Pencilfish - Rocket Tail (Nannostomus Eques) "Rare"

Should ideally be kept in a heavily-planted set-up, preferably with a dark substrate and some patches of floating vegetation around which the fish will tend to congregate, bodies angled towards the surface.

Driftwood branches and dried leaf litter can also be added, the latter in particular driving establishment of microbe colonies as decomposition occurs.

Such microorganisms can provide a valuable secondary food source for fry, whilst the tannins and other chemicals released by the decaying leaves are also thought beneficial.

Use gentle filtration; an air-powered sponge-style unit should prove adequate in most cases though a degree of flow is acceptable.

Very peaceful but does not make an ideal community fish due to its small size and rather timid nature.

In a community it’s best kept with similarly-sized, peaceful characids and smaller callichthyid or loricariid catfishes.

It also makes an ideal dither fish for Apistogramma spp. and other dwarf cichlids since  it tends to inhabit the middle-to-upper regions of the tank, and does not actively predate fry.

It’s very much a gregarious animal so buy as many as possible, ideally 10 or more, as when kept in larger groups any aggression is spread between individuals plus the fish are bolder and exhibit more natural behaviour.

Unlike some relatives rival males rarely spar or do each other harm in any way

Temperature: 22 – 28 °C

pH: 4.5 – 7.5

Size: 40-50mm