Ginga Rubra Endler Guppy (Poecilia endler)

Choose a small social livebearer with a population plan

The Ginga Rubra Endler Guppy (Poecilia endler) is a small freshwater livebearer in the Poeciliidae family from Venezuela’s Campoma and Buena Vista lagoon systems. Plan for an adult size of 3 cm standard length. This active, social fish suits a prepared beginner who can maintain a mature filtered aquarium, keep a planned group and respond if breeding or persistent pursuit changes the population.

FishBase now lists it as Poecilia wingei. The Ginga Rubra wording is a trade-form name, so use the scientific identity and care needs rather than colour alone when planning its aquarium.

Keep the aquarium at 24–28°C, pH 7–8 and 15–18 dGH. These values are the overlap between the Seriously Fish species profile and OATA’s guppy-and-molly sheet. OATA’s figures are broad group guidance rather than a species-specific optimum. Maintain zero detectable ammonia and nitrite, and keep nitrate no more than 20 mg/L above its normal tap-water level.

Use the adult plan from the beginning

Start with a mature aquarium of at least 45 litres and 60 cm in length. The greater length is our conservative house screen for an adult group because litres alone do not describe swimming room, sight breaks, filter capacity, other occupants or future fry. Keep five or more where aquarium capacity and the sex plan allow, while monitoring whether every fish can feed and move away from pursuit.

Our complete Endler Guppy Care Guide explains the identity, social and population decisions in more depth. Small adult size does not make a bowl, vase or uncycled aquarium suitable.

Decide whether the care plan fits your aquarium

This fish earns its easy store care rating only in a prepared setup. Routine work remains essential: mature biological filtration, measured water chemistry, a suitably sized complete food, weekly tests and a plan for social pressure or fry. A new keeper can meet those needs, but an uncycled aquarium cannot.

Use behaviour to check the plan

Watch the entire group at feeding time. Each fish should be able to approach food, swim normally and move away from another fish without remaining cornered. Persistent hiding, missed meals, damaged fins or repeated pursuit calls for more space, better sight breaks or separation; adding another animal is not the automatic answer.

Population planning matters because this is a livebearer. A mixed-sex group may reproduce readily, while a single-sex plan depends on accurate sexing and still requires observation for social competition. Prepare mature spare accommodation before it is needed rather than relying on an uncycled container during a problem.

Understand the animal and unit you receive

One purchase supplies one live Ginga Rubra Endler Guppy. The dispatch grade is 2–3 cm; this is the size at dispatch, not a promise that the fish has reached its adult length or a basis for inferring sex or life stage. Plan the permanent aquarium around the 3 cm adult figure and the needs of the complete group.

Sex is guaranteed only when the selected option explicitly states male or female. This Ginga Rubra Endler Guppy listing has no sex-guaranteed option.

Treat the form name as an appearance label

Ginga Rubra identifies the traded form, but colour and pattern do not establish a pure locality line or complete ancestry. If preserving a traceable Endler line matters, keep it apart from common guppies and known hybrids, retain lineage details for future offspring and do not classify young fish by colour alone.

The purchase unit is separate from the social recommendation. Buying one animal does not change the house plan of five or more where aquarium capacity and population planning allow. Count all existing occupants, reserve space for each social group and include possible fry before deciding the final number.

Plan the aquarium around the adult size

Use 3 cm standard length as the adult planning figure. The original species description reports females up to 30.4 mm standard length in a separate stream sample, rounded here to 3 cm. FishBase lists a smaller 2 cm maximum, while Seriously Fish and OATA use about 2.5 cm. Standard length stops at the base of the tail; the 3 cm figure is the largest recorded value used for this care plan, not a promise that every individual reaches it.

Combine volume, length and usable space

Start with an aquarium of at least 45 litres and 60 cm long for an adult group. Seriously Fish describes a 45 × 30 × 30 cm aquarium of roughly 41 litres as sufficient for a substantial colony, and OATA recommends at least 45 litres for a small group of smaller guppies. Our 60 cm length screen adds more horizontal room for an active group and does not create a litres-per-fish formula.

A larger aquarium can make temperature and water quality more stable, but its capacity still depends on mature filtration, oxygen, layout, existing livestock and reproduction. Count every animal already present and leave room for each companion’s social requirements. Do not treat unused litres as automatic permission to add fish.

Check whether the footprint works

• Open route: leave continuous swimming space along the aquarium.
• Cover: provide plants or suitable decor that breaks lines of sight.
• Access: ensure every fish can reach food without entering a defended corner.
• Backup: prepare a mature separation option for injury or sustained pursuit.
• Population: reserve capacity for fry before keeping mixed sexes.

A 2–3 cm dispatch fish still belongs in the permanent adult setup. Moving it repeatedly through smaller, unstable containers adds no care benefit.

Keep water stable and measured

Keep the water at 24–28°C, pH 7–8 and 15–18 dGH. This is the practical overlap between Seriously Fish’s 24–30°C, pH 7–8.5 and 15–35 dGH range and OATA’s 20–28°C, pH 7–8 and 8–18 dGH guidance. It keeps every routine value inside both sets of figures.

Measure the aquarium rather than relying on a postcode, a heater dial or a description of the tap supply. Test temperature, pH and general hardness, then use our water chemistry guide to understand what each reading means. The water matcher can help compare measured aquarium values with the target range.

Set the temperature deliberately

Use a thermostatically controlled aquarium heater where room conditions cannot hold 24–28°C throughout the year, and confirm the water with an independent thermometer. Check the reading at a consistent time and after maintenance. Avoid direct sun, draughts and abrupt changes, because the water can move away from the target even when the heater setting appears unchanged.

Protect water quality as well as chemistry

Ammonia and nitrite should remain at zero mg/L. OATA recommends keeping nitrate no more than 20 mg/L above the normal tap-water level. Test at least weekly and whenever fish breathe unusually, stop feeding, remain at the surface or behave differently.

Mature and maintain the filter before adding fish

Use a mature biological filter and confirm zero detectable ammonia and nitrite before the fish enters the aquarium. The RSPCA explains that biological filtration supports bacteria that convert toxic ammonia into nitrite and then safer nitrate. A clear-looking aquarium can still lack enough bacteria to process fish waste.

If this is your first setup, follow our guide to prepare and mature a first tropical aquarium before arranging livestock. Add fish gradually so the bacterial population can respond to increased waste and feeding. Do not use a planted appearance or a few days of running time as a substitute for repeated water tests.

Choose flow the group can use

Seriously Fish states that water flow is not a problem for these active fish and gives a turnover of four to five times the aquarium volume per hour for a roughly 41-litre setup. That corresponds to a filter rating of about 165–205 litres per hour for that example. Judge the result in the aquarium: each fish should be able to hold position, feed and rest without constant effort.

Maintain useful surface movement and protect the intake where a small fish or fry could be trapped. Check the filter for blockages during routine maintenance. A powerful rating does not compensate for blocked media, poor surface movement or an immature biological colony.

Clean without destroying the biological colony

• Check the filter whenever flow falls or waste begins to collect.
• Rinse dirty mature media lightly in aquarium water removed during a water change.
• Do not rinse filter media under the tap.
• Do not replace all established media on a calendar.
• Treat replacement tap water with conditioner before adding it to the aquarium.

Test after any major filter interruption. If ammonia or nitrite appears, pause further stocking and reduce the pressure on the system while restoring safe water quality.

Build cover without blocking swimming room

Provide open horizontal swimming room together with plants or suitable ornaments that break lines of sight. Seriously Fish strongly recommends a planted setup and floating plants, while OATA recommends live plants or safe artificial plants and ornaments for shelter. Use either approach without filling every usable centimetre.

Give every feature a purpose

Inspect artificial plants and ornaments for rough edges that could damage fins. Keep access around the filter and heater so both can be checked without dismantling the entire layout. A secure lid reduces escape risk, but it must not interfere with filtration or routine inspection.

Dense cover can increase the survival of fry. That may help a planned breeding group, but it may also accelerate crowding. Match the planting plan to the population plan and keep enough open space to see whether individuals are feeding, hiding or being pursued.

Observe the result, not just the design

A useful layout allows every fish to swim normally, approach food and leave another fish’s path. If one area becomes a permanent refuge for a fish that no longer joins the group, investigate social pressure and water quality rather than assuming the hiding place solved the problem.

Feed small complete portions once a day

Feed an appropriately small complete flake or granule as the staple, with some vegetation or algal content and safe variety. Seriously Fish describes this species as omnivorous and records zoobenthos and detritus in its wild diet. OATA recommends quality flake or granules with algal content, supplemented by suitably small live or frozen foods such as daphnia, small bloodworm, tubifex or cyclops.

Offer only what the fish can eat within a few minutes once a day. Particle size matters: the smallest fish should be able to take the food without repeatedly spitting it out. Distribute the portion across the swimming area so faster individuals do not take everything.

Use feeding as a daily health check

1. Watch whether every fish approaches the food.
2. Check that each fish can swallow the particles.
3. Look for repeated chasing that excludes one individual.
4. Remove food that remains and would decay.
5. Adjust the next portion if leftovers or declining body condition recur.

Live or frozen variety complements the complete staple; it does not replace it. Store foods safely and avoid thawing and refreezing frozen items. Do not collect live food from an unknown pond.

Feed it for nutrition, not as an aquarium-cleaning tool, even when the food contains algal ingredients. If algae management is the main objective, treat that as a separate livestock and husbandry decision and browse the algae eaters collection. No animal replaces testing, water changes or removal of uneaten food.

Respond to appetite changes

A sudden reduction in feeding can accompany water-quality, temperature, health or social problems. Test the water first, inspect the filter and heater, and observe whether the fish is breathing or swimming differently. Do not keep adding alternative foods while uneaten material accumulates.

Manage social behaviour and future fry

Keep five or more under our house plan where aquarium capacity and the sex plan allow. OATA suggests at least three guppies and two females per male, while our higher group plan gives a more conservative starting point for observation and population management. No ratio removes the need to watch individuals.

Males are generally peaceful towards one another according to Seriously Fish, but competition and persistent display still require monitoring. Females may behave territorially, so several females may help disperse bullying. A single-sex group can prevent new mixed-sex breeding in that aquarium, but it cannot guarantee freedom from pursuit or feeding exclusion.

Plan before keeping mixed sexes

This is a livebearer and mixed-sex groups may reproduce readily. Decide whether mature spare accommodation, filtration, small complete food and a responsible rehoming route can support young fish. Do not depend on adults or tank mates eating fry as a population-control plan.

A study of ten litters and 122 fry observed reproduction under one laboratory regime. Use that work as confirmation that reproduction can be productive, not as a countdown or brood-size promise for an individual fish.

If fry appear unexpectedly

• Test ammonia and nitrite and reassess filter capacity immediately.
• Do not move fish into an uncycled container.
• Use appropriately small complete food.
• Separate sexes only when identification is confident and mature housing is ready.
• Arrange responsible rehoming before the aquarium becomes crowded.

Monitor body condition as well as fry numbers. Persistent pursuit, feeding exclusion, fin damage or a fish remaining hidden means the social plan needs intervention. Use a mature separation aquarium or safe divider rather than waiting for an injury to worsen.

Follow a weekly maintenance and health routine

At least once every week, change 25% of the aquarium water. Treat replacement tap water with conditioner before adding it, keep the new water close to the aquarium’s conditions and use a siphon to remove solid waste where needed. The frequency applies to the water change; increase testing and respond sooner if readings or behaviour change.

Check these points every week

• Test ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH and temperature.
• Confirm ammonia and nitrite remain at zero mg/L.
• Keep nitrate no more than 20 mg/L above the tap-water level.
• Check filter flow, surface movement and the intake guard.
• Inspect each fish’s fins, scales, swimming, breathing and feeding response.
• Record unusual readings so changes can be compared over time.

A healthy settled fish should swim steadily, breathe regularly, hold its fins normally and feed consistently. The RSPCA’s fish-health guidance identifies surface gasping, sitting on the bottom, erratic swimming, colour changes, increased hiding, altered breathing, white spots, fluffy growths, damaged fins, unusual swelling and appetite loss as warning signs.

If you see a warning sign

1. Test ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH and temperature.
2. Check the filter, heater and recent maintenance.
3. Review new livestock, food changes and social behaviour.
4. Separate an injured or persistently pursued fish only into mature accommodation.
5. Contact us for health guidance when signs persist, become severe or involve loss of balance or breathing difficulty.

Do not choose salt, heat or medication from one symptom alone. Different problems can look similar, and water-quality correction may be the first necessary action.

A study of one captive line reported spinal deformities in 22 of 600 fish and discussed several possible contributors. A curved body does not identify one cause or establish a rate for this form; do not breed an affected fish and seek an informed assessment.

Prepare the aquarium and follow the arrival steps

Have the mature filtered aquarium running at 24–28°C, pH 7–8 and 15–18 dGH before the parcel is received. Confirm zero ammonia and nitrite, check that the heater and filter are working, and leave enough room for the complete social and population plan.

Be present to receive the parcel because live fish cannot be left unattended. Then follow these steps from the Tropical Fish Co delivery and Live Arrival Guarantee policy:

1. Start filming before the parcel is opened, showing the sealed parcel and visible outer box.
2. Open the parcel in one continuous take and show the fish still inside the sealed bag before anything is disturbed.
3. Open and inspect the parcel on the day it arrives.
4. Float the bag for 20–30 minutes before releasing the fish.
5. Do not pour the bag water into the aquarium.
6. For a Live Arrival Guarantee claim, report the issue the same day with the order number and continuous unboxing video.

Check the fish and aquarium separately

Observe swimming, breathing, balance and fin position after release. Pale colour can have several causes, so judge the fish by the complete set of signs rather than dismissing a change automatically. Test the aquarium if behaviour causes concern and confirm the heater and filter remain operating.

Keep the population stable while the new fish settles. Do not combine arrival with major filter cleaning, a large layout change or rapid additional stocking. Those changes make it harder to identify whether a problem comes from water quality, equipment or social behaviour.

Screen every companion before mixing species

Avoid fish large enough to eat an Endler, species likely to nip fins and common guppies. OATA specifically warns against predators and potential fin nippers such as barbs. Seriously Fish says common guppies should not be kept with Endlers because the two will crossbreed.

This small fish is not suitable for an unscreened general community. For every proposed companion, compare temperature, pH, hardness, adult size, predation risk, fin-nipping behaviour, feeding speed and the total space needed by every social group. Compatibility remains conditional on individual behaviour and the aquarium layout.

Companions named by the species profile

Seriously Fish names dwarf corydoras, small peaceful rainbowfish such as Iriatherina werneri or Pseudomugil species, and peaceful tetras as possible companions. These are categories to investigate, not universal approvals. The exact species must fit 24–28°C, pH 7–8 and 15–18 dGH and must not create predation or fin-nipping risk.

Observe the aquarium at feeding time and during normal swimming. Cornering, repeated pursuit, missed food, damaged fins or persistent hiding means the combination needs intervention. Keep a mature separation option ready; do not wait for serious injury before acting.

Protect lineage and treat shrimp as conditional companions

Keep common guppies apart from this fish when preserving Endler identity. A morphological and molecular comparison supports recognition of Endlers and common guppies as separate species while showing that appearance can overlap. Seriously Fish reports that the two can produce fertile hybrids, so colour or tail shape cannot establish ancestry in their offspring.

retain traceable parent information, prevent mixing with common guppies and known hybrids, and describe offspring conservatively. The Ginga Rubra trade name communicates a form label; it does not replace ancestry records.

Do not promise that a fish is shrimp-safe

Adult Amano or Neocaridina shrimp may coexist where their water and space needs match, but small shrimp and young can be eaten. Feeding competition can also occur. Dense cover may reduce exposure, but it cannot ensure survival.

• Check the shrimp’s temperature and mineral requirements against 24–28°C and 15–18 dGH.
• Provide cover without sacrificing the Endlers’ open swimming room.
• Watch whether shrimp can reach food.
• Assume shrimplets are at risk of predation.
• Do not use shrimp as a substitute for aquarium maintenance.

The same screening principle applies to every invertebrate: compare water chemistry, adult size, feeding and predation risk before mixing. Where the outcome matters to breeding, lineage or valuable young, use a separate mature aquarium instead of relying on cover.

Answer common Ginga Rubra Endler questions

How big does a Ginga Rubra Endler Guppy get?

Plan for 3 cm standard length, based on the largest value reported in the original species description; standard length excludes the tail.

What size aquarium does a Ginga Rubra Endler Guppy need?

Use a mature filtered aquarium of at least 45 litres and 60 cm in length for the adult group; Seriously Fish gives about 41 litres with a 45 × 30 cm base, while Tropical Fish Co applies the longer 60 cm house screen.

How many should I keep together?

Tropical Fish Co’s house plan for the Ginga Rubra Endler Guppy is five or more where aquarium capacity and the sex plan allow; OATA advises at least three guppies.

Is the Ginga Rubra Endler Guppy suitable for beginners?

It can suit a prepared beginner and carries an easy store care rating, but it still needs a mature filtered aquarium, weekly tests, stable water, a social plan and preparation for possible fry.

What does a Ginga Rubra Endler Guppy eat?

Feed an appropriately small complete flake or granule with vegetation or algal content once a day, giving only what it can eat within a few minutes; small live or frozen foods such as daphnia, bloodworm, tubifex or cyclops can add variety.

What temperature and pH does it need?

Keep it at 24–28°C and pH 7–8, with hardness of 15–18 dGH; these figures are the overlap between Seriously Fish and OATA.

Is this fish aggressive or likely to nip fins?

Males are generally peaceful towards one another, but females may be territorial and any group can show pursuit or feeding exclusion; provide space and sight breaks, monitor fins and separate a fish if pressure persists.

Which kinds of fish can it live with?

Consider only small peaceful species with matching water needs, such as dwarf corydoras, peaceful tetras and small rainbowfish including Iriatherina werneri or Pseudomugil species; avoid predators, fin-nipping fish and common guppies.

How does this fish arrive alive in the UK?

Tropical Fish Co’s policy says it is hand-bagged in pure oxygen and placed in an insulated box, with a heat pack when the weather calls for it; be present to receive the parcel, film it from sealed opening to the fish in the bag, and float the bag for 20–30 minutes before release.

Check the scientific and welfare references

• FishBase: Poecilia wingei — accepted identity, family, Venezuelan distribution and recorded length.
• Seriously Fish species profile — aquarium dimensions, water, diet and named companion categories.
• OATA guppy and molly guidance — UK group care, maintenance, feeding and compatibility.
• RSPCA aquarium environment guidance — biological filtration and waste processing.
• Eschmeyer’s Catalog of Fishes — current valid name and family placement.
• Original description of Poecilia wingei — type locality, measured specimens and habitat observation.
• Schories, Meyer and Schartl — morphological and molecular comparison of guppy species.
• Arbuatti, Della Salda and Romanucci — spinal deformities observed in one captive line.
• Hernández-López and Luna-Vivaldo — life-history observations from a limited laboratory study.
• RSPCA pet fish health guidance — warning signs and water-quality-first checks.