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Encyclopedia / Oddballs & Predators / Pencilfish
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Variations

1 kinds · tap one for a closer look

Pencilfish

Nannostomus beckfordi · Golden pencilfish, Pencil fish

Peaceful, for planted nano tanks.

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6.5 cmBody length, without tail ✓
21–27 °CTemperature ✓
5.5–7.5pH ✓
40 LSmallest tank ✓
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Tank mates
Check your own mix →
Not recommended
  • Giant gourami eats animals up to about 10 cm. Pencilfish only grows to 6.5 cm.
Not recommended
  • Oscar eats animals up to about 12 cm. Pencilfish only grows to 6.5 cm.
Not recommended
  • Convict cichlid is aggressive and will bully peaceful pencilfish.
With conditions
  • Only a narrow temperature range suits both: 21–22 °C.
With conditions
  • Only a narrow pH range suits both: exactly 7.5.
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible

417 species in our list are a good match.

Facts checked against sources on 16 Oct 2026. ✓ means a source backs it; ? means no reliable source yet. See sources

Care and water

Hardness ✓1–15 dGH
Group size ✓10 or more
Temperament ✓Peaceful
Swims at ✓Top
Care level ?Moderate
Diet Omnivore
Lifespan ?Unknown
Size in shops 2–3 cm
Growth Slow

Behavior

Peaceful, for planted nano tanks.

Food

Micro foods.

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Male or female

Males are more intensely coloured, especially in spawning condition, and the male's anal fin has a curved rear edge (straight in females); females are rounder.

Health

Common problems. Tap one to see the signs. This is a guide, not a diagnosis.

Breeding

Egg-scatterer · Hard

Egg scatterer with no parental care; eggs are laid in small batches among fine-leaved plants.

Pairing

Group of adults.

Setup

Planted tank.

What starts it

Soft acidic water.

Eggs

Eggs are laid in several small batches, up to about 200 in total; they hatch in 30-40 hours and fry swim freely about 6 days later.

Raising the fry

Infusoria.

Common mistakes
  • Hard water
  • Egg eating
  • Poor water
Full breeding guide, day-by-day plan and simulator →

Where it lives in the wild

RegionNorthern South America – Guianas and lower Amazon, Brazil
Rivers and lakesCoastal Guiana rivers and lower Amazon tributaries
HabitatSlow, vegetated streams and swamps
Native rangeAbout 1,200 km across
See it on the world map

The story of the pencilfish

Described by Albert Günther in 1872 and named after F. J. B. Beckford, who obtained the type specimen in British Guiana; like other pencilfish it takes on a barred camouflage pattern at night.

Albert Günther described this pencilfish in 1872. Hardy and colourful, it is one of the most widely kept pencilfishes, and an especially red form is also bred. Like its relatives, it switches to a blotched colour pattern at night.

First described by Albert Günther in 1872.

  • Its stripes change to a blotched night pattern after dark.
  • Males show brighter red fins than females.
  • Pencilfishes are named for their slim, pencil-like bodies.

Sources

15 facts checked with sources