Endlers

[westonsupermanc]

I have just purchased my first pair of Endlers and the male is active but the female seems to hide away for days then suddenly appears from nowhere is this normal?

 

[GetItSahn]

don't know much about endlers but I thought they were similar to guppies and I know guppies do better when a 2-1 or 3-1 female to male ratio is in place to prevent her from being harassed. I could be wrong though, maybe Endler's just pair up 

 

[westonsupermanc]

You are right but all of my local stores only sell them in pairs

 

[GetItSahn]

Then my guess is she is constantly being harassed, I have had some livebearers die from being chased too much

 

[bluesword23516]

They shouldn't do that. Like guppies, endlers need at least two females for every male, but it is best to have three females to a male. Talk to them about it. And it can be stress from the male harassing her that causes her to hide. Maybe turn the light off for a couple of days and also get another tank mate for them if they are alone.

 

[fish48]

endlers and guppies are basically the same fish when keeping a single pair the male will often harass the female
it helps to have plenty hiding places. As mentioned they can be kept  1 male.to 2 females When kept in pairs it is best
 to have a  group of at least 3 -4 pairs

 

[eaglesaquarium]

The reason for the above, is that a lone male has nothing to do other than to chase the female.
 
WIth 3-4 pairs, you'll have a group of males who will have to spend a good amount of time sparing, displaying and demonstrating to each other which gives the females a break from being harassed constantly.

 

[westonsupermanc]

Thank you all guess I will be getting a few more pairs as they are cute little fish to observe

 

[Alexmtl]

I have Class N Orchid Endlers and I have been breeding rare livebearers for a time now. Yes, it is true that males will harass the females and I see this even with males of different species harrassing females of another. In general, livebearers should have plant or some type of cover, so it is not surprising that the female seems a bit reclusive. Specific to endlers, they are not shy creatures. However they are distinctly different from guppies.
 
It is important to understand the difference between guppy as a "body type" vs the true guppy (Poecila reticulata). Many aquarists will confuse mosquitofish, mollies and limia as "guppies". This is understandable as the body type is similar. If you have true bred Endler hybrids (ie Class N or Poecilia wingei) then they will be 3/4 the size of guppies and the males will be very different than the guppy show breeds. If you have a hybrid (ie cross between guppy and endler) then any characteristic of either species could be exhibited.
 
In the end, these are cute little fish with some amazing colours. If you enjoy them, who cares whether they are guppies or true endlers. I would however add some floating plants so that the female has cover to feel more at home and seek refuge from the attention seeking male. You may wish to also introduce females of other species, like platies or guppies, as the male will then have more distractions. 

 

[*pete*]

 
 
In the end, these are cute little fish with some amazing colours. If you enjoy them, who cares whether they are guppies or true endlers.

 
  

 

[westonsupermanc]

Thanks I have added 2 more females and put them in with 3 guppies and several platys and they all seem to get along fine. Thanks for the tips