Another 'new' Nannostomus

[gwand]

Anyone have experience with N. mortenthaleri?

 

[anewbie]

Anyone have experience with N. mortenthaleri?

They are ok - some people complain they are territorial but i never saw it in my group - some people complain they don't live long - i had two groups from the same source - one is still alive after 2 years and other died out after about 9 months.

You never know the true age of course because most are adults when ordered but you might find young ones if tank raised. also i keep all my pencils in a nice holder of blackwater - a lot of the red variants are less tolerant of harder water.

 

[Innesfan]

Yes. Very colorful. Males are territorial and quarrel among themselves. But we're talking about Nannostomus-aggression, not cichlid. That said, give them room. I suspect that's why @anewbie hasn't had an issue with them. I found them very easy to breed in a colony setting. Males have a prominent white blotch on the anterior dorsal edge, among other gender differences. Be sure the vendor has both sexes. If you can get a photo, and you have any doubt, I'm happy to assist.

 

[gwand]

They are ok - some people complain they are territorial but i never saw it in my group - some people complain they don't live long - i had two groups from the same source - one is still alive after 2 years and other died out after about 9 months.

You never know the true age of course because most are adults when ordered but you might find young ones if tank raised. also i keep all my pencils in a nice holder of blackwater - a lot of the red variants are less tolerant of harder water.

On TomC’s site they have intense breeding colors. Super red.

 

[anewbie]

Yes. Very colorful. Males are territorial and quarrel among themselves. But we're talking about Nannostomus-aggression, not cichlid. That said, give them room. I suspect that's why @anewbie hasn't had an issue with them. I found them very easy to breed in a colony setting. Males have a prominent white blotch on the anterior dorsal edge, among other gender differences. Be sure the vendor has both sexes. If you can get a photo, and you have any doubt, I'm happy to assist.

I would argue perhaps incorrectly that the trifs are far more aggressive at defining their territory and their territory is larger (which makes them seem more aggressive). I wonder if i have all or mostly female morth never noticed the white but i should take a picture.

 

[Innesfan]

I would argue perhaps incorrectly that the trifs are far more aggressive at defining their territory and their territory is larger (which makes them seem more aggressive).

I agree with that.

 

[Innesfan]

On TomC’s site they have intense breeding colors. Super red.

In life it's more deep orange than red. Their 'popular name', Coral Red Pencilfish. captures it well. Their close cousins, N. rubrocaudatus are true, deep red.

 

[anewbie]

For the record i have some trifs (mostly pink lip variant) in a 65 and 29 - and morths are in a 65. I've been moving towards 65 and 100s as my standard size for dwarf cichild and using 29s when i find something new to try - the larger tanks really help a lot with a lot of fishes - it change their behavior in a lot of ways. of course it has space/cost disadvantages but even with pencil fishes i highly recommend the larger areas. Having said that yu could keep n. margs in a pickle jar and they would be tame though it would be cruel and unusual punishment to do so.

Also of the species i've kept i still keep going back to n. marilynae though i'm also quite fond of n. epesi - the one major species i haven't tried - well two - are anduzei and eques.

 

[Innesfan]

the one major species i haven't tried - well two - are anduzei and eques.

Love 'em both. Used to be N. eques was commonplace and N. unifasciatus rarely seen. Now it's the reverse. Odd since they are syntopic and are almost always found together--N. eques at the surface and N. unifasciatus below them--whatever that symbiotic arrangement is.