Female
Origin:Native to South America: Guyana countries, lower Rio Negro and middle Amazonas river.
Care: Less demanding than other Pencil fish species, Nannostomus beckfordi can be kept in regular community tanks as long as they aren't kept together with predatory fish or larger cichlids. The fish can be kept in most types of water, although they are best kept in soft acidic water. Furthermore, some densely planted zones and preferably a dark soil should be provided. Peat filtration is highly recommended. Nannostomus beckfordi is a quiet peacefull fish, and a small school of these fish can be a beautifull and interesting sight in a community tank.
Temperature:24-26 degrees
Feeding:Small live and flake food.Feeds on worms, crustaceans and insects. Feed should be small due to this fish having a tiny mouth.
Size: Up to 6.5 cm.
pH: 6.0-7.5 Hardness up to 20 dGH
Breeding: In soft acidic water (DH below 12(best 6 or lower), pH=5.5-6.5) Nannostomus beckfordi can be bred. The fish should be fed extremely well prior to breeding, most failed breeding attempts are related to vitamin deficiency. Mosquito larvae and small insects increase the chance of succes. If a female is ready to mate, she should be added to the breeding tank a day or two before the male is added. It's best to add the male in the evening, and usually spawning will occur the next morning.Although Nannostomus beckfordi has been reported not to eat the eggs, still it's better to remove them after spawning, and to protect the eggs. To accomplish this the spawning tank should be equipped with a substrate that will disable the parents to eat their own eggs. The up to 200 fry will hatch in around 2 days, and will be fully free swimming after 6 days. At that stage they can immediately be fed with artemia nauplii. The fry grow very fast, and can be ready to reproduce again in 6-7 months. Both eggs and fry are sensitive to large amounts of infusoria.
Sexual dimorphism: Males are thinner than the females, and have a red anal fin and a red lower caudal fin.
Male