Endler tank mates: suggestions?

[Pylor]

I've currently got a partially cycled 29 gallon tank with 3 endlers and 2 endler fry (LFS guy was pretty careless). I'm trying to research what fish to add in ~2 months after I'm positive everything is cycled properly, and I'd like a little input. Here's what I'm working with:

• 29 gallon high tank with a fluval C4 and a marineland emperor 280, along with a hydro Pro 3 sponge filter
• 5 Endlers
• pH is currently around 7.8-8 but I'm trying to get that down to around neutral. I mix my water from RO water as there's a lot of phosphates in my city's water due to farm runoff
• gH of ~8dH, kH of ~6dH, tank at 76-77F/25C

My endlers seem to be getting used to the tank and pecking at every grain of sand, bit of rock, plastic plant, filter intake, etc. I really like the endlers, they're like small guppies only even more curious. However, I don't want a tank overrun with them, and while my tank isn't overly planted by any means, the two small fry that came from my LFS have no problems surviving right in front of the bigger endlers. I'd like to get something that might help me not be overrun with endler fry. Schooling is a plus but small size and not bothering my endlers is the highest priority. I need a peaceful community tank; when fish fight I stress! Here's a list of fish I'm considering, feel free to comment/add ideas:

• Longfin Zebra Danios: I've raised zebra fry before and I like the fish in general, though from what I remember they may be a bit fast moving for endlers. I also remember that they're generally mid-high level fish whereas the endlers spend most of their time (so far anyways) in the mid-lower reaches. I'm highly leaning towards these as tankmates.
• Sparkling Gourami: Seems intriguing, I've never owned a gourami of any kind before, and in videos they look a lot bigger than 2 inches. I've read they can be very aggressive when spawning
• Celestial Pearl Danio: A bit expensive but definitely very nice looking. I've read they can be aggressive with each other, to the point of ripping fins. I'm not sure my tank has enough line of site breakage to support these.
• Cherry barb: My only barb experience is rosy barbs so I don't know much about these guys. The Rosy Barbs were a bit aggressive for my tastes

 

[ArtistGardener]

With a 29, you could add some slightly larger fish and still not worry about the Endlers getting eaten. Sparkling gouramis are small--very pretty, but small. Honey gouramis are gentle and won't eat your adult Endlers. If you get zebra danios (of any type), get enough of them that they keep themselves occupied and don't chase everybody else around. You'll need at least 8 of them or they might pester the other tankmates. Some of the smaller tetra species are gentle and will go well with Endlers: ember tetras, glowlight, neons, pristella, etc.

 

[BBradbury]

Livebearers and Tank Mates

Hello Py...

You'll never go wrong if you add Corydoras. A variety of sizes and colors and all peaceful. A good cleaning crew. I've kept them for years and the same fish too. They're a long lived species.

B

 

[Pylor]

I thought about corries when setting up; I actually used pool filter sand specifically because I read they like sand. I don't remember ever being told (prior to reading recently) that they needed to be kept in groups, and I don't think I ever did well at keeping them ~8 years ago.

A honey gourami is a bit bigger than what I'm looking for, though I appreciate all suggestions!

Mapping out what I'd eventually like, I think it'd be something along these lines:

The fish besides the endlers are all swappable for something similar. Still unsure about the corries, I was considering nerite snails instead. I also have an issue in that my quarantine tank is only 6 gallons. It's actually an old acrylic tank that's sitting on my floor. I'd have to get most of these fish from online as my LFS is mostly saltwater and I'm not sure I trust petsmart/petco (f they even have them). Have people ordered from liveaquaria before?

 

[toddnbecka]

Akysis catfish would work well to control endler's, they'll eat new fry but nothing bigger than half-grown juvies. Endler's, unlike guppies, don't eat their own fry. If you have both sexes and nothing eats any they will overcrowd any tank eventually. I keep the buggers in my pleco tanks and occasionally scoop out random netfuls to toss into cichlid tanks when they get too crowded.
Cherry barbs are really mellow little fish, nothing like larger, more active/aggressive barbs. Those may actually be bothered by the endler's though, the wee buggers can be a pest to less active fish.
If you're looking to buy online check out aquabid.com.

 

[Cold Canadian]

Hello Py...

You'll never go wrong if you add Corydoras. A variety of sizes and colors and all peaceful. A good cleaning crew. I've kept them for years and the same fish too. They're a long lived species.

B

I agree with bbradbury Cory's are a good schooling fish that add a lot of character to a tank
They are hardy and don't require any special care only sinking pellet or tab

 

[Pylor]

I do like cories, I've had peppered and bronze (though iirc they looked more green than bronze) corries in the past and I always liked them. Do they eat endler fry though? I hate to have that happen, but I may already be too late.

I came home and went to feed my new fish I just bought less than 4 days ago. Two females greeting me and a male, and the big fry and small fry up at the top, everyone's he.... wait, that's not small fry, THAT'S small fry....

Sure enough, scanning the sand in the tank, particularly around the rocks in the middle, there's 6-7 fry visible. My fear already happened =/

 

[Cold Canadian]

In my evperiance Cory's will not eat live endler fry also endlers will stop breeding once the tank is full
So if you add your other fish you might have a few more fry then they will stop

 

[toddnbecka]

In my evperiance Cory's will not eat live endler fry also endlers will stop breeding once the tank is full
So if you add your other fish you might have a few more fry then they will stop

How full was the tank when they stopped breeding? I had a 40 gallon tank loaded with hundreds of the buggers and they were still dropping fry when I put in a baby Carapo knife fish. Within a couple weeks there were less than 2 dozen remaining. Those I moved to another tank, and started feeding the Carapo some of my excess CA cichlid fry.

 

[Cold Canadian]

I have About about 7-10 endler adults and about 10-15 juveniles that have filled my ten gallon its just them and 4 bronze Cory cats

 

[Pylor]

I've never heard of livebearers ceasing to dump fry even under awful tank conditions. You sure the fry just aren't actually getting eaten? I watched a little bit last night and the endlers do go after the fry, the fry just seem too quick to be caught easily.

Any suggestions about whether my 29 could eventually handle the bioload from the fish listed above? I'll probably wait another 2 months and hope I'm not over-run by endlers and add zebras or neons in. I just need something to help with population control, as awful as that sounds in my head.

 

[Cold Canadian]

Every fish tank is different they stopped breeding for me but maybe not for you. Who knows what will happen?

As for the bio-load I do not know I have limited experience with any of the other fish.