Twostripe pencilfish

Care at a glance

Overview

This peaceful dwarf does best in a shoal of 8 or more in a well planted nano or community tank. Its mouth is tiny, so offer small foods and keep it only with equally gentle, small tankmates. A quiet tank with soft water and subdued lighting shows off its stripes.

In the wild

Lives in quiet, shaded blackwater and clearwater streams thick with vegetation. The water is soft and acidic, with plenty of fine leaved plants and leaf litter for cover. These tiny fish keep to the middle water in small groups.

Good to know

Nannostomus digrammus is one of the smallest pencilfishes at around 3.5 cm, marked with two dark horizontal lines along a slim golden body. It belongs to the family Lebiasinidae. Like its relatives it shows a different pattern after dark.

Did you know

At barely over 3 cm, it is small enough that a mature group can live comfortably in a well planted desktop tank.

Related species

• 

  Hockeystick pencilfish

  Nannostomus eques

  1.4 in (3.5 cm)15 gal (55 L)72–82°F (22–28°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)