Golden Pencilfish - Red Form 3.5cm

Golden Pencilfish Red Form

The golden pencil fish is a fantastic species for aquarists who are searching for a unique, vibrant, and wild-looking fish for their nano biotopes or planted aquarium. These pencil fish will very much have a niche following and will be better suited for experienced aquarists. They are, however, very easy to care for once they settle in, and will make for a great schooling nano fish that only reaches around 4 cm in length.

The red form of the golden pencil fish is particularly vibrant, boasting enhanced flashes of crimson and rust-toned reds on the fins, especially in the males. These fish are quite thin and long, hence the resemblance to a pencil. They feature a rich cream to golden body colouration that carries a subtle metallic sheen, paired with a bold navy to black lateral line that stretches from nose to tail. Their vivid red finnage creates a fiery contrast that's especially striking in planted or blackwater aquariums. They hover gracefully in the water column, occasionally making short darting movements but often preferring to stay relatively still, giving them a calm and composed presence in a peaceful setup.

Pencil fish aren't bred regularly in the home aquarium; their niche demand compared to other nano fish species and harder breeding requirements do not make them appealing. These fish usually require a low PH and certain environmental triggers for them to begin breeding. Though this can be replicated in the home aquarium, it can be quite hard to nail and get the trigger for spawning. These are egg-laying fish that won't show any parental care either, but the ideal breeding setup would be a small aquarium with dense plants and botanicals to ensure a low PH and plant cover for the fry. The fry should be fed rotifers or liquid meals until they can survive on their own because they are extremely small. This challenge of rearing up the fry makes this fish a fun breeding project to consider.

Tank Recommendations for your Golden Pencilfish Red Form

A small group of golden red form pencil fish only requires a tank of 40 litres. This ensures that there's ample space for around 5 pencil fish, which will make them feel most comfortable. In the wild, pencil fish come from slow-moving, shallow waters that are dense with botanicals and plants. Though they will do fine in a high-tech planted aquarium, it is best that the required water parameters these fish need are met. These pencil fish are not too fussy on hardscape and but a tight-fitting lid will be a requirement since they can jump.

Suitable tank buddies.

Golden red form pencil fish are very slow-moving and would do best being kept alone or with equally nano tank mates. These fish have very small mouths, and ensuring they are properly fed when other tank mates are present can be a challenge.

Usually compatible

Celestial pearl danios, peacock gudgeons, emerald Rasboras, and similar species nano species.

Sometimes Compatible

Apistogramma, rams, and other territorial fish may show minimal but long-term aggression to the sensitive-natured pencil fish.

Rarely Compatible

Predatory South American cichlids and African cichlids will for sure make a meal out of the pencil fish.

Feeding your Golden Pencilfish Red Form

Golden red form pencil fish should take to foods quite easily; however, they require incredibly small foods. Their mouth is best shaped to eat small works, and their diet can easily consist of a nano pellet or flake along with white worms, microworms, and even black worms.