Description
Endler’s livebearer was named after Dr. Ojvind Winge, who did a lot of work with guppy selective breeding, and contributed greatly to our understanding in the hobby of the genetics of guppies’ colors, as well as describing how his namesake livebearer is different from the common Poecilia reticulata guppy. Nowadays, most of the guppies that you would find in the hobby are a mix of both reticulata and wingei genetics, so the lines become a lot more muddled, and typically smaller bodied fish are labelled “endlers” and larger bodied fish are labelled “guppies” even though both are represented in the genome of the fish. Poecilia wingei was discovered in the wild originally in a brackish lake, which has been altered over time and has now become freshwater. A South American species from Venezuela, the endler’s livebearer has become a mainstay in the hobby. The black fire strain refers to a specific color morph of this fish, which has mainly a black body, with a red chest to belly area. The “fire” comes from both the dorsal and caudal fins, which have a red base, and irregular black patterning which gives the illusion of flames emanating from their bodies.
Being livebearers, these little fish prefer to have hard water, but they are quite adaptable, and do not mind water that is acidic or alkaline, and can definitely do well in softer water as well. Unlike most of the reticulata guppies, endlers are lively and like to have a bit of current to swim against and play in, and a planted setup is recommended to give them somewhere to retreat to if they decide it is necessary. Plants as well as decorations will also give fry a place to hide and escape hungry mouths in order to make it to adulthood.
Just like with other guppies, the Endler’s livebearer has many different color forms, and you can almost definitely find one to suit your tastes. These little fish can go in most peaceful community aquariums, and are a smaller and more active alternative to the standard guppy, which is sometimes a bit clumsier, and does not go as well with a higher flow and faster fish. As long as the tankmates are not large enough to view the endlers as food, you will typically see success with these fish, and quite often you will see them reproduce as well! These fish ship individually bagged.
Please Note: Live Animals delivered with UPS Next Day Air are 100% covered by our Dead-On-Arrival Guarantee Coverage as disclosed in our Terms & Conditions. Live Animals delivered with USPS Priority Mail are not covered by our Dead-On-Arrival Guarantee Coverage. For complete details, please read our Terms & Conditions prior to ordering.
