Product Details

Beckford’s Red Pencilfish – Nannostomus beckfordi

The Beckford’s Red Pencilfish is a slim, elegant South American characin with a distinctive pencil-like body shape, warm red-gold colour and attractive horizontal striping. Also sold as Beckford’s Pencilfish, Golden Pencilfish or Red Pencilfish, this peaceful upper to midwater species is ideal for calm planted aquariums, blackwater-style displays and smaller community tanks with gentle tank mates. It is one of the hardier and more adaptable pencilfish, but it still looks and behaves best in a mature, well-planted aquarium with a proper group.

Key Identification:

Common Name: Beckford’s Red Pencilfish
Other Names: Beckford’s Pencilfish, Golden Pencilfish, Red Pencilfish, Brown Pencilfish
Scientific Name: Nannostomus beckfordi
Fish Type: Pencilfish / Characin
Water Type: Freshwater

Natural Range & Habitat:

Nannostomus beckfordi is native to northern South America, including Guyana and parts of the wider Amazon region. It is found in quiet small rivers, slow-flowing streams, swampy areas and vegetated margins where there is little current and plenty of cover.

These habitats often contain submerged plants, overhanging vegetation, leaf litter, roots and shaded areas. In the aquarium, Beckford’s Red Pencilfish do best in a calm, mature setup with plants, floating cover and gentle filtration rather than a bright, bare or fast-flowing tank.

Appearance & Adult Size:

Beckford’s Red Pencilfish have a slender, torpedo-shaped body with a small mouth and a strong horizontal stripe running along the body. Depending on strain, sex and condition, the body may show warm gold, bronze, brown or red tones, with males often developing stronger red colour and brighter fin markings.

Females are usually fuller-bodied and less intensely coloured, while mature males may become slimmer, brighter and more competitive when displaying. Adults usually reach around 4–6 cm.

Aquarium Suitability:

This species is well suited to peaceful planted aquariums, soft-water community tanks and blackwater-inspired displays. It spends much of its time in the upper and middle areas of the aquarium, especially around floating plants, fine-leaved stems and shaded cover.

Beckford’s Red Pencilfish are not suitable for rough, aggressive or very boisterous aquariums. They are best kept with calm fish that will not outcompete them at feeding time or stress them with constant chasing.

Recommended Aquarium Size:

A practical minimum is 60 litres for a group, with a tank length of at least 60 cm recommended. A larger aquarium of 80 litres or more is better for a bigger group or mixed peaceful community.

Keep in a group of at least 6, with 8 or more preferred where space allows. A proper group improves confidence, spreads male display behaviour and helps the fish show better colour.

Water Conditions:

Temperature: 23–27°C
pH: 6.0–7.5
Hardness: Soft to moderately hard
Additional Notes: Stable water quality is more important than chasing exact numbers. Gentle filtration, planted cover and calm surface movement are ideal. Avoid sudden changes, poor water quality, very hard alkaline extremes and strong current.

Temperament & Tank Mates:

Aquarium Category: Community Fish

Beckford’s Red Pencilfish are peaceful community fish, although males may spar and display with each other over small territories among plants. This is usually harmless when the group is large enough and the aquarium has plenty of cover.

Suitable tank mates include small tetras, rasboras, dwarf cory-type catfish, Otocinclus, peaceful dwarf cichlids, small gourami and other calm community fish. Avoid fin-nippers, large predators, aggressive cichlids, very boisterous barbs and fast surface-feeding fish that may intimidate them.

Feeding:

Beckford’s Red Pencilfish are small omnivorous micropredators that naturally feed on tiny insects, worms, crustaceans and other small invertebrates. In the aquarium, offer fine flakes, micro pellets and small floating or slow-sinking granules as the staple diet.

Supplement with frozen or live foods such as daphnia, cyclops, baby brineshrimp, mosquito larvae and finely chopped bloodworm. Their small mouths mean foods should be appropriately sized. They often feed best in the upper water levels, so make sure food is not all taken by faster tank mates.

Behaviour in the Aquarium:

This species usually swims with a slight upward angle, hovering among plants and making short, controlled movements rather than constant fast swimming. Males may flare, chase and display to each other, especially when settled and in good condition.

Beckford’s Red Pencilfish can become shy if kept in low numbers or with aggressive tank mates. In a calm planted aquarium, a group will become much more visible, using the upper and middle levels while retreating into plant cover when startled.

Care Notes:

Keep in a proper group and provide a mature, well-planted aquarium with gentle flow. Floating plants are especially useful for confidence, colour and natural behaviour.

Avoid rough communities, large predators and fast-feeding fish that may prevent them from getting enough food. Regular water changes, stable conditions and a varied diet will help maintain colour, activity and long-term health.

Recommended For:

Beginner to intermediate

Availability:

Common to occasional / Often commercially bred or farmed, with red forms appearing regularly in the trade

Image Disclaimer:

All images are a visual representation of the fish you will receive, made to be as accurate as possible. Natural variation in size, colour, pattern, body tone and markings can occur between individual fish.