Endlers In 10G

[remdog]

I would appreciate some feedback on how many Endler Livebearers one can safely keep in a 10G tank without over-stressing the bio-load.

Cheers...

Rem

 

[OldMan47]

I would not hesitate to keep 10 or 15 in a tank that size but beware of their reproductive rate. A simple pair will overfill that tank in just 60 days or maybe a bit less.

 

[Mikaila31]

I'm not really sure what you mean by over stressing the bioload, but I would have a lot (willingly or unwillingly) .

 

[remdog]

I'm not really sure what you mean by over stressing the bioload, but I would have a lot (willingly or unwillingly) .

A ten gallon tank is a small tank. Endlers are smaller than guppies, but there is a limit to what a tank that size can support. I just don't want to be guilty of the "common" error of overstocking.

Cheers...

Rem

 

[OldMan47]

I would personally try stocking that pair that I mentioned Remdog. Endlers are quite prolific as this picture of one of my endler tanks shows.

It was taken at feeding time but, as you can clearly see, the adults were pretty much ignoring the fry. That means that most of the fry will survive to add to the population of that tank. I sell off a few dozen adults at least twice a year to help me control the population in that tank.

 

[remdog]

I would personally try stocking that pair that I mentioned Remdog. Endlers are quite prolific as this picture of one of my endler tanks shows.

Point well taken. However, I'm not really interested in breeding Endlers at this time, so I would probably just keep males. But...get this...I asked the same question that I posed here to a well known breeder on AquaBid---a breeder with a good rep who has been mentioned here---and she quite cavalierly told me that 50 or more in a 10G tank would be OK. I scratched my head after that one.

Cheers...

Rem

 

[OldMan47]

I keep from 2 to 3 per gallon in my tank. They seem to limit themselves to around that number by simply not having enough fry survive to exceed that number. At 5 per gallon, I would expect to see a poor survival rate at first until the numbers dropped down to 2 or 3 per gallon. I am also a breeder of registered wild type endlers. I find that commercial interests on the on-line web sites often can overcome reality. Endlers are self limiting in their numbers if you maintain a mixed tank and I suspect that higher numbers induced artificially by a fish keeper will result in a return to normal levels.

These guys are just too expensive to fully stock a tank through nothing but purchases, at least they are to me. I prefer to stock mixed sexes and simply remove the excess adults regularly to keep things prospering in my tanks.

 

[Mikaila31]

I had just over 100 fish in a 15 gallon . BTW oldman I want to live were you do, I can hardly get rid of mine. Even with one of the larger aquarium societies being local around here these fish are hard to get rid of. Shops won't always accept them. And that 15 gallon was completely emptied and all fish put into a ice cream pail and give to ONE guy for FREE cuz he was the only person that apparently wanted free endlers. I also wouldn't be surprised if he used alot of them for cichlid food. Currently I have about 2 dozen endlers in a 20 gallon with some other fish. I am pretty much done with these fish. I started with only 6 about 2 years ago and decided not to get any new ones. I net the fry weekly and toss them in the tank with the big fish this is the only way I have found to halt population growth.

 

[OldMan47]

They are prolific but they are also self limiting. If you never remove any fish, their numbers will stabilize at about 3 per gallon or maybe slightly more. It is the way I have maintained the numbers in my 20 gallon for a couple of years now. If you want to sell endlers at an auction, try picking out the nicest ones you have and sell either 2 pairs or a trio. For some reason, they sell much better like that than they do if I bag up 15 or 20 together. If I take those 20 and just bag the best pair, it will return more money at an auction.

 

[Jean cichlid lover]

I have been trying to find endlers and there are none to be found here in northeastern Pa. I have finally did what I thought I never would, I ordered them on linequestion is , has anyone here ever ordered fish on line?