Hockeystick pencilfish (Nannostomus eques) care guide

Group
Freshwater fish
Other names
Brown pencilfish, Diptail pencilfish, Rocket pencilfish, Brown-tailed pencilfish, Tubemouth pencilfish
Family
Lebiasinidae (pencilfishes)
Origin
Central and upper Amazon in Brazil, Peru and Colombia, plus the Orinoco in Venezuela and Colombia and rivers of Guyana such as the Essequibo.
Water
freshwater
Maximum size
3.5 cm
Temperature
22–28°C
pH
4.5–7.5
Hardness
Very soft to medium, 1–10 dGH
Minimum tank
54 litres
Care level
intermediate
Temperament
peaceful

Care

This pencilfish is very peaceful but quite timid, so keep it in a group of 10 or more. A tank with a base of at least 60 × 30 cm (around 54 litres) is the minimum. Its trademark is the way it hangs and swims with its head tilted upwards at an angle – only one other pencilfish (N. unifasciatus) does this. It spends most of its time near the surface, so floating plants and overhanging stems give it cover. Add plenty of plants, driftwood and leaf litter with soft lighting. Aim for warm, soft and acidic to neutral water: about 22–28 °C, pH 4.5–7.5 and 1–10 dGH. Keep conditions clean and stable. Identification: a slender brown-and-gold fish with a dark stripe that runs along the body and down into the lower lobe of the tail, giving the 'hockey stick' shape. At night it takes on dark vertical bars. Males are slimmer and more colourful, with a larger anal fin. Note that 'brown pencilfish' is also used for N. beckfordi. It is common in the trade, with most fish wild-caught. FishBase and Wikipedia list it as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Sources: Seriously Fish (seriouslyfish.com/species/nannostomus-eques/); FishBase (fishbase.se/summary/Nannostomus-eques.html); Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nannostomuseques). Checked October 2026.

Diet

A micropredator that feeds on tiny invertebrates and zooplankton. It takes small dried foods but should have small live or frozen foods daily, such as Artemia nauplii and microworm. It feeds mainly from the upper water layers.

Breeding

Rarely bred in aquaria. Unlike most pencilfish, it lays its eggs one batch at a time on the underside of plant leaves rather than scattering them. Use a separate tank with broad-leaved plants and soft, acidic water, condition the adults well and remove them after spawning. The fry become free-swimming after about 5–6 days and need very fine first foods such as infusoria.

Compatibility and tank mates

Very peaceful but shy. Keep with similar-sized calm fish such as small tetras, small catfish like Corydoras and Otocinclus, and other gentle species. A good dither fish for dwarf cichlids. Avoid boisterous or large fish that will outcompete or eat it.

Last updated 5 October 2026. Community-edited care guide on Aquatic-Auctions.

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