Endlers

[Mikaila31]

I bought 2 trios of Black bar endlers from an auction about a month ago. I've already got about 30 fry from them, I'm wondering how soon can you tell the sex on fry. I'd like to move all the males to a different tank to avoid more breeding.

Also I have a friend who wants a fish for her dorm room, I suggested a 2 gal betta tank. Yet I find bettas pretty boring fish and I was thinking maybe a tank with a couple male endlers? I'm not too sure on the stocking of these guys, but would 4 be OK in a 3 gal tank? Would they be ok at 74* too instead of 78*?

 

[Truck]

if i remeber correctly they are not sexually mature till 3 months old.

 

[susankat]

They will be sexable anywhere from 2 to 3 months. Problem being is that they can breed in as little as 2 months old. For your friends tank its possible to add 4 to 8 males, as long as its only males. Temp fine as long as its within the limits of 74 +. At this lower temp the fish will mature at a slower rate.

 

[Truck]

i think 4-8 is a bit excessive for a 3 gallon tank, what are we talking us or uk gallons

for 3 us gallons id say 2 or 3

for a 3 uk gallon tank id say 4 MAX

 

[susankat]

A true male endler is very small and if the tank is kept up in maint. it is possible to have that many in it. I have over 300 in my 75 gal right now along with some other fish and as long as the maint. is kept up there isn't any problems.

 

[Truck]

yes but think about space for the fish they are a very active species, and in such a small tank water paremters are much harder to maintain.

 

[susankat]

With it being all male, they will be less active. Any small tank like that is going to be hard to maintain. If they go this route even with just 4 males in it you would still have to do water changes at least 3 times a week to maintain it.

 

[helterskelter]

the first signs is the thickening of the gonopodium then a little colour starts to show.

From around 2-4 months of age, what i do is remove the males into a small tank to mature it's 18"x12x12 and holds 10+ fish fine with weekly water change
You can house fish in very little water as long as you do water changes and give filtration.

 

[Truck]

i still wouldnt for the fishes well being

 

[OldMan47]

In most of my tanks, I would not allow the kind of crowding that Susankat talks about but my 45 gallon endler tank is just as heavily populated as she suggests. It is a level that endlers will achieve themselves very quickly, with or without our concurrence. If there is any space left in a tank, they fill it right up. When they reach a level like Susan suggests, they seem to slow the population explosion somewhat. I have found the fastest way for me to have more endlers than I know what to do with is to sell off all the adults.

 

[susankat]

I agree with you oldman, and as saying we aren't talking about any fish, were talking endlers. And they will fill up a tank fast then quit multiplying. The endlers themselves seem to know when to much is to much. And with the bio load of that few endlers a small tank shouldn't be to hard to maintain.