FishProfiles.com Message Forums

Hello

If all goes well, in the next month I should be getting a breeding pair of Pelvicachromis Taeniatus "Moliwe". These fish are africans and are cousins to the krib.

They will be going in a 20G & will be the only main fish. I'd like to add some otos (for algae) and some dither fish. What dither fish do you suggest would be good & do you think the otos would be ok in there. If so, how many? From anther source it was suggested that I use bristlenose, instead of the oto and the dither fish to be yellow tail congo tetras. I looked at the profiles and thought these fish were all too big for the tank.

Wondering what your suggestions would be?

Thank you

Cheers
TW

If these Pelvicachromis are like your average krib, they will be little demons while breeding. Other fish will likely be attacked, so if you choose any tankmates they must be either very quick or able to withstand determined assault. I don't think the ottos would be tough enough, and from what I know of Congo tetras they need a good deal of swimming space. A bristlenose would be a hardy enough fish, but would also pose a threat to the cichlids' eggs.

Honestly, I don't think you'll need any tankmates, even as dithers. They would either be killed or would upset the parent fish or their offspring. The cichlids should be very willing to spawn without the "security" provided by dithers, and won't care about algae at all.

---

And when he gets to Heaven, to Saint Peter he will tell: "One more Marine reporting, Sir! I've served my time in Hell."

not to disagree with Sirbooks, hes prolly right. just thought i would toss in what ive heard.

ive heard of otos generally being ignored by breeding kribs. they are to small to pose any type of threat and have no interest in the eggs. is this fact or luck...your call

if you decide on ottos i would go with 3 as they feel safer seeing their own kind around once in a while. as far as dithers i would have to agree there really isnt any point. they wont be shy any longer then a normal new fish and dither will just become a endless target when breeding. BUT the exception to this would be the breeding pair. if they are beating the bag out of each other when breeding ( its been known to happen ) i wouyld suggest dithers. this will give them an outlet other then each other. danio would be a good choice i think. fast small and stay top side. shouldnt pose any threat to fry that im aware of. this is just incase your pair are overly agressive but usually i wouldnt worry about it.

anyway thats my 2 cents

My advice is, if you want to get more fish, get a bigger tank. Make sure you have lots of hiding places and places for the kribs to breed.

I've got a fever... and the only prescription... is more cowbell!

Thanks for the advice. Guess I'll see how it all goes and whether the fish are shy or beat each other up. I still don't have them yet. I think they're in Custom's quarantine at the moment.

At the moment a bigger tank is not an option. I do have a larger one (set up as a community) but I want these 2 in a quieter tank, which is their domain. Any dither or algae eater would be added only if required. The importer suggested the dithers would be neccessary, but we'll see.

Cheers
TW

A 20 gal will be just fine for these fish. I bred mine multiple times in a 10 gallon, and in a 15 gal. They are exactly like regular or common kribs when it comes to personality and breeding personalities. They will act just like P. pulcher (the common krib). These are a beautiful fish, especially from the location Moliwe.

Your setup should be the same as for the common krib as well.

I also would suggest a bushynose, and probably an albino one if you can find one. Reason being, they are more hardier than the ottos, and the albinos don't get as large as the standard bushynose do. Either way, the taeniatus will not reconize them as a threat, and most likely will not bother them. I kept albino bushynose in most all my breeding tanks, including the one that had the taeniatus "Moliwe" in them. They never bothered the pleco.

You might also look at the profile listed on our site; http://www.fishprofiles.com/files/profiles/234.htm

Enjoy!

_____________________________________________________________

There is always a bigger fish...

Thanks ACIDRAIN. I've never kept a common krib before either, so this will all be new.

Thanks for the advice on the bristlenose. I was also thinking of a Gold Marble Bristlenose. Their profile on planetcatfish says they only get to 2.8", so do you think they'd be ok?

Read the profile link you gave me & note the comment about males. How long will the pair tolerate the fry, particularly the male fry, before I have issues with multiple males in the tank together.

Cheers
TW

The male fry will be fine until they start to mature, then the father will start taking them out. But they will be about an inch and a half or more before that. The best thing to do, is remove the fry once they are swimming all over the tank on their own. They will be less than to an inch by that time. Move them to a grow out tank then, and the pair will most likely spawn again in a couple weeks after that.

_____________________________________________________________

There is always a bigger fish...

thanks for the advice.

Cheers
TW

Oh no. LFS just emailed that the female was DOA to their shop. They still have the male, but I don't think I'll go ahead until they can give me a pair.

Cheers
TW

Bummer, I hope they get some for you. They are a beautiful fish, maybe you might want to order two pair in hopes of getting at least one pair. And in any case you will at least have some backups or even a second pair.

_____________________________________________________________

There is always a bigger fish...

Hi, ACIDRAIN

Major BUMMER. Very disappointed. I've asked the importer to try for the Dehane (spelling???) strain for me, as the pics of those are really, really nice. I'd love to be able to order 2 pairs, but my finances won't stretch that far. For my pocket anyway, these fish were going to be a bit more expensive than my usual purchases.

I just have to be patient now & wait to see how long it takes to get me another pair of either dehane or moliwe.

Cheers
TW

YAY, Importer tells me my Dehanes are now due to arrive in the country in a couple of weeks.

Getting their new home all ready for them.

Cheers
TW