Can endlers thrive in low ph environments?

[oceanlover]

I've got a 23 gallon tank that's pretty heavily planted, it's home to 4 neon tetras, 5 corydoras, 3 otocinclus and 2 honey gouramis. The pH is 6, I'm thinking of adding some endlers, wondering if that'd work out.

[Emeraldsea]

Based on my experience, endlers should thrive in a pH of 6, similar to many short-finned guppies. They're found in both soft and hard water in their natural habitats. There are numerous livebearer species that do exceptionally well in soft water, dispelling the notion that all livebearers require hard water.

[TankWarrior]

I think livebearers can handle a lot, but acidic water isn't their thing. Endlers might not be the best choice for your tank, but if you're set on them, go for it.

[graye]

@Emeraldsea is the voice here for livebearer keeping expertise, but I also expect endler's would be okay. I've had some experience with livebearers in soft water, and I think they could adapt well.

Last summer in Gabon, Central Africa, I saw invasive guppies thriving in very soft water. They were introduced to eat mosquitoes in the 1960s, but were outcompeted by native fish outside of the cities. However, their tolerance for pollution allowed them to do well in the urban ditches.

Commercial Endler's are often crosses with short finned guppies, so they share similar needs. They really do adapt well to different water conditions. There are many softwater livebearer species that are often overlooked. The old info about livebearers not liking soft water is still out there, but it's not entirely accurate. There are cool softwater livebearers beyond the mostly North and Central American ones we see in box stores.

[Emeraldsea]

@Emeraldsea is the voice here for livebearer keeping expertise, but I also expect endler's would be okay. I've had some experience with livebearers in soft water, and I think they could adapt well.

Last summer in Gabon, Central Africa, I saw invasive guppies thriving in very soft water. They were introduced to eat mosquitoes in the 1960s, but were outcompeted by native fish outside of the cities. However, their tolerance for pollution allowed them to do well in the urban ditches.

Commercial Endler's are often crosses with short finned guppies, so they share similar needs. They really do adapt well to different water conditions. There are many softwater livebearer species that are often overlooked. The old info about livebearers not liking soft water is still out there, but it's not entirely accurate. There are cool softwater livebearers beyond the mostly North and Central American ones we see in box stores.

I've seen this time and time again - people clinging to outdated generalizations. It's refreshing to see others acknowledging the diversity of livebearer habitats. Wild guppies, for instance, thrive in both hard and soft waters. Similarly, short-finned mollies can be found in soft water environments, defying the notion that they strictly require hard water.

If we insist on keeping all livebearers in hard water, I'm convinced many would struggle to survive. It's essential we recognize that not all livebearer species demand hard water conditions. As serious aquarists, we should be mindful of our words, avoiding blanket statements that livebearers always require hard water, are perfect for beginners, easy to maintain, prolific, and exclusively tropical. The truth is, many livebearers contradict these assumptions.

[graye]

I think we're missing the point when we talk about livebearers - the term itself doesn't give us much to go on. I mean, we've even had a freshwater ray win a livebearer competition, and that's a whole different ball game. Livebearing has evolved independently in a bunch of unrelated groups, so it's not like we're dealing with a single, cohesive category.

You're not going to find those softwater livebearers at your local Petco, that's for sure. But if you start digging deeper, you'll find all sorts of interesting species. I'd love to see the kinds of livebearing fish that Dutch breeders are working with, Emeraldsea - I bet that's some fascinating stuff.

But to get back to the original question, we've got a fish that seems to adapt pretty well. Try the same thing with most molly species, though, and you'll see a very different story - shimmies and death, not exactly what you want to see. The thing is, we can't just generalize in this hobby - we need to do our research and not rely on rules of thumb.

[coltin]

@Emeraldsea, I'd love to see a breakdown of hard water vs soft water livebearers - do you have that info compiled somewhere, perhaps on your site at Emeraldsea-aquatics.com?

[Snout]

I've got a 23 gallon tank that's pretty heavily planted, it's home to 4 neon tetras, 5 corydoras, 3 otocinclus and 2 honey gouramis. The pH is 6, I'm thinking of adding some endlers, wondering if that'd work out.

What's your GH reading, that's a more crucial parameter to consider. Seriously Fish recommends a pH of 7-8.5 and a GH of 15-35 for Endler's Livebearers, which is on the hard to very hard side.

[oceanlover]

To better understand your water parameters, what's your GH reading? It's often considered more crucial than pH in determining water hardness. I came across an interesting article on Seriously Fish, which recommends a pH of 7-8.5 and a GH of 15-35 for Endler's Livebearers, suggesting they thrive in harder water.

[graye]

The general guideline for livebearers is that those from the Caribbean and the USA to Costa Rica tend to prefer hard water, mainly due to the limestone-rich terrain in those areas. However, this is an overgeneralization, as the proximity to the ocean can significantly impact the water conditions in their habitats. I recall receiving livebearers with limited information and having to research their habitats using maps and later, Google Earth.

My experience with Micropoecilia branneri, a guppy-like species, was quite unique. They were found in blackwater with no measurable hardness and a pH below 6, which is a far cry from the typical hard water conditions associated with livebearers. These fish were a side catch when collectors were targeting Apistogramma njisseni. Livebearers like Micropoecilia branneri are rarely exported due to their poor travel tolerance. If you're lucky enough to get your hands on them, be prepared for a challenge in keeping them thriving.

In general, mass-produced livebearers found in regular pet stores are likely to be hard water species. On the other hand, specialty stores or fish clubs may carry rare and unusual livebearers that will require more research and effort to care for.