Feral endlers

[Littlefish]

I've had black bar endlers for years but they've been in this 75g since it was broken down a few years ago.  No water movement no filtration.  Rainwater topoff and a cup of natural sea water a few times a year.  There is a carpet of sulpher smelling algae that I pull off the bottom every month or so like a sheet of fabric.

They have died back to just babies every few winters when the 1st cold front catches me off guard.  Seems they are more cold tolerant than the adults.  I wonder if they will select for cold hardyness.

Also I've been considering gradually turning it fully saltwater to get rid of the frogs.  They keep us up at night and cover the surface in spawn.

Their metallic colors have become vivid and golden in this ugly water.  Here is a juvie I caught while netting frogspawn.

 

 

 

 

[Ken Burke]

How awesome!

[Galabar]

That is really cool.  If man can turn a wolf into a Chihuahua, then I think you might have been able to manufacture cold water Endler's. 🙂

I'm just guessing, but I bet there would be a market for those.  Aquarium Co Op could sell them as "Cold Water Endler's" that can go with rice fish in outdoor ponds... 🙂

By the way, I love the coloring!!! 🙂

Edited May 13, 2023 by Galabar

[Littlefish]

I've been told the coloration is because they are raised in green water and eat lots of algae.  They have a gold hue that doesn't come through in the photos, which may be from live oak tannins.

[jasper5150]

They are beautiful!

[PineSong]

@Littlefish, where are you located and how cold are the cold snaps that kill off the adults? It's really amazing how healthy outdoor living makes fish so much more colorful. My gold white cloud mountain minnows are vibrant red and orange after a summer out in the pond--they are glowing with health and fat as pigs from all the bugs they are eating.

[Littlefish]

@PineSongSouthern Tampa Bay.  Temps every other year dip to the 30s a few nights, but it's the 1st real Dec cold front (high 40s) that catches me off-guard if I am out of town or forget to dig out heaters.

Do you have to catch all the White Clouds and transfer them every winter?  We are plannimg on moving to the Clemson area and not sure what I am going to do with these guys.

[PineSong]

On 7/31/2023 at 9:39 PM, Littlefish said:

@PineSongSouthern Tampa Bay.  Temps every other year dip to the 30s a few nights, but it's the 1st real Dec cold front (high 40s) that catches me off-guard if I am out of town or forget to dig out heaters.

Do you have to catch all the White Clouds and transfer them every winter?  We are plannimg on moving to the Clemson area and not sure what I am going to do with these guys.

I do bring mine in. Others have reported them to be cold tolerant—I think some folks have kept them out all winter where it’s milder than here (central Kentucky), but I lost some as fall came on so I brought them in. They go in my 29 with my livebearers for the winter.