Dwarf Nannostomus (Nannostomus Marginatus)

2023 Author: Molly Page | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-11-27 22:49

Dwarf nannostomus, or nannostomus marginatus (Dwarf Pencilfish) - small, nimble South American fish that can decorate any nano aquarium. Unfortunately, in our country it is rarely found on sale. To keep these peaceful, omnivorous fish, you will need an aquarium with a volume of 10 to 40 liters, planted with small-leaved plants. They can spawn in the general aquarium, but in this case, the survival rate among fry is very low.

Habitat: South America (Guyana, Suriname, Peru, Colombia and Brazil - Amazon basin).

Habitat: small rivers and streams with a slow current, swamps. Often found in flooded forests and floodplain black water lakes. They prefer places with dense aquatic vegetation, many driftwood and fallen leaves.

Description: the body is elongated, rolling with large eyes. The mouth is small. The adipose fin is absent. The caudal fin is transparent, two-lobed. The lower jaw is slightly slanted back.

Related article Nannostomus beckfordi

Color: longitudinal brown and golden stripes on the body. Some individuals may have an additional red stripe along the middle dark stripe. Unpaired fins are reddish with black edging. The back is olive. At night, the color brightens, and the stripes disappear, while the red spots on the body and fins remain unchanged.

Size: 2-3 cm.

Life expectancy: 3-4 years.

Aquarium: oblong.

Sizes: from 10 for a couple and from 40 liters for a flock.

Water: dH 3-10 °, pH 5.5-7.2, aeration, filtration, low flow. Weekly water changes up to 10-15%. They love clean, transparent, oxygen-rich water.

Temperature: 23-25 ° C.

Lighting: diffused.

Soil: any dark with a layer of fallen leaves (beech, alder, oak), which serve as an additional source of tannins. Once a week, the leaves are replaced with new ones.

Plants: thickets of small-leaved plants (Javanese moss, kabomba, pinnate, myriophyllum) planted along the walls of the aquarium, as well as thickets of floating plants (ceratopteris, pistia).

Registration: driftwood (staining the water), stones, artificial decorations, free swimming space required.

Feeding: In an aquarium, nannostomuses accept all types of food. The food should be finely chopped as these fish have a very small mouth and can choke. They practically do not take food from the bottom. Adult fish are fed twice a day.

Behavior: active schooling fish. It is recommended to keep at least 10 fish, otherwise they become shy.

Personality: peaceful, timid. At the slightest danger, the fish quickly hide in the vegetation.

Water zone: upper and middle water layers.

May be kept with: small, non-aggressive fish (chain and armor catfish, neons, thorns, minors, cardinals and other nannostomuses, dwarf South American cichlids).

Not to be kept with: large and aggressive fish.

Breeding fish: spawning in pairs or in groups (with a predominance of males) - both in the general aquarium and in the spawning grounds (10-50 liters). The bottom of the spawning grounds is covered with a separator mesh (with a cell of 4 mm, stretched at a height of 2 cm from the bottom), small-leaved plants (Javanese moss, pinnate, taxiphyllum) are placed, several floating plants are thrown onto the water surface. Water level - no more than 10 cm. Parameters: dH 2-2.5 °, pH 5.5-6.2, carbonate hardness - 0 °, T 26-28 ° C, light aeration. The water must be peaty. Before spawning, producers are seated for 7-10 days and fed abundantly. Spawning usually takes place at night, at the bottom, in the midst of plants. The female, having laid the eggs, immediately turns around to eat it. The eggs are sticky, after a couple of hours they swell and sink to the bottom. After spawning, the aquarium is darkened.

Sex differences: sexual dimorphism is weak.

Puberty: begins at 7-11 months.

Related article Nannostomus trifasciatus

Number of caviar: up to 100 eggs.

Incubation period: 1-2 days.

Offspring: the larvae are inactive, the first two days they lie at the bottom. At this time, you can remove the substrate, the safety net from the spawning box and light the aquarium. Fry swim for 4-5 days and feed at the surface. 1/3 cup of boiled water is added to the aquarium with fry daily.

Growth rate: fast - grow to 22-25 mm by two months.

Feeding juveniles: starter feed - "live dust", rotifer, ciliate shoe. Feed with particles of 5-50 microns can be used as substitutes. On the 3-4th day, the fry are offered Artemia nauplii. The frequency of feeding is 3-4 times a day.

Jumping from parents: immediately after spawning, producers are planted.

Comments: Dwarf nannostomuses are not recommended to be populated in "immature", that is, recently neglected, aquariums, as this can lead to their death.