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Whether you’re setting up an Endler only tank, or adding them to an existing aquarium, knowing the kind of environment Endlers prefer is important.

In their native habitat Endlers (Poecilia Wingei) aka Endlers livebearers/Endlers Guppy typically live in shady shallow streams. So the best tank setup for Endlers will include plants, pebbles, leaf debris and shady areas. Including these things will help you to replicate a more natural environment in the home aquarium.

I did quite a bit of research before adding Endlers to my existing community tank. I wanted to make sure that I could keep them happy and healthy.

This article is all about how to successfully ‘house’ Endlers. Either in a species only tank or a community aquarium. So if you’re planning to keep, or are already keeping Endlers, I’m sure that you’ll find this article helpful.

Tip: Decide how many Endlers you want before buying a tank. If you buy the tank first the size of the tank will dictate how many Endlers you can keep.

Choosing A Tank For Your Endlers

Endlers are a schooling fish which means that they prefer to live in groups. It’s best to keep at least 6 Endlers together as a minimum number. Once you’ve decided how many Endlers you will keep you can start looking for the right tank for them.

Because Endlers are a tiny fish, especially the males, you don’t have to have a large tank. Endlers can be kept in a Nano tank and are often kept in small tanks in children’s bedrooms, and even on an office desk.

However, they are a very active little fish and do need plenty of swim room. So it’s important that the tank provides enough space for them to constantly dart around and do their thing.

Even though you can keep Endlers in smaller aquariums it doesn’t mean that you are limited to a tiny tank if you want to keep them. If you want to keep a fair number of them, or you want to build up a community tank which includes Endlers, you can go large on the tank size.

To do this choose the biggest tank that your available space and budget will allow.

Tip: Endlers, like most livebearing fish, are prolific breeders. If you keep both males and females you will need to allow plenty of extra tank space to accommodate the regular influx of new arrivals. You also need to have at least a 1:2 male/female ratio to prevent the females becoming exhausted.

To find out more about how Endlers breed click here to read my article ‘How Do Endlers Breed?’.

So What Size Tank Do Endlers Need?

The size of tank you will need for your Endlers will depend on a few things. It’s best to take in the points below before buying your tank.

• The number of Endlers you want to keep
• The size of the Endlers when they are fully grown adults
• Spare litres/gallons for Endler fry when they arrive
• Whether your Endlers will share a tank with other fish, shrimp and/or snails

As you can see there are a few basic things to consider when choosing to keep Endlers. It’s impossible for me to tell you what size tank you should buy because I don’t know exactly what it is you have in mind.

My advice though is to make a plan taking all of the points on the list above into account. Then speak to your local Pet Store or Aquatic Dealer for some guidance on a suitable tank that will comfortably accommodate all of your planned inhabitants.

Note: It’s always better to understock than overstock a tank, particularly in a new tank setup. If you add too many fish at once you run the risk of an ammonia spike which can be fatal. This applies to both an Endler only tank and a community tank.

Tip: Endlers are known to jump out of the water and not just because something has spooked them. So when keeping Endlers it’s best to have a close fitting lid on the tank to avoid any losses.

What’s The Best Tank Layout For Endlers?

Endlers are a hardy little fish that can adapt to different tank layouts without too much trouble. But it’s always best to include at least some of the things found in their native environment. It will make them feel more at home.

I appreciate that keeping any fish in an aquarium setup is never going to be the same as their native environment. But that doesn’t mean that we can’t do our best to make their lives comfortable. If the fish are happier they’re less likely to suffer from stress and stress related illnesses.

A Good Tank Layout For Endlers Generally Includes:

• Plants including floating plants (preferably live ones but you use fake ones if you prefer)
• Rocks/Pebbles (link will take you to Amazon)
• Leaf Debris such as Catappa Leaves (Amazon Link) or Oak Leaves
• Substrate e.g. gravel (Amazon Link)

You can place the stuff in the tank in any way to choose to get the best effect. And if you use a combination of the things in the list above you’ll be able to create something that closely resembles the bed of a shallow stream.

You can also add pieces of Wood/Twigs (Amazon Link) and Alder Cones to create a more natural ‘bottom of the stream debris’ look. It all adds to the more natural feel of the tank.

Tip: Make sure that any wood, twigs, cones and leaves you use are aquarium safe. This is particularly important if you forage for them yourself. Any natural tank debris needs to be pest and pesticide free or you risk poisoning your fish.

Even if you’re trying to create a natural feel to your Endler tank it doesn’t mean that you can’t use other tank decorations too. My Endlers are in a community tank that has a combination of live and fake plants, Alder cones and leaf debris, and some tank ornaments.

I really like the overall effect and my Endlers are not bothered by my taste in tank decoration.

Do Endlers Need A Planted Tank?

A planted tank is important if you’re going to keep Endlers. Live plants help to keep the aquarium water healthy and provide places for fry to hide in. Although adult Endlers are an active fish that rarely hide, female Endlers often rest amongst the plants after giving birth.

Also Endlers look great darting around a planted tank. It really shows off their colours and agility.

I appreciate that not all fish keepers want to have live plants in their aquarium. So the good news is that you can use artificial/fake plants (Amazon Link) in your Endler tank.

If you’re going for artificial/fake plants for your tank it’s best to choose ones with softer, smooth edges. This will help to avoid damage to your Endlers as they dart energetically around the tank and amongst the plants. And fake plants can look great in an aquarium too.

Maybe you haven’t decided yet whether to go for live or artificial/fake plants for your Endler tank. Or, if you want live plants, you may be unsure which ones to go for.

I’ve got some suggestions for easy-care live plants that will help you to decide.

7 Easy-Care Aquarium Plants For An Endler Tank

• Java Moss (can be attached to wood/rocks/tank decorations)
• Java Fern (can be attached or planted)
• Water Wisteria (plant it in the substrate)
• Bacopa Family Plants (stem plants that need planting in the substrate)
• Hornwort (place in the substrate, attach to things or leave to float)
• Water Sprite Plants (can be planted or left to float)
• Red Root Floaters (floating fern plants with red roots)

There are a lot more easy-care aquarium plants to choose from. But the ones on the list above will give you a good starting point. Check them out online, at your local Pet Store or Aquatic Dealer to see which ones will help to create the effect you want in your Endler aquarium.

You may prefer to start off with all artificial/fake plants. But there may come a time when you want to experiment a little with some live ones. There’s nothing wrong with only having one or the other. Equally there’s nothing wrong with having a combination of both fake and live plants.

It’s a matter of personal choice.

Tip: When choosing a filter for your tank make sure it can cope with the tank’s water capacity and the number of fish you are keeping. Some types of fish are messier than others, so remember to take that into account too.

Do Endlers Need A Filter?

Even though Endlers are considered to be a tough little fish they do need good quality water to thrive in. The easiest way to ensure they have clean, toxin free water, is to install a filter in their tank. Regular water changes and tank maintenance are important too.

Which Type Of Filter Is Best For An Endler Tank?

Endlers prefer a slow to moderate filter flow. If they are constantly subjected to a high flow/current it can cause them to become stressed. Stress in Endlers, and also in other types of aquarium fish, can lead to a shortened lifespan and even illness. So a filter in an Endler tank needs to be on the gentler side.

A great filter for gentle to moderate flow is a Sponge Filter run by an air pump. Sponge filters come in different sizes and capacities so it’s important to choose the right size one for your aquarium.

Air pumps to run your sponge filter can vary too. You can get adjustable air pumps (Amazon Link) that allow you to speed up and/or slow down the flow to suit your Endlers. Which is a great help in getting the flow/current right. Again, you need one that’s suitable for your tank’s water capacity.

If you don’t want a sponge filter there are other types of filter to choose from.

Here’s Some Other Filter Options For Your Endler Tank

• Internal Box Filter – Internal Box Filters are often included as part of a tank starter kit. But you can buy them separately for your aquarium. Some use replaceable filter cartridges and others a simple sponge insert. They usually hang or sucker onto the inside of your fish tank.

• HOB (hang-on-the-back filter) – Just as it sounds this type of filter hangs on the back of the tank. The box part is outside of the tank and the intake tube is in the water. The box part is filled with filter media of different kinds which you can change to suit the needs of your fish. The filtered water is returned to the tank via a lip/spout creating a waterfall effect.

• External Filter – An external filtering system sits outside of the tank. It pumps the water out of the aquarium into a filtering unit. Then pumps it back in again once it’s been cleaned. And it does this on a regular cycle. However, unless you have a seriously large tank, or you have multiple tanks running off the same filtration system, you’re unlikely to go for this option.

Tip: Endlers are a really small fish and their fry are tiny at a maximum of 4mm (0.157 inches). So if the intake tube, or intake grid cover, is large enough to suck the fish/fry into the filter you’ll need to cover it. If it’s a tube intake you can put a filter sponge over the end. If it’s a grid cover you can use something like tights/pantyhose to cover the intake.

Do Endlers Need A Light?

While you could keep Endlers without a light it’s not advisable. And although it’s better to have a fairly subdued light in an Endler tank that doesn’t mean that they prefer to live in a dark environment. They do however, like to have dimmer areas in the tank that help to replicate the dappled shade of their native habitat.

You can create a dappled effect for your Endlers by having some floating plants in your aquarium. Just a few floating plants will do the trick because you don’t want to block out all of the light.

You also need to take any tankmates and other plant’s lighting needs into account. But you can find a happy medium by using floating plants to create a few shaded areas for your Endlers.

Even if your tank light is on the brighter side, but you would like to keep Endlers, adding a few plants to the top of your tank will help.

Another point in favour of lighting your Endler aquarium is that even a subdued light will show off the amazing metallic/neon colours of the male.

Do Endlers Need A Heater?

The ideal temperature for Endlers is debateable because opinions vary so much. Endlers are often kept in heated tropical fish tanks where they do well. However, they are also kept in temperate unheated indoor aquariums where they thrive too. This means that the temperature range for Endlers is wide, between 18-28 Degrees Celsius (64.4-82.4 Fahrenheit).

Endlers can also tolerate temperatures a little lower and a little higher than this for short periods of time.

Whether or not you need to use a heater in your Endler tank will depend on a few things.

Reasons For Heating An Endler Aquarium Include:

• If you keep Endlers with tropical fish that need a constant minimum temperature.
• If you live in a cold climate and your home is unheated for most of the day due to work and other commitments.
• If you keep your Endler tank in an unheated outhouse/shed/fish room etc.
• If your home heating system breaks down you may need to heat your tank temporarily until your home heating is fixed.

There could be other reasons why you might want to heat your Endler tank, even temporarily. But the points on the list above are the first ones that spring to mind.

I keep my Endlers in a temperate community tank. Because of where the tank is positioned it’s the warmest unheated tank in the house. It’s always at least 2 Degrees warmer than my coolest tank where my Ricefish live (article link to ‘The Best Tank Setup For Ricefish’). Which is fine for my Ricefish because they like things a little chilly.

I have to admit that I was a unsure at first about how my male Endlers would do even in my warmer tank (temperature range on average 17-27 Degrees Celsius/62.6-80.6 Fahrenheit depending on the season etc). But I’ve had them for some time now and they are doing really well. They’re extremely active, feed well, and their colours are amazing. Which are all good signs that they are thriving.

So whether your Endlers need a heater, or not, will come down to your personal circumstances and your own judgement.

What Kind Of Water Is Best For Endlers?

Although Endlers can adapt to different types of water without too much trouble, if you keep them in a freshwater aquarium they prefer harder water. Interestingly though, they can tolerate brackish (slightly salty) freshwater too. The tank water does need to be clean/filtered and free from toxins if your Endlers are going to thrive.

Tip: The water for an Endler aquarium needs to be treated on setup, and for all water changes, before it’s added to the tank. Use an aquarium water treatment product that neutralizes chlorine, chloramines, and other substances found in tap water that can be harmful to fish.

Two popular aquarium water treatment products are Prime by Seachem and API Tap Water Conditioner (links will take you to Amazon).

Tankmates For Endlers

The best tankmates for Endlers are other small non-aggressive fish, shrimp and snails. Because Endlers are a small fish, particularly the males, you need take care that their tank mates are not big enough to eat them. You also need to be sure that their tank mates are unlikely to eat the Endler fry if you’re actively planning to breed them.

If you are planning to breed your Endlers in a serious way then it’s probably best to have an Endler only tank. Endlers rarely eat their own fry so you’re unlikely to lose many that way. But there’s no guarantee when it comes to what tankmates might do.

If you would like a community tank, and you’re happy to just wait and see what happens naturally, I’ve got a few suggestions for Endler tankmates.

Here’s Some Of The Fish, Shrimp And Snails That Make Good Tankmates For Endlers

• Small Livebearers (e.g. Platy, Molly, Guppy – Note: Endlers and Guppies crossbreed. So if you want to keep a pure strain of Endlers or Guppies don’t keep them in the same tank).
• White Cloud Mountain Minnow (also Gold WCMM)
• Danio (smaller varieties such as Celestial Pearl)
• Chilli Rasbora (Nano size Rasbora with red colouring)
• Sparkling Gourami (aka Pygmy Gourami)
• Neon Tetra (Nano size Tetra with metallic blue and red colouring)
• Otocinclus (dwarf suckerfish)
• Pygmy Cory (dwarf Corydoras Catfish e.g. Bronze and Panda Cory)
• Cherry Shrimp (all colour varieties)
• Nerite Snail (all varieties)
• Rabbit Snail (aka Elephant Snail)

There are a lot more possible tankmates for your Endlers but the list above should give you a good staring point.

Note: If you’re keeping your Endlers in a temperate tank, rather than a heated ‘tropical’ tank, you’ll need to check the temperature requirements for any tankmates you want to add. Some freshwater aquarium inhabitants prefer things a little warmer, while others need it a little cooler.

Can I add Endlers To An Established Community Aquarium?

You can add Endlers to an established community aquarium as long as you take a few things into consideration. Firstly, the tank inhabitants need to non-aggressive. Secondly, your established tank inhabitants shouldn’t be big enough to eat your Endlers. Thirdly, your general tank environment needs to be one that Endlers can thrive in.

And, if you would like your Endler population to increase in a community aquarium, you need to supply the fry with plenty of hiding places. If you cover all these points you’re likely to find that your Endlers thrive and increase in number over time.

The Takeaway

I realise that in this article I’ve given you lots of information about the Best Tank Setup for Endlers. So I thought it was a good idea to create a short list of the main points.

Here’s The Takeaway

• Buy a tank big enough for the amount of Endlers you want to keep and allow room for fry
• Use plants, rocks, leaf debris etc to create a more natural environment
• Filter the tank with slow to moderate flow and keep the water clean/oxygenated
• Light the tank during the day but create ‘dappled’ areas of shade
• If you keep your Endlers in an unheated tank don’t let them get too cold
• Choose tankmates carefully