TankBud

Hockeystick pencilfish

Nannostomus eques

Also known as Brown Tailed Pencilfish, Brown tail pencilfish

FreshwaterFish

Hockeystick pencilfish (Nannostomus eques)
Fajoe · CC BY-SA 3.0

Care at a glance

Temperature
72–82°F
22–28°C
pH
5.0–7.0
Adult size
1.4 in
3.5 cm
Minimum tank
15 gal
55 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Shoaling
Swim level
Middle
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
Egg scatterer · Medium
Rarity
Rare
Family
Lebiasinidae
Origin
Brazil, Peru, Colombia

Overview

The hockeystick pencilfish is a small, peaceful shoaling fish for a calm, planted community tank. It is a step up from the easiest fish, so it suits a keeper with some experience.

Did you know

The hockeystick pencilfish swims in a nose-up, head-high posture, and that is not a sign of trouble. It is how the fish naturally holds itself, like a hockey stick stood on end, and it gives the fish its name.

Caring for the hockeystick pencilfish

Keep hockeystick pencilfish in a group of at least six, in a quiet, well planted tank of 15 gal (55 L) or more. A group settles faster and shows better color. Shade the tank, keep the flow gentle, and add some leaf litter or botanicals to stain the water and help them settle in.

Give them soft water at 72 to 82°F (22 to 28°C) and a pH of 5.0 to 7.0. Feed small foods such as fine flake, micro pellets, and small live or frozen daphnia and baby brine shrimp.

Hockeystick pencilfish are peaceful and suit calm tank mates. Their small mouths mean they cannot take big or boisterous neighbors. They scatter their eggs among plants and give no parental care. Breeding them takes a little experience.

Good to know

The hockeystick pencilfish belongs to the family Lebiasinidae and is also known as the brown tailed pencilfish. Wild populations are not considered threatened, though habitat loss is a background concern.

In the wild

Hockeystick pencilfish come from quiet Amazon tributaries and streams in Brazil, Peru and Colombia. The water there is soft, acidic and darkened by tannins, over sandy or muddy bottoms with dense plants and low light.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The hockeystick 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 hockeystick pencilfish need?

A hockeystick pencilfish needs at least 15 gal (55 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

What temperature and pH does a hockeystick pencilfish need?

A hockeystick pencilfish is comfortable at 72–82°F (22–28°C) with a pH of 5.0–7.0.

What does a hockeystick pencilfish eat?

A hockeystick pencilfish has a small mouth and eats small foods, such as fine flake and micro pellets. It also takes small live or frozen daphnia and baby brine shrimp.

How big does a hockeystick pencilfish get?

An adult hockeystick pencilfish reaches about 1.4 in (3.5 cm).

Does a hockeystick pencilfish need a group?

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

How does a hockeystick pencilfish breed?

Hockeystick pencilfish scatter their eggs among plants and give them no parental care. Breeding them takes a little experience.

Related species