Ruby Red Pencilfish Care Guide
Nannostomus rubrocaudatus is a tiny Peruvian pencilfish with red-purple flanks and three black stripes, collected from the upper Marañón region.
Compiled by Aquairi from published sources · Published · Updated
Overview
Nannostomus rubrocaudatus is a small pencilfish of the family Lebiasinidae, described in 2009. Adult males show bright red-purple pigmentation between three strong dark lateral stripes; females remain plainer. Seriously Fish reports a maximum size of roughly 25-30 mm. Like other pencilfishes it pales markedly at night.
Taxonomy
- Family: Lebiasinidae
- Genus: Nannostomus
- Scientific name: Nannostomus rubrocaudatus (Zarske, 2009)
Habitat
FishBase records the species from Peru. Seriously Fish specifies a collection locality near Saramirisa on the banks of the upper Marañón, between the Morona and Santiago rivers in western Peru, in soft and acidic water.
Tank requirements
- Minimum tank volume: 60 L
- Temperature: 24-28 °C (75-82 °F)
- pH: 5.0-6.5
- GH: 1-6 °dGH (soft, acidic water)
- School size: 6 or more, ideally 10 or more
- Lifespan: 3-5 years
- Provide dense planting to diffuse male territoriality
Diet
Seriously Fish describes the species as a micropredator in nature. In the aquarium it accepts suitably sized dried foods but should also receive daily meals of small live and frozen fare such as Artemia nauplii, Moina and grindal worm.
Compatibility
Peaceful toward other species but timid, this is not an ideal general community fish because of its small size. Males are territorial toward one another, so Seriously Fish advises keeping ten or more to spread aggression. Good companions are small non-aggressive characids and small callichthyid or loricariid catfishes; it also works as a dither fish for dwarf cichlids.
Breeding
Seriously Fish reports that the species has rarely been bred in aquaria, generally requiring densely planted, mature tanks; fry develop adult patterns after roughly eight weeks.
Ruby Red Pencilfish Breeding Guide
Overview
Nannostomus rubrocaudatus is a slender Peruvian pencilfish collected from Saramirisa on the banks of the Maranon (upper Amazon) between the Morona and Santiago rivers in western Peru. Seriously Fish records a size of 25-30 mm SL. Though gregarious, it is a shoaling rather than schooling species, with territorial rival males sparring regularly.
Sexing
Adult males are noticeably less stocky and far more colourful than females, and possess a modified anal fin with the third to sixth rays thickened (Seriously Fish).
Conditioning
As a micropredator it should receive daily meals of small live and frozen fare such as Artemia nauplii, Moina and grindal worm, plus appropriately sized dried foods. Soft, acidic water suits it: Seriously Fish gives 24-28 C, pH 4.0-7.0 and hardness 18-90 ppm. A base footprint of at least 90 x 30 cm is recommended for the group.
Breeding Setup
Seriously Fish notes that successful breeding uses densely planted containers with fine-wool mops or plants, providing spawning sites and protecting the scattered eggs, which receive no parental care.
Egg & Fry Care
Reproduction has been achieved in aquaria, albeit rarely. The adults can be removed after 2-3 days and the first fry should be visible a day or two later (Seriously Fish). The smallest live and prepared foods are required for the first-feeding fry.