How to Keep a Pencilfish

Pencilfish (nannostomus beckfordi) are small, freshwater tropical fish that are well suited to a community tank of small fish. Natives of the Amazon basin, they are fast swimmers that like a well-planted aquarium that's kept on the shady side. They prefer soft water with a pH of 5.0 and a temperature in the high 70s. They are interesting to watch, are often front and center in the aquarium, and can usually be found exploring the plants and interacting with one another.

Things You'll Need

  • Aquarium
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Instructions

    • 1

      Prepare your pencilfish aquarium by making sure that there are plenty of floating plants and hiding places. Pencilfish are jumpers so keep a tight fitting lid on the aquarium at all times and discourage jumping by making sure that the floating plants are dense.

    • 2

      Introduce pencilfish to the aquarium by letting the bag in which you purchased the fish float on the surface of the water for 15 to 25 minutes. Turn off the aquarium light until the pencilfish gets acclimated--at least two hours.

    • 3

      Release the fish into the tank slowly, making sure that it doesn't remain in the plastic bag. These fish are usually small, around 2 1/2 inches, so be careful when releasing them. They can jump and it's sometimes hard to keep track of where they are.

    • 4

      Watch the fish closely for the first 24 hours to make sure that it is adapting well. Gasping at the surface of the water or lying listlessly on the bottom are signs of problems. If you have cause for concern, check the water conditions.

    • 5

      Feed pencilfish dried flaked food with the occasional addition of brine shrimp. If you plan on breeding pencilfish, feeding them live food is important.