Endler'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.

Key facts — Endler's Livebearer (Poecilia wingei)
Adult size3 cm
Minimum tank10 US gal
Minimum group3+ (pair/group)
TemperamentPeaceful
Temperature range22–28°C
pH range7–8.5
BioloadLow
Swim levelAll levels
Beginner-friendlyYes
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
Tank & group guidance: Keep a group in a 10-gallon tank or larger. Keep one sex (or expect a booming colony), and avoid mixing with guppies if you want pure Endlers. The planner below is pre-set to 10 gallons — add your real list to test it.

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      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 any to load the exact pairing in the planner.

      Top Endler's Livebearer tank mates — engine-cleared, ranked by size & temperament fit
      SpeciesAdult sizeTemp rangeMin groupSwim levelWhy it works
      Amano Shrimp 5 cm 18–27°C 3+ (pair/group) All levels Peaceful temperament, similar adult size
      Assassin Snail 2 cm 18–25°C 1 Bottom Peaceful temperament, similar adult size
      Black Neon Tetra 3.5 cm 23–27°C 6+ (shoal) Midwater Peaceful temperament, similar adult size
      Black Phantom Tetra 3.6 cm 20–28°C 6+ (shoal) Midwater Peaceful temperament, similar adult size
      Bleeding Heart Tetra 6 cm 21–28°C 8+ (shoal) Midwater Peaceful temperament, similar adult size
      Cardinal Tetra 3 cm 23–29°C 6+ (shoal) Midwater Peaceful temperament, similar adult size
      Celestial Pearl Danio 2.1 cm 20–26°C 8+ (shoal) Midwater Peaceful temperament, similar adult size
      Checker Barb 5 cm 20–25°C 6+ (shoal) Midwater Peaceful temperament, similar adult size
      Cherry Barb 5 cm 23–27°C 6+ (shoal) Midwater Peaceful temperament, similar adult size
      Cherry Shrimp 3 cm 18–28°C 6+ (pair/group) All levels Peaceful temperament, similar adult size

      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.

      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

      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 plan

      6× 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 plan

      8× 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.

      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.