Can elephant nose fish live with pencilfish?

Verdict

Yes, with care

Yes, with care. Elephant nose fish and pencilfish can share a tank, but watch one thing. A grown elephant nose fish may treat small pencilfish as food, especially at night.

Elephant nose fish73–82°F · pH 6–7.5

Pencilfish75–82°F · pH 5–7.5

What to watch

Watch outA grown elephant nose fish may treat small pencilfish as food, especially at night.

What works

Both are fine at 75–82°F.
pH 6–7.5 suits both.
They use different parts of the tank: elephant nose fish the bottom, pencilfish the mid.

Water side by side

The green band is the temperature range both can live in.

The green band is the pH both tolerate.

Size to scale

Adult length in an aquarium. A fish can swallow anything that fits in its mouth, roughly a third to half its own length for predators.

Care at a glance

	Elephant nose fish	Pencilfish
Temperature	73–82 °F	75–82 °F
pH	6–7.5	5–7.5
Adult size	9.0 in	2.0 in
Minimum tank	55 gal	15 gal
Temperament	Semi-aggressive	Peaceful
Swims at	Bottom	Middle
Group	Alone or in pairs	Groups of 6+
Diet	Carnivore	Omnivore

Better tank mates for elephant nose fish

All elephant nose fish tank mates

Better tank mates for pencilfish

All pencilfish tank mates

Questions

Can elephant nose fish live with pencilfish?

Yes, with care. Elephant nose fish and pencilfish can share a tank, but watch one thing. A grown elephant nose fish may treat small pencilfish as food, especially at night.

What temperature suits both elephant nose fish and pencilfish?

75–82 °F. Elephant nose fish need 73–82 °F, pencilfish need 75–82 °F.

What size tank do elephant nose fish and pencilfish need together?

At least 55 gal, set by the elephant nose fish. Add space for each extra fish.