Species · Nannostomus beckfordi

Golden pencilfish: tank size, water and tank mates

Peaceful; SF advises omitting sedate surface fish like hatchets in small tanks.

Adult size6.5 cm (2.6 in)
Minimum tank10 US gal
Temperature21–27 °C (70–81 °F)
pH6–8
Temperamentpeaceful
Keep in groups of10+
Swimsmid
Shrimp & snailsUsually safe

Check a tank with Golden pencilfish

Good tank mates for Golden pencilfish

These species share its temperature range and temperament, with no fin-nipping or predation risk under our rules. Still check your tank size and bioload in the checker.

African butterflyfish · African dwarf frog · Agassiz's dwarf cichlid · Amano shrimp · Assassin snail · Banjo catfish · Betta (male) · Black neon tetra · Black phantom tetra · Black ruby barb · Black skirt tetra · Bleeding heart tetra · Bloodfin tetra · Bristlenose pleco · Bronze corydoras · Buenos Aires tetra · Bumblebee goby · Cardinal tetra · Celestial pearl danio · Checkerboard barb · Cherry barb · Cherry shrimp · Chili rasbora · Clown killifish

Avoid with Golden pencilfish

Black ghost knifefish (predation) · Convict cichlid (aggression) · Demasoni cichlid (aggression) · Discus (temperature) · Jack Dempsey (aggression) · Jewel cichlid (aggression) · Oscar (predation) · Paradise fish (aggression) · Pea puffer (aggression) · Senegal bichir (predation)

Sources

Checked 2026-11-09 · confidence: medium. These are cautious community guidelines, not guarantees. Not veterinary advice. Report an error.