TankStockingEndler's Livebearer Tank Mates
Endler's livebearers are tiny, dazzling, peaceful cousins of the guppy — ideal for small planted communities.
Smaller and arguably more colourful than fancy guppies, Endlers are peaceful, hardy and easy to stock around. They interbreed freely with guppies and breed prolifically among themselves, so plan for population growth. The engine clears them against most peaceful nano and community fish.
Endler's Livebearer key facts
The sourced figures the engine uses to judge Endler's Livebearer pairings.
| Adult size | 3 cm |
|---|---|
| Minimum tank | 10 US gal |
| Minimum group | 3+ (pair/group) |
| Temperament | Peaceful |
| Temperature range | 22–28°C |
| pH range | 7–8.5 |
| Bioload | Low |
| Swim level | All levels |
| Beginner-friendly | Yes |
Sources & confidence (11 species)
These back the Endler's Livebearer figures and the recommended tank mates above. Each figure is read from the TankStocking species database (v2026.06); below is the care reference behind it and how confident we are in that data. Confidence reflects the source quality, not whether any pairing is safe. Full source list and the welfare model are on the methodology page.
- Endler's Livebearer Poecilia wingei — Aquarium Co-Op Endler's care guide / The Aquarium Wiki (Poecilia wingei) high confidence
- Amano Shrimp Caridina multidentata — Aquarium Co-Op amano shrimp care; Aquadiction high confidence
- Assassin Snail Clea helena (Anentome helena) — The Shrimp Farm (theshrimpfarm.com/posts/assassin-snail-care) high confidence
- Black Neon Tetra Hyphessobrycon herbertaxelrodi — Seriously Fish / Aqua-Fish (Hyphessobrycon herbertaxelrodi) high confidence
- Black Phantom Tetra Hyphessobrycon megalopterus — Seriously Fish (Hyphessobrycon megalopterus) high confidence
- Bleeding Heart Tetra Hyphessobrycon erythrostigma — Seriously Fish (Hyphessobrycon erythrostigma) high confidence
- Cardinal Tetra Paracheirodon axelrodi — Seriously Fish (seriouslyfish.com/species/paracheirodon-axelrodi) high confidence
- Celestial Pearl Danio Celestichthys margaritatus — Seriously Fish (seriouslyfish.com/species/celestichthys-margaritatus) high confidence
- Checker Barb Oliotius oligolepis — Seriously Fish — Oliotius oligolepis (https://www.seriouslyfish.com/species/oliotius-oligolepis/) high confidence
- Cherry Barb Puntius titteya — Seriously Fish (Puntius titteya) seriouslyfish.com/species/puntius-titteya high confidence
- Cherry Shrimp Neocaridina davidi — Aquarium Co-Op cherry shrimp care; The Shrimp Farm high confidence
Your tank
no size setPick a common size, or enter your own dimensions.
Add fish & invertebrates
Search 126 freshwater species by name or group.
Verdict
Top Endler's Livebearer tank mates
A ranked shortlist: the species the engine clears with Endler's Livebearer and that suit its size and temperament best — tap a name for its care guide, or use + Add to test the pairing in the planner.
| Species | Adult size | Temp range | Min group | Swim level | Why it works | Plan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amano Shrimp | 5 cm | 18–27°C | 3+ (pair/group) | All levels | peacefulsize-safebeginner-friendlyPeaceful temperament, similar adult size | + Add |
| Assassin Snail | 2 cm | 18–25°C | 1 | Bottom | peacefulsize-safebeginner-friendlyPeaceful temperament, similar adult size | + Add |
| Black Neon Tetra | 3.5 cm | 23–27°C | 6+ (shoal) | Midwater | peacefulsize-safebeginner-friendlyPeaceful temperament, similar adult size | + Add |
| Black Phantom Tetra | 3.6 cm | 20–28°C | 6+ (shoal) | Midwater | peacefulsize-safebeginner-friendlyPeaceful temperament, similar adult size | + Add |
| Bleeding Heart Tetra | 6 cm | 21–28°C | 8+ (shoal) | Midwater | peacefulsize-safebeginner-friendlyPeaceful temperament, similar adult size | + Add |
| Cardinal Tetra | 3 cm | 23–29°C | 6+ (shoal) | Midwater | peacefulsize-safebeginner-friendlyPeaceful temperament, similar adult size | + Add |
| Celestial Pearl Danio | 2.1 cm | 20–26°C | 8+ (shoal) | Midwater | peacefulsize-safebeginner-friendlyPeaceful temperament, similar adult size | + Add |
| Checker Barb | 5 cm | 20–25°C | 6+ (shoal) | Midwater | peacefulsize-safebeginner-friendlyPeaceful temperament, similar adult size | + Add |
| Cherry Barb | 5 cm | 23–27°C | 6+ (shoal) | Midwater | peacefulsize-safebeginner-friendlyPeaceful temperament, similar adult size | + Add |
| Cherry Shrimp | 3 cm | 18–28°C | 6+ (pair/group) | All levels | peacefulsize-safebeginner-friendlyPeaceful temperament, similar adult size | + Add |
No tank mates match these filters — try removing one.
Other engine-cleared options (not necessarily ideal)
These clear TankStocking's hard welfare checks with Endler's Livebearer, but are larger, bolder, or otherwise less ideal than the shortlist above — read up before committing.
Anabantoids (Bettas/Gouramis)
Corydoras
Invertebrates
Livebearers
Loaches
Oddball
Plecos & Catfish
Rasboras
Possible with care
These can work, but the engine flags something to watch — read the reason before you commit.
- Betta (Siamese Fighting Fish) — Territorial
- Paradise Fish — Aggression
- Cockatoo Dwarf Cichlid (Apisto Cacatuoides) — Territorial
- Kribensis (Rainbow Krib) — Territorial
Best avoided
A hard welfare check fires for each of these — don't mix them with Endler's Livebearer.
- Chocolate Gourami — Species-only fish
- Kissing Gourami — Predation risk
- Licorice Gourami — Species-only fish
- Snakeskin Gourami — Predation risk
- Three-spot (Blue/Opaline/Gold) Gourami — Predation risk
- Bala Shark — Predation risk
- Denison Barb (Roseline Shark) — Predation risk
- Rosy Barb — Predation risk
- Tinfoil Barb — Predation risk
- Convict Cichlid — Predation risk, Aggression
- Discus — Temperature clash
- Electric Blue Acara — Predation risk
- Firemouth Cichlid — Predation risk, Territorial
- Freshwater Angelfish — Predation risk
Keeping Endler's Livebearer well: the detail
Beyond the table — the behaviour, the parameters that actually move the needle, and the mistakes that cost fish. Hobbyist context, not a verdict; the planner above is what judges your plan.
Water parameters in practice
Endlers want hard, alkaline water (GH 10–25 dGH, pH 7–8.5), the same hard-water preference as their guppy cousins, at 22–28 °C. They are hardy and undemanding once that hardness is met. As with all livebearers, stable clean water matters more than any fine-tuning.
Why Endler's Livebearer behaves the way it does
Endlers are a tiny, intensely-coloured livebearer from the hard coastal waters of Venezuela, more delicate-looking but no less prolific than the fancy guppy. They are fast, busy, peaceful fish that occupy every level of a small tank. Reproduction is constant — a few fish become a colony quickly.
Common Endler's Livebearer stocking mistakes
The first mistake is mixing them with guppies if you care about pure strains: they interbreed freely and the line is lost in a generation. The second is no plan for the population, which booms. The third is pairing these tiny, gentle fish with anything large or boisterous that out-competes or eats them.
Early signs something is wrong
A clamped, shimmying Endler, faded colour, or a fish hanging at the surface points to soft water, a chill, or a quality slip — they are hardy, so visible stress means a basic parameter is off. Quarantine new stock; small livebearers can import disease. A healthy colony is a flicker of constant, colourful motion.
How tank size changes the answer
Their tiny size suits a planted 10-gallon, but the breeding fills it fast, so keep one sex or be ready to rehome. More water mostly means a bigger colony and steadier quality. Pair them only with small, peaceful tankmates and shrimp.
Endler's Livebearer community ideas
Each build is scored by the same engine as the planner — tap one to load it.
Endler's nano community
✓ Good starter plan6× Endler's Livebearer, 8× Cherry Shrimp
Tiny, jewel-toned livebearers over a shrimp colony — a vibrant planted 10-gallon.
Load this build in the planner ↑Endler's + cory
✓ Good starter plan8× Endler's Livebearer, 6× Pygmy Corydoras
A small livebearer group with pygmy cories — both nano, both peaceful.
Load this build in the planner ↑Common questions
What fish can live with Endler's livebearers?
Small, peaceful community fish: pygmy corydoras, ember and neon tetras, small rasboras, and shrimp. Endlers are tiny and gentle, so keep tankmates calm and similarly sized.
Will Endler's livebearers breed with guppies?
Yes — they interbreed readily, producing hybrids. Keep them apart if you want to maintain pure Endler's strains.
Do Endler's livebearers need a big tank?
No — their small size suits a 10-gallon, but they breed quickly, so either keep one sex or be ready to rehome the offspring.
More on Endler's Livebearer
Related guides on TankStocking — each scored by the same welfare engine as the planner.
Care guides
Compatibility checks
Browse all fish
Compatibility is a planning estimate: individual temperament, tank layout, and group sizes all matter. Cycle the tank, add fish gradually, and watch how they behave. See the methodology or browse the full freshwater fish list.