Beckford's pencilfish

Nannostomus beckfordi

Family : Lebiasinidae

FishFreshwatercharacids

Slender pencilfish with an elongated body, striped black and gold. Peaceful and schooling, ideal for planted nano tanks.

Beckford's pencilfish — photo 1 sur 1 — SelEle-MS · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.01 / 1

Popularity

Community fish

classic in freshwater aquarium

Availability

Common in shops

Shop availability

IUCN Status

Least Concern

Biotope

South America

Hors bassin amazonien : Paraná, Orénoque, Andes.

Description

Beckford's pencilfish (Nannostomus beckfordi) is a small fish of the family Lebiasinidae. It reaches up to 6 cm. Its body is elongated with a horizontal black stripe bordered by yellow or gold. It has a small upward-facing mouth. It is a schooling fish that must be kept in groups of at least 6. Very peaceful and enjoys densely planted tanks with subdued lighting. It feeds mainly on small invertebrates.

Habitat

Region :

Slow-moving rivers and streams, swampy areas

Distribution :

Recommended parameters

Temperature24–28 °C

pH5–7

GH1–10 °dGH

KH1–5 °dKH

NO₃

≤ 15 mg/L

PO₄

≤ 0.3 mg/L

Care

Difficulty

2/5

Diet

Carnivore

Min. tank

40 L

Min. group

Adult size

6 cm

Lifespan

4 years

Temperament

Peaceful

Propagation

egg scatterer

Care notes

Tank of at least 40 L (nano possible). Temperature 24-28°C, pH 5.0-7.0, GH 1-10. Dark substrate, fine plants (Java moss, Cryptocorynes). Diet: micro pellets, brine shrimp, daphnia. Soft acidic water. Regular but moderate water changes.

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