TankBud

Anduzei pencilfish

Nannostomus anduzei

Also known as Dwarf ruby pencilfish, Colombian dwarf pencilfish

FreshwaterFish

Anduzei pencilfish (Nannostomus anduzei)
The Wet Spot Tropical Fish · Used with permission

Care at a glance

Temperature
75–82°F
24–28°C
pH
4.5–6.5
Adult size
0.7 in
1.9 cm
Minimum tank
5 gal
20 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Schooling
Swim level
Middle
Difficulty
Difficult
Breeding
No record
Rarity
Rare
Family
Lebiasinidae
Origin
Upper Orinoco and Casiquiare blackwaters, Venezuela

Overview

The Anduzei pencilfish is a tiny, peaceful schooling fish for the middle of a quiet nano tank. It is delicate and easily outcompeted, so it is a fish for experienced keepers.

Did you know

The Anduzei pencilfish is the smallest pencilfish known and one of the tiniest characins of all. It becomes a breeding adult at little more than a centimeter long.

Caring for the Anduzei pencilfish

Keep Anduzei pencilfish in a densely planted nano tank of at least 5 gal (20 L), with dark substrate, driftwood and leaf litter. Keep the light soft and the flow gentle, such as from a sponge filter. A quiet, mature tank keeps this tiny fish settled.

Give them stable, soft, acidic blackwater at 75 to 82°F (24 to 28°C) and a pH of 4.5 to 6.5. Stability matters more to them than any single number.

They feed on tiny invertebrates and have minute mouths, so feed dust-fine foods. Start young fish on infusoria and similar micro foods, then move on to microworm, freshly hatched brine shrimp and finely crushed flake.

Keep a group of a dozen or more, so they feel secure and stay in view. They are peaceful but easily lost among anything bigger. Keep them on their own or with only the tiniest, gentlest companions. Spawning is barely documented, as with many of the rarely bred dwarf pencilfish.

Good to know

The Anduzei pencilfish, Nannostomus anduzei, belongs to the pencilfish family Lebiasinidae. It is a slim gold fish with fine dark striping and a red-touched tail.

In the wild

The Anduzei pencilfish comes from slow, plant-filled blackwaters of the upper Orinoco and Casiquiare in Venezuela.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The Anduzei pencilfish is a peaceful, schooling species that keeps to the middle. These picks share a community profile with it, are safe together in both directions, and overlap on water type, temperature and pH.

Check the full mix in the stocking calculator

Common questions

What size tank does an Anduzei pencilfish need?

An Anduzei pencilfish needs at least 5 gal (20 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

What temperature and pH does an Anduzei pencilfish need?

An Anduzei pencilfish is comfortable at 75–82°F (24–28°C) with a pH of 4.5–6.5.

What does an Anduzei pencilfish eat?

An Anduzei pencilfish feeds on tiny invertebrates and has a minute mouth, so it needs dust-fine foods. Offer microworm, freshly hatched brine shrimp and finely crushed flake, with infusoria for young fish.

How big does an Anduzei pencilfish get?

An adult Anduzei pencilfish reaches about 0.7 in (1.9 cm).

Does an Anduzei pencilfish need a group?

Yes. An Anduzei pencilfish is a schooling species and should be kept in a group, not singly.

Related species