Hockeystick pencilfish

Care at a glance

Overview

Keep at least six in a tank of about 55 liters. A group settles faster and shows better color. They are peaceful and tend to hang near the top, swimming nose-up. Feed small foods like fine flake, micro-pellets, and small live or frozen items like daphnia and baby brine shrimp. A quiet, well-planted tank with calm tankmates suits them, and their small mouths mean they can't take big or boisterous neighbors.

In the wild

Hockeystick pencilfish come from quiet Amazon tributaries and streams in Brazil, Peru, and Colombia, in soft acidic water darkened by tannins. These spots have sandy or muddy bottoms, dense plants, and low light. Recreate that with a planted, shaded tank, gentle flow, and soft water with a pH from 5 to 7. Some leaf litter or botanicals to stain the water helps them settle in.

Good to know

Nannostomus eques belongs to the family Lebiasinidae and stays small, around 3.5 cm. The common name comes from its habit of holding its body at an upward angle, like a hockey stick stood on end. It is an egg layer that scatters eggs among plants with no parental care. Wild populations are not considered threatened, though habitat loss is a background concern.

Did you know

That nose-up, head-high swimming posture isn't a sign something's wrong. It is just how the fish naturally holds itself, and it is the reason for the hockeystick name.

Related species

• Twostripe pencilfish

  Nannostomus digrammus

  1.4 in (3.5 cm)12 gal (45 L)75–82°F (24–28°C)

• 

  Three-lined pencilfish

  Nannostomus trifasciatus

  1.3 in (3.3 cm)15 gal (55 L)72–82°F (22–28°C)
• One-lined Pencilfish

  Nannostomus unifasciatus

  1.6 in (4 cm)17 gal (65 L)73–82°F (23–28°C)

• 

  Barred pencilfish

  Nannostomus espei

  1.2 in (3 cm)15 gal (55 L)72–82°F (22–28°C)

• 

  Coral red pencilfish

  Nannostomus mortenthaleri

  1.2 in (3 cm)15 gal (55 L)75–82°F (24–28°C)

• 

  Dwarf pencilfish

  Nannostomus marginatus

  1 in (2.5 cm)12 gal (45 L)72–82°F (22–28°C)