{"product_id":"coral-red-pencilfish","title":"Coral Red Pencilfish (Nannostomus mortenthaleri) (Unsexed)","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe Coral Red Pencilfish (\u003ci\u003eNannostomus mortenthaleri\u003c\/i\u003e) is one of the most vibrant, sought-after nano fish in the freshwater aquarium hobby. Renowned for its brilliant ruby-red body and jet-black horizontal stripes, this stunning species adds an unmatched pop of color to planted community tanks.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eProduct Description\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003ePlace of Origin\u003c\/b\u003e Native to South America, the Coral Red Pencilfish originates from slow-moving forest streams, small tributaries, and flooded forest areas within the Peruvian Amazon basin, particularly around the Nanay and Tigre river basins.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eCare \u0026amp; Water Parameters\u003c\/b\u003e While moderately hardy once established, they thrive best in clean, well-filtered, soft, and slightly acidic water.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eTemperature:\u003c\/b\u003e 75°F – 82°F (24°C – 28°C)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003epH:\u003c\/b\u003e 5.5 – 7.0\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eHardness:\u003c\/b\u003e 1 – 8 dGH\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eCare Level:\u003c\/b\u003e Moderate\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eMinimum Tank Size\u003c\/b\u003e A minimum tank size of \u003cb\u003e15 to 20 gallons\u003c\/b\u003e is recommended. Males can display territorial behavior toward one another, so providing ample swim space and visual barriers helps keep peace in the aquarium.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eEnvironment \u0026amp; Setup\u003c\/b\u003e To replicate their natural blackwater habitat, keep them in a densely planted aquarium with driftwood, submerged root structures, and leaf litter. Floating plants like Frogbit or Salvinia are highly recommended to dim light levels and promote their rich, natural red coloration. Gentle filter flow is ideal.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eDiet \u0026amp; Feeding\u003c\/b\u003e Coral Red Pencilfish are micro-predators with small mouths. Feed them a varied diet consisting of high-quality micro granules, crushed flakes, and live or frozen foods such as baby brine shrimp, daphnia, and cyclops.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eTank Mates\u003c\/b\u003e Keep them in groups of 6 or more (ideally with a higher ratio of females to males) to dilute male squabbles and encourage schooling. Excellent tank mates include small peaceful tetras, rasboras, dwarf dwarf cichlids (\u003ci\u003eApistogramma\u003c\/i\u003e), \u003ci\u003eCorydoras\u003c\/i\u003e catfish, and peaceful dwarf shrimp. Avoid large or aggressive tank mates.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eBreeding\u003c\/b\u003e They are egg-scatterers that deposit non-adhesive eggs among dense vegetation like Java Moss. Breeding requires very soft, acidic water (pH 5.5–6.0). Because adults will eat their own eggs and fry, use a separate dedicated breeding tank with a mesh grate or dense spawning moss, removing parents immediately after spawning.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003ePLEASE READ BEFORE ORDERING\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe photos shown on fish product pages are representations of adult fish and are NOT the actual fish that you will be receiving.\u003cspan class=\"Apple-converted-space\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePlease visit our “Ordering\/Shipping fish” page prior to checking out to familiarize yourself with our process.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWe ship fish exclusively using overnight shipping with either FedEx or UPS. We will not ship fish with lesser expensive shipping services like “Ground” or “Priority Mail”. This is to ensure the safety of the fish.\u003cspan class=\"Apple-converted-space\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003eUnless specified, all fish are sold as unsexed.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"KGTropicals","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":41341295951936,"sku":null,"price":19.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1478\/2240\/files\/Unknown-48.jpg?v=1787329735","url":"https:\/\/keepfishkeeping.com\/products\/coral-red-pencilfish","provider":"KGTropicals","version":"1.0","type":"link"}