Family: Lebiasinidae
Beckford Pencilfish — a Lebiasinidae from South America, peaceful but shy in bare or bright tanks. Reaches 4.9–7.2 cm; shoaling; 8–10+ unlocks full colour and calm. 24–26 °C.
A Lebiasinidae species native to South America: Nannostomus beckfordi lives bottom-dwelling over warm freshwater streams and lakes. Peaceful but shy in bare or bright tanks. Adults reach 4.9–7.2 cm. It is one of the aquarium-kept Nannostomus species we profile, alongside Nannostomus eques, Nannostomus harrisoni, Nannostomus marginatus.
Intermediate difficulty. Peaceful but shy in bare or bright tanks; shoaling; 8–10+ unlocks full colour and calm.
Hold 24–26 °C and keep it stable — 24–26 °C recorded range. Stable temperature matching the species origin.
Full size is 4.9–7.2 cm. Minimum tank: 62 L, with open swimming space along its bottom-dwelling habits.
Unfussy; a varied small diet preserves colour. Vary the menu — quality flakes or pellets plus frozen or live foods.
Yes, with care. Peaceful but shy in bare or bright tanks — pair it with Small Corydoras — Share the lower water peacefully and skip Large or predatory fish — Tetras are snacks.
Native to South America, where it lives in warm freshwater streams and lakes. Still to gentle current; Moderate oxygen levels.
Low escape risk, but a lid is cheap insurance.
Scatters eggs among plants; light-proof the setup or add mops. Subtle external differences.