Staeck Endler (Poecilia wingei)
This particular strain of Endler was found and brought to a German doctor called Dr Wolfgang Staeck, a resident in Berlin back in 2004 and subsequently who the strain was named after.
The Staeck Endler is a rare, excellent looking, hardy fish. It has become famous and popular due to its small size, peaceful temperament and appealing/unique appearance.
These Endlers are suitable for the beginner aquarist and a novelty for the more advanced aquarist collector.
The Staeck Endler displays between one and three large black splotches that look like a mechanical pattern horizontally distributed on their body. They have an intense chromatic iridescent body ranging in a variety of colours and patterns. Occasionally, you may find them with a very incredible top swordtail, a bottom swordtail, or a double swordtail.
| Quick Facts | |
|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Poecilia wingei |
| Other Names | Hamburg Endler |
| Family | Poeciliidae |
| Genus | Poecilia |
| Origins | South America |
| Temperament | Peaceful |
| Aquarium Level | Middle - Top |
| Difficulty | Beginner - Intermediate |
| Shoaling | No |
| Best kept as | Groups 6+ |
| Diet | Omnivore |
| Reproduction | livebearer |
| Lifespan | 3 - 5 years |
| Water Parameters | |
|---|---|
| Water Type | Freshwater |
| PH | 6.0 - 7.5 |
| GH | 5 - 15 |
| KH | 2 - 8 |
| TDS | 180-400 |
| Temperature | |
| 75 - 85℉ 23.9 - 29.4℃ | |
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Staeck Endlers
Natural Habitat
It is understood the Staeck Endler, like other Endlers, were collected from the fresh waters of Canal de Laguna de Los Platos and the Campoma and Buena Vista lagoons unto Carupano in north-eastern Venezuela. They inhabit warm, hard waters that contain high levels of algae which gives the lakes and creeks their distinctive green colouration.
Other Endlers of interest
What to feed the Staeck Endler
Staeck Endlers are omnivores and feed on small insects, algae and plant matter in the wild. It would be best if you recreated this diet as closely as achievable in the home aquarium. You can accomplish this by feeding them high-quality flake or granule food as well as live or frozen foods like bloodworm, daphnia and brine shrimp.
Even if you are giving them high-quality flake food, you should always supplement this with plant matter. While it can be tricky to find vegetables they will accept, you should see some success offering them small blanched zucchini medallions or shelled and blanched peas.
How to Sex the Staeck Endler
It is easy to differentiate male from female Staeck Endlers. The males are smaller and much more vibrantly coloured and patterned compared to the females. In contrast, females are much larger, very dull and plain-looking and lack the swordtail.
How to Breed the Staeck Endler
Like all Endlers the Staeck Endlers are prolific breeders. They give birth to live young around every 23-28 days.
Keep at least two females to every male amongst thick planting, and the fish will do the rest. The male will transfer his milt into the female via his gonopodium, where it is then saved and used to fertilise her eggs. Just before the live young are released, the female will start to show a dark black gravid spot near the vent.
Endlers can give birth to anything from one to thirty babies with each drop and sometimes a lot more depending on the mother's age and size.
The fry will primarily spend their first few hours of life at the bottom of the tank, where they will consume their yolk sacs. At this moment, they are most vulnerable to predators, including their mothers and other Endler females. The males seem less interested in cannibalism.
Once the fry has consumed their entire yolk sac, you can feed them with baby brine shrimp, powdered fry food and crushed flake food. They will also snack on algae and microorganisms that develop on aquatic plants or tank decor.
The males will start to present colour around three to four weeks later. Still, it can take several months before developing the full extent and abundance of colour that characterises Endlers.