TankBud

Golden pencilfish

Nannostomus beckfordi

Also known as Beckford's Pencilfish

FreshwaterFish

Golden pencilfish (Nannostomus beckfordi)
SelEle-MS · CC BY-SA 4.0

Care at a glance

Temperature
70–81°F
21–27°C
pH
6.0–7.5
Adult size
2.4 in
6 cm
Minimum tank
18 gal
70 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Shoaling
Swim level
Middle
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
Egg scatterer · Medium
Rarity
Rare
Family
Lebiasinidae
Origin
The Guianas, Brazil, Venezuela

Overview

The golden pencilfish is a peaceful shoaling fish that suits a calm community tank. It is a step up from the easiest fish and does well with a keeper who has a little experience.

Did you know

The golden pencilfish, like many pencilfish, swaps its daytime pattern for a different one at night. As the lights go off, the bold stripe fades and breaks into blotches or bars. The fish you check on at night can look like a different species.

Caring for the golden pencilfish

Keep golden pencilfish in a group of at least six, in a planted tank of 18 gal (70 L) or more. A group settles them and shows off their behavior. Add some floating cover, keep the flow gentle and choose a darker setup. Driftwood or leaves that release tannins also help.

Hold the temperature at 70 to 81°F (21 to 27°C) and the pH at 6.0 to 7.5. Their mouths are small, so feed fine flake, micro pellets and small frozen foods such as daphnia and baby brine shrimp.

Golden pencilfish are peaceful, keep to the middle and upper levels, and are safe with other community fish. They are egg scatterers that give no parental care. In soft, acidic water they are moderately easy to breed.

Good to know

The golden pencilfish, also known as Beckford's pencilfish, belongs to the family Lebiasinidae, the pencilfishes. It has a slim, pencil-shaped body with a gold stripe from snout to tail.

In the wild

Golden pencilfish come from slow streams and small rivers across the Guianas, northern Brazil and Venezuela. The water there is soft, acidic and stained brown with tannins, and full of roots, leaf litter and plants.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The golden pencilfish is a peaceful, shoaling 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 a golden pencilfish need?

A golden pencilfish needs at least 18 gal (70 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

What temperature and pH does a golden pencilfish need?

A golden pencilfish is comfortable at 70–81°F (21–27°C) with a pH of 6.0–7.5.

What does a golden pencilfish eat?

A golden pencilfish has a small mouth, so it eats fine foods. Feed it fine flake, micro pellets and small frozen foods such as daphnia and baby brine shrimp.

How big does a golden pencilfish get?

An adult golden pencilfish reaches about 2.4 in (6 cm).

Does a golden pencilfish need a group?

Yes. A golden pencilfish is a shoaling species and should be kept in a group, not singly.

How does a golden pencilfish breed?

Golden pencilfish scatter their eggs and give them no parental care. In soft, acidic water, they are moderately easy to breed.

Related species