Red Coral Pencilfish (Nannostomus mortenthaleri)
£15.00
Red Coral Pencilfish
Bulk Offer – 3 for £42.00
Discount will apply at checkout.
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Description
Red Coral Pencilfish (Nannostomus mortenthaleri):
Care Sheet:
The Coral Red Pencilfish (Nannostomus mortenthaleri) is a strikingly vibrant nano fish from the upper Amazon basin in Peru. Growing to about 3.5 cm, this peaceful yet active shoaling species requires a well-planted, mature aquarium with soft, acidic water and plenty of hiding spaces.
Profile Overview
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- Scientific Name: Nannostomus mortenthaleri
- Origin: Rio Nanay basin, Peru
- Temperament: Peaceful but assertive among its own kind; ideal for nano or community tanks with non-predatory tank mates.
Water Parameters
To mimic their natural, tannin-stained habitats, water conditions should be strictly maintained:
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- Temperature: (22°C – 28°C)
- pH Level: (4.5 – 6.5)
- Water Hardness: Soft, ideally under (10 dGH)
Tank Setup
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- Minimum Aquarium Size: 10 to 15 gallons
- Environment: Heavily planted with plenty of broad-leafed plants, rooted vegetation, and floating cover to diffuse light and reduce stress.
- Substrate & Decor: Dark substrate and a darker background highlight their intense colouration. Incorporating driftwood and leaf litter helps naturally lower the pH and stains the water to a tea-like colour.
- Filtration: Efficient but gentle filtration is recommended, as these fish naturally inhabit sluggish or nearly still waters.
Diet & Feeding
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- Diet Type: Omnivorous micro-predator.
- Foods: Relishes live or frozen foods like daphnia, baby brine shrimp, cyclops, and microworms. High-quality, crushed flakes or micropellets are also readily accepted.
Behaviour & Tank Mates
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- Social Requirement: Must be kept in shoals of at least 10 individuals to diffuse aggression and encourage natural schooling behaviour.
- Compatability: Excellent for peaceful nano-community tanks. Good companions include tiny characins, peaceful dwarf cichlids, or Corydoras catfish. Avoid keeping them with boisterous or large fish that could intimidate them or treat them as food.
- Territoriality: Dominant males may occasionally bicker. Providing a heavily planted tank with plenty of visual barriers allows subordinate fish to retreat.
Breeding
- Setup: Requires a dedicated, dimly lit breeding tank (about 10 gallons) filled with soft, acidic water (e.g., RO water) and dense fine-leafed plants or Java moss.
- Process: Condition a group with frequent live foods, then isolate a pair or a small group (one male to several females). The adults will scatter eggs amongst the moss and should be removed immediately afterwards to prevent them from eating the eggs.
- Fry: The fry require microscopic foods like infusoria for the first few days, before transitioning to baby brine shrimp.
Convenient nationwide delivery; you’re only a click away!
Our nationwide delivery service makes it easy to receive your fish directly at your door, anywhere in the UK, for a flat rate of just £30. This convenient service allows you to order up to 10kg of fish, with the assurance that they will arrive in excellent condition.
To make the fishes journey as comfortable as possible we use Oxygen in the fish bags and heat packs in all the boxes of fish we send out.
For your peace of mind we enclose a slip which will explain what to do in the event of a fish not traveling too well.
We use a licensed courier to deliver your fish directly to you door and will be with you by 1pm the next day.
Our delivery days are as follows:
Tuesday for Wednesday delivery
Wednesday for Thursday delivery
Thursday for Friday delivery
Please put your desired delivery day in the Order Notes on the Checkout page.
General Enquiries
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