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Yesterday I posted in my journal about this and I want to add more details and spread a warning about the API product melafix. What I did: My Apisto nipped my Gouramis and Guppies fins. I moved the apisto to a different tank. I added a standard dose of Melafix to the tank to try and stop infection/help the fins heal quicker. I then walked away from the tank for 30 minutes. Nothing else was added to the tank. pH 8.0, soft water, medium buffer, 5 nitrates, 0 chlorine 0 ammonia 0 nitrite. What happened: My cousin walked by the tank and screamed "your fish are dead". I went back to the tank and 4 of the 7 pencilfish were already dead lying on the bottom. My cousin removed the remaining pencilfish to the other tank (he has fish too) while I did a big water change and tested the water. 2 of the pencilfish in the other tank were fine while the last one struggled for around 2 hours but eventually sank like the rest and died. All of the stuff below applies to air breathers as well as pencilfish. Apparently Tea Tree Oil is similar to turpentine (a liver toxin) I read that the Tea Tree Oil in melafix reacts with soft water in some way to harm pencil fish and air breathers. This would make sense because although I have a high midwestern pH, we have a water softener so my water is very soft with medium buffer and a pH around 8.0. I mostly keep all soft water fish other than the guppies, so its never been a problem in the past. I also read that it has a larger effect on male pencilfish, which could explain why my two most dull colored pencilfish were completely fine while the rest sunk and died. According to what I read, "if you are using this product with Bettas (and Pencilfish) , make sure that your KH is above 50 ppm, your GH is above 150 ppm, & pH is above 6.5 (or better above 7), and you should not have a problem. is that since the best research shows similarities between TTO and Turpentine (both are terpenes), is that in an acidic environment, in particular an environment with nitric acid or other acids as a result of organic decomposition such as carbonic acid, the chemical reaction can produce chemicals that may harm the liver in certain fish that have a tendency to ingest the water around them such as Labyrinth fish/Pencil fish (via the surface). From https://www.fish-as-pets.com/2008/12/melafix-dangers-labyrinth-fish.html Apparently API has done testing in the past because they have received lots of complaints off people having similar experiences to mine.. They report that Melafix is safe for all fish but one quick google search 'melafix pencilfish' shows this not to be true in every case. I emailed API about this to see if they could give me a refund for the melafix but that's unlikely as it's been a full day and I have not gotten a response so idk. I feel really bad because one quick google search and 5 deaths could have been avoided. I will report that the Melafix does not effect the Gourami in the tank. I used melafix because that was what I had on hand and I have live plants in all my tanks so salt is not an option. In the future I definitely will order and use maracyn.

Here is the final details & look of my mother's home office tank(video included...will take some pics soon): 10 gal rimless Carib Sea Eco-Complete, Red Multiple pieces of Red Seiryu & Elephant Skin rock Several pieces of sourced driftwood pieces(small) Bubble Wall Aquaclear Hangback 20-30 gal rated(sponge on end to prevent shrimpies from going bye bye into filter) Fluval Aquasky Light Plants: 1x Nymphaea sp. Peru Puerto Maldonado(prob the most expensive plant I have bought ever, but wow its beautiful...bought two more for the Discus set up I am doing in my journal below) 1x Xyris sp Red Rare 3x Eriocaulon Polaris 2x Echinodorus Red Devil 1x Java Fern(sourced from my giant Java in my living room tank) 2x Jungle Vale(sourced from new ones sprouted in living room tank) 1x self made island of moss Livestock: 10x Blue Dream Neocaridinas 10x Cherry Neocardinas A few Ramshorn & a couple Assassin snails(to help with the bladders that hopped on plants I bought) 2x Sunset Honey Gourami 5x Red Beckfordi Pencilfish 2x Purple Pencilfish 'Rio Huallaga' 2x Lemon Bristlenose Plecos(seller sent me 2, so I will eventually move 1 to another tank...right now they are ok, super small) Well...that is pretty much the specifics...video below!

Hi! I was wondering if anyone here had kept nannostomus eques / brown tail pencilfish and could point me towards a good source for these fish and any care tips you have. I was thinking of keeping 6-10 in a 20gal with a breeding pair of apistos caca. I recently picked up. Thanks for any and all guidance!

I noticed my pencilfish were sparring non-stop last night after a water change so i thought id share a short video because i hadnt seen any pics or vids online of them doing this and you might be interested in their behavior if youre thinking of keeping them. They're actually still at it today as i type this. Pencilfish Feelin Feisty Vid

Hi Everyone, So I have a 3ft aquarium that houses 9 Beckford pencilfish and a juvenile pair of Apistogramma Borellii. Everything was great whilst the pencilfish were young but since they've put on size the males have turned fairly aggressive towards each other(pinning up against each other and shaking) with the Borellii sometimes getting chased in the cross fire. Do I need to add more Pencilfish to spread this aggression out or is it a bad match with the Apistos and should I move on the Pencilfish?

I have a pencilfish that potentially has a swim bladder disorder; looking to either confirm or get other opinions. I haven't seen any fish acting strangely except for this poor guy. He actually looks really good... just tilted. He has been displaying to the females and showing off those red tipped fins. But when he stops actively swimming, he tilts to the left, and even ended up taking a rest on his side once I placed him the the specimen container. (I think its because there isn't enough space for him to get up to speed and get oriented.) I dont see any other signs of illness; very weird to see an otherwise healthy fish laying on its side. After some internet research, I suspect I have been overfeeding and this has caused him constipation, resulting in a swim bladder issue. Aside from cutting back on feeding and feeding him peas (which is ALL OVER the internet.. has anyone actually TRIED it with success?) is there anything else I should be doing for him? I got some new fish recently and already have 2 quarantine tanks running; I'd rather not set up another for him but I can. Im not sure any meds will help. I suppose it could possibly be a result of bacterial infection or parasites, (very easy to accidentally cross contaminate with quarantine tanks,) but I would expect to see other symptoms such as lethargy if it was an infection. For now he is going to hang out in his own specimen container there. Tank specs: Planted 60 gal, has been pretty stable for about 3 years. Nitrate, nitrite, and ammonia all zero. Gh has increased from 12 to 15 in the past month for unknown reasons. Kh 7.0. Temp 74.9* F. Contains pencilfish, guppies, gold white cloud minnows, orange fin zebra danios (added a few weeks ago after a 4 week quarantine, no meds), bronze corydoras, assassin snails Top down view Poor bud