All fish / Lebiasinidae

Britski's Pencilfish

Nannostomus britskii

Also known as britski pencilfish, britskii pencilfish, britski's pencil fish, nannostomus britskii, ナンノストムス・ブリツキー, 布氏铅笔鱼

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A slender little pencilfish with a dark lateral stripe on a golden brown body, with touches of red on the fins in good condition. It is kept by fans of nano and blackwater biotope tanks for its calm nature and subtle colours, and it is rarely imported.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Peaceful

Adult size

3 cm

Temperature

24 to 28 °C

pH

5 to 7

Smallest tank

40 litres

Keep as

Group of 8 or more

Diet

Omnivore: small live and frozen foods such as daphnia, cyclops and brine shrimp, plus fine flake and micro pellets

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

3 to 5 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Brazil: upper Rio Tapajós basin and adjacent Amazon tributaries

Breeding

An egg scatterer that lays small numbers of eggs among fine plants over several days, and the adults will eat them. Breeding is possible in a small, soft, acidic and densely planted tank, but captive spawnings are seldom reported.

Good to know

Its small mouth and shy nature mean it needs tiny foods and calm tankmates, so avoid boisterous or large fish. It looks similar to other striped pencilfish such as N. eques relatives and N. beckfordi, so check identity when buying.