correct answer is that a pregnant female has a large body. The legs are protruding upwards.
Another sign is a large spot on the vaginal area. (But some females may have this spot normally, and it may not be a sign of pregnancy.)
At one point, I used to keep these small fish in a pot (a large container). But the results weren't good. The female fish would eat the small fish. That's why I invested in a device (a spawning cone). I first bought one, then another, and then a third. Now, I use these devices every time.
Why? The answer is simple: these fish breed approximately every 3-4 weeks. And I have a lot of females, so keeping all these small fish in one aquarium is impossible. On the contrary, it can lead to overpopulation, which can cause the fish to die.
I have a large aquarium with 20 guppies Endler and ancistrus fish. But I keep the small fish in a separate aquarium.
It's interesting that the birth of guppies Endler is so fascinating. They are born alive, but initially, they are colorless (polyploidy) and don't have a distinct appearance. This changes after 5-6 weeks.
From my experience, it's very important to choose good neighbors for guppies Endler. In the aquarium where guppies Endler are kept together, you shouldn't keep fish that eat the guppies Endler or their tails. For example, I've seen scalars and gouramis eating the tails of guppies Endler and killing them. I've also seen goldfish eating the tails of guppies Endler and killing them.
I've also seen unknown fish eating the tails of guppies Endler and killing them. However, I've seen that corydoras and ancistrus fish (catfish) get along well with guppies Endler.
I keep my guppies Endler in different aquariums. I don't want to keep them in the same aquarium as other fish. Later, I move them to different aquariums.
Guppies Endler are very sensitive to their food. They can adapt to many different types of food. My favorite food for them is röglichnisi. Röglichnisi grows very quickly in the aquarium, doesn't produce dark colors, and can float on the surface of the water.
I've been watching these guppies Endler for a week now, and I'm impressed by the quality of the materials. They often hide in the corners of my aquarium, so I can easily see them.
I like guppies Endler. They're colorful and active, and they attract me. They hide in the corners of my aquarium, so I can easily see them.
Endler's have a difference from normal guppies: Normal guppies have a tail with a kind of fin or pouch before birth. But in Endler's, this is less noticeable. That's why it's harder to track the birth time. I usually wait a bit before the birth time, so I don't miss it.
I'm very happy that I like Endler's for many reasons. They're colorful and active, and they attract me. Also, selling them makes me happy.
If you want to be a good aquarium enthusiast and see beautiful and unusual fish, you should try Endler's. This is the best option.
They love any food, any plant, any substrate. But they don't like big and aggressive neighbors.
Thank you for reading!