[Teebo]

After asking the community about stocking my 10 gallon I have taken advice and have chosen guppies, specifically Endlers rather than larger Fancey tails. So I headed to my LFS and inquired on Endlers...they were a bit unsure and said if they had them to check their feeder fish tanks...

So I did and now I am confused...are Endlers feeder fish!? They are only $0.15 each!

90% or more of them in that tank looked like the larger one on the right without color...

Just a few looked like this! Is this an Endler??

 

[mistergreen]

Just as the label says, common guppies. They're also known as feeder guppies. I had them as a kid instead of the fancy guppies.

Endlers are slightly smaller then these and different coloring.

 

[Teebo]

Why are some colored? Are these what Endlers were bred from?

Will the tiny colored ones get as large as the non-colored ones?

I wonder if these would be happy in a 5 gallon tank like my grandmothers?

 

[mistergreen]

The big non colored ones are the females. They'll breed like rabbits.
You have males only in a tank. When you need babies, put a male and female together.

Endlers are from a specific place and evolved to be smaller and different coloring.

 

[Teebo]

So it is guaranteed to be a male if it is small and has color? Will the males fight?

 

[alcimedes]

Yes to the male part, no to the fighting. They're fun little fish.

 

[bigbadjon]

While those are probably fine there are a few guys on aquabid that sell premium line bred endlers. It may be worth the small premium of having them shipped.

 

[mistergreen]

Check your local mom&pop fish store. I see endlers once in a while. It saves shipping expense.

 

[bigbadjon]

He said he did check his local store. They showed him the feeder guppies in the original post. The local places generally won't stock premium wild type guppies. You gotta go to the source.

 

[Teebo]

I kind of like the idea of giving feeders a chance at a good life as a pet, I'm not that crazy person who 'saves' Betta fish from the store haha BUT...these males looks attractive enough to grab a few, I can always have a mini Guppy community with feeders and Endlers, etc.

 

[bigbadjon]

I was just pointing you in the direction of quality endlers. Regular guppies are pretty enough to please anyone for sure without the hassle of fancy types.

 

[Teebo]

Thank you

 

[Nordic]

lol, my guppies always ended up looking like that if I left them breeding among themselves for long enough.

I have to say the guppies in the shops a re big disapointment these days, compared to what they looked like when I was kid.

 

[Teebo]

The colored one or the plain silver??

 

[Diana]

Endlers are a separate species, Poecilia wingei. They can breed with Guppies (Poecilia reticulata).
Both species have been selectively bred to emphasize certain colors.
When they are hybridized the offspring are often speckled in a pattern called 'Snakeskin'.

Here is a link to one importer and breeder of Endlers.
SwampRiverAquatics.com

 

[R|M|D Photography]

I would say they are Endlers. They look almost identical to the pics on liveaquaria.

 

[Teebo]

Thank you Diana, always nice to hear from you! That site has a crazy almost overwhelming inventory to choose from haha. I guess color does not mean as much as them being as small as possible and as outgoing as possible.

I would say they are Endlers. They look almost identical to the pics on liveaquaria.

The male and female does look like an Endler, it is just nothing special such as a Green Cobra or Red Flame, etc. It is possible the same supplier was getting rid of undesirable Endlers in their stock and threw them in a shipment of feeders?

 

[Teebo]

Just a thought here...in something like a 10 gallon tank would Endlers get along with Boraras??