Fantail Guppy
Poecilia reticulata var. "Fantail"
- Care level
- Beginner
- Adult size
- 3–6 cm
- Minimum tank
- 40 litres
- Temperature
- 17–28 °C
Species profile
Endler’s Livebearer
Poecilia wingei
Common names: Endler's Livebearer, Endler Guppy, Endlers
Recognized speciesGuppies
Adult size
Up to 2.5 cm
Typical adult length 2–2.5 cm.
Up to 2.5 cm
Countries of origin
Good fit for your tank?
Good fit for
- A small planted aquarium with hard water
- A species-only tank that will soon be full of fry
- A home with dwarf shrimp
Think carefully if
- You keep guppies and want to avoid hybrids
- Your tankmates are larger or boisterous
- Your water is soft and acidic
A tiny, brightly marked relative of the guppy from Venezuelan lagoons. It suits small hard-water aquariums, breeds frequently, and readily hybridises with guppies.
Appearance and Identification
Males are tiny with vivid neon orange, green, and black patterns, often with a sword-like black edge on the tail. Females are larger and plain silver-green.
Many fish sold as Endler's are hybrids with guppies. A true fish stays very small with a short tail, so ask for the fish's line when buying if purity matters to you.
Males are smaller and much more colourful, with a gonopodium. Females are plumper and almost always gravid.
Tank Requirements
- Suggested filter
- About 80–120 litres an hour
- Suggested heater
- About 50–75 W for this tank
- Minimum tank volume
- 40 litres
- Minimum tank length
- 45 cm
- Minimum group size
- 3
- Recommended group size
- 6
- Activity level
- Active
- Flow preference
- Low
- Planting preference
- Heavily planted
- Hiding places
- Yes
- Lid recommended
- Yes
- Jumping risk
- Moderate
Dense plants, floating cover, and a sponge filter suit this small fish and protect its fry. Guard filter intakes so very small fry are not pulled in.
Behaviour and Tankmates
Active and peaceful. Males display to females constantly, and to each other without harm.
Keep several females per male. Males are peaceful toward each other, though females can be mildly territorial.
Males are not territorial, although females may hold small spaces.
Best in a species tank or with very small, peaceful fish that like hard water. Adult dwarf shrimp are generally safe. Avoid guppies if you want to keep the line pure.
Water Parameters
Warm, hard, alkaline water suits this species best. Keep nitrate low, because small tanks can fill with fry quickly.
Parameter caveat
Keep the water hard and alkaline. Soft, acidic water is a common cause of poor health in livebearers.
Feeding
- Diet types
- Algae Grazer, Omnivore
- Feeding frequency
- Once or twice daily
- Preferred foods
- Spirulina or vegetable flakeThese fish graze naturally, so plant matter should be a regular part of the diet.
- Small granules or quality flakeUse as the daily staple and keep portions small, because they will overeat.
- Frozen or live daphnia and brine shrimpOffer a few times a week. Daphnia also helps prevent constipation.
An omnivore that needs very small food and enjoys algae and plant matter.
Crush food finely because the mouth of this fish is very small.
Breeding
- Breeding type
- Livebearer
- Breeding difficulty
- Very easy
- Brood or egg count
- 5 to 25 live young per brood
- Parental care
- None
- Baby foods
- Newly hatched brine shrimpLivebearer fry are born large enough to take this straight away, and it gives the fastest growth.
- Finely crushed flakeEasy and widely accepted. Feed small amounts several times a day.
- MicrowormsUseful for the smallest fry and for those feeding near the floor of the tank.
A highly prolific livebearer. Broods arrive every 23 to 24 days, with 5 to 25 fry each. Move a gravid female to a separate tank or provide dense plants to protect the fry. Fry accept brine shrimp nauplii or powdered flake right away.
Habitat and Origin
- Geographic origin
- Captive Bred, South America, Venezuela
- Natural habitat
- Freshwater Wetland, Pond, Vegetated Shoreline
- Aquarium contexts
- Breeding Aquarium, Nano Aquarium, Planted Aquarium, Species-Only Aquarium
- Audience level
- Beginner
Classification
- Profile type
- Recognized species
- Genus
- Poecilia
- Family
- Poeciliidae
- Species group
- Fish, Guppies, Livebearers
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Flag Tail Guppy
Poecilia reticulata var. "Flag Tail"
- Care level
- Beginner
- Adult size
- 3–6 cm
- Minimum tank
- 40 litres
- Temperature
- 17–28 °C
Full Black Guppy
Poecilia reticulata var. "Full Black"
- Care level
- Beginner
- Adult size
- 3–6 cm
- Minimum tank
- 40 litres
- Temperature
- 17–28 °C
Full Red Guppy
Poecilia reticulata var. "Full Red"
- Care level
- Beginner
- Adult size
- 3–6 cm
- Minimum tank
- 40 litres
- Temperature
- 17–28 °C