Endler tank planning

[elephantnose3334]

I have decided to plan an Endler's livebearer Fluval Curve 87 litre tank for myself or for a local high school. The tank will be jungle themed, the livestock will be tiger, silverado and opal endlers with a ratio of one male to two. What live plants should be used with endlers? What is the best driftwood for an endler? Should I use a separate, smaller tank to raise fry? What tankmates (except neon tetras, just because) do endlers go with?

 

[Endlersendlers]

I’m not an expert but will speak purely on my own experience. First I want to ask what are you planning to do with the offspring? One female can have hundreds of offspring after one encounter with a male. If you mix 3 types you will not have 3 types of offspring but you will have “mutts” and you cannot tell the females apart from each other to separate the types should you change your mind on that. She also stores milt from every male she “encounters” for several months and will continue to have a variety of offspring. Consider an all male tank unless you have a plan for thousands of offspring. The adults don’t eat the fry like guppies do, although some older females will but this won’t have much effect. You can use a separate tank for fry but as they age they’re going back in the main tank, replaced by new fry, and you’ll have overcrowding soon enough. Most LFS don’t want the females because they can’t sell them, as they are not interesting to look at. Many do not want mutts at all, even for free. Enough on that…

I use mostly guppy grass, which they like and nibble on although they don’t usually eat it if they’re getting enough regular food. I also have Anubis, Christmas moss and water sprite. They prefer a more basic tank, ph between 7 and 8, although they can tolerate a wider range. I use cichlid substrate in most tanks as the higher pH also contributes to more male offspring (more colors and which slows the population explosion just a little). I remove a lot of males to a bachelor tank so the females are not getting harassed to death (literally). Most woods lower pH so I use rocks unless I want to bring it down a little. I sometimes use cholla wood but it does lower pH and then I have to remove it. Someone else may know of woods that won’t lower pH. Maybe petrified? This is one tank where some limestone is ok. I would not use any soil or peat in this tank (they are acidic). Crushed coral is ok depending on the needs of the tank mates. It could be too rough for any substrate feeders.

Tank mates- I have Cherry barbs, harlequin and pork chop rasboras, neon and Cardinal tetras, otocinclus, and mystery and nerite snails. I remove the mystery snails egg sacs that they lay above the water line or they would overrun the tank. The nerites will not reproduce in a freshwater tank. One betta is ok but when it gets overcrowded it would be stressed and outcompeted for food.

I have one bachelor/community tank (out of 5) with these other tank mates. The Tamil mates are calmer and can be stressed by the hyperactivity of endlers, but these have gotten used to them and don’t get caught up in the drama.

Hope that helps.

 

[emeraldking]

Endlers don't really care what kind of plants you'll use. There aren't also typical plants they need.
Choose tank mates that are friendly. Besides hard water, endlers and endler hybrids will also do well in softer water. Which makes them good tank mates with a wider range of fish.