THE
CAUSE,INC
CAUSE,INC
The JEWELS of the AQUARIUM
(Endler Livebearer)
by:WILMA DUNCAN
(Endler Livebearer)
by:WILMA DUNCAN
Introduction:This article is dedicated to a friend of mine who passed away early
one morning as she sat watching her tank of beloved Endler Livebearers
Someday ! I told myself, I would have a few of these Jewels. My dream finally came true,
thanks to a fellow hobbyist named James. I can still remember the surprise as I opened
the styrofoam box and inside the fish bag were my precious Jewels. After getting them
acclimated to my tank water, I placed them in a 10 gallon planted aquarium. Soon those
beautiful orange, black, neon green, and red colors sparkled as they cruised around their
new home.
Thanks to a few dedicated hobbyists who managed to keep this strain pure, by not mixing
with gupplies, the Endler is finding it's way into the hearts and homes of other hobbyists.
Their name was derived from Prof. John A. Endler, who collected this little Jewel in 1975
in Laguna de Patos, Cumana, Northereastern Venezuela.
The males reach a size of just under an inch and are lively characters, especially as they
display themselves to the females during courtship. The females are never as colorful as
the males and display a golden sheen. They produce live fry and will eat their young if
given the opportunity. I keep mine in heavily planted tanks. I use Java Moss, Crypts,
Amazon Swords and lots of floating plants such as Hornwort, Anacharis, and Water Sprite.
Endlers are not bad tempered and I have never had them harass other tank mates. I
have kept young Corydorus fry with them and Platys. Endlers enjoy picking algae from
plants and will eat flake food. I feed mine every other day live brine shrimp along with a
variety of flake foods. The fry grow extremely fast and males begin coloring around 20
days and are soon capable of breeding. When purchasing Endlers, choose in trios of 1
male and 2 females for each trio. This gives you 2 males and 4 females, a great group to
begin a breeding program. Soon, you have lots of little Jewels in your tank. As with other
livebearers, their lifespan is not long, anywhere from 1 to 2 years.
Three years have passed since I was presented with my Jewels. I have never grown
tired of these fascinating jewels of the aquarium. It seems every time I sit in front of their
tank, I observe another sparkling Jewel I had not seen before.
If you choose to keep such a wonderful fish, beware there are many who are selling
Endlers that are not true Endlers, but a cross between the Endler and guppies. True,
this produces many wonderful varieties, but somehow, it is saddening to see such
beautiful jewels become flawed.
one morning as she sat watching her tank of beloved Endler Livebearers
Someday ! I told myself, I would have a few of these Jewels. My dream finally came true,
thanks to a fellow hobbyist named James. I can still remember the surprise as I opened
the styrofoam box and inside the fish bag were my precious Jewels. After getting them
acclimated to my tank water, I placed them in a 10 gallon planted aquarium. Soon those
beautiful orange, black, neon green, and red colors sparkled as they cruised around their
new home.
Thanks to a few dedicated hobbyists who managed to keep this strain pure, by not mixing
with gupplies, the Endler is finding it's way into the hearts and homes of other hobbyists.
Their name was derived from Prof. John A. Endler, who collected this little Jewel in 1975
in Laguna de Patos, Cumana, Northereastern Venezuela.
The males reach a size of just under an inch and are lively characters, especially as they
display themselves to the females during courtship. The females are never as colorful as
the males and display a golden sheen. They produce live fry and will eat their young if
given the opportunity. I keep mine in heavily planted tanks. I use Java Moss, Crypts,
Amazon Swords and lots of floating plants such as Hornwort, Anacharis, and Water Sprite.
Endlers are not bad tempered and I have never had them harass other tank mates. I
have kept young Corydorus fry with them and Platys. Endlers enjoy picking algae from
plants and will eat flake food. I feed mine every other day live brine shrimp along with a
variety of flake foods. The fry grow extremely fast and males begin coloring around 20
days and are soon capable of breeding. When purchasing Endlers, choose in trios of 1
male and 2 females for each trio. This gives you 2 males and 4 females, a great group to
begin a breeding program. Soon, you have lots of little Jewels in your tank. As with other
livebearers, their lifespan is not long, anywhere from 1 to 2 years.
Three years have passed since I was presented with my Jewels. I have never grown
tired of these fascinating jewels of the aquarium. It seems every time I sit in front of their
tank, I observe another sparkling Jewel I had not seen before.
If you choose to keep such a wonderful fish, beware there are many who are selling
Endlers that are not true Endlers, but a cross between the Endler and guppies. True,
this produces many wonderful varieties, but somehow, it is saddening to see such
beautiful jewels become flawed.
EDUCATIONAL WARNING: Non-native specie are NOT to be released into our native
streams or waterways. Please keep your fish from becoming bad fish by not releasing them
into the wild.
streams or waterways. Please keep your fish from becoming bad fish by not releasing them
into the wild.
EMAIL: thecause.cause@yahoo.com
Copyright @ 2007 WD
