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Hi to all!

I just got a kribensis today, and read that it is peacful, likes a wide range of PH, and temperature, and found that it gets to be a perfecto size for a ten gallon. My question is, is there anything to look for as in diseases that affect this species rather often? Is this an appropriate candidate for the community tank of a betta, a Black widow tetra, and several platy fry? The fry are large enough to not be eaten.

Thanks all, i got a male and i am in the process of quarantining it now. Just accepting all advice! Thankx again!

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Kribs are great little fish, very pretty, if occassionally a little moody. I have a male that killed 2 females before i gave up on finding him a mate. I wouldnt put them in with bettas as stated in a previous post -it could turn out fatal for the bettas, but they are ok with most other fish like tetras.

As long as the tank has an area a krib can call home territory (usually only aroung 8 cubic inches or so) without being too crowded, they usually do ok. They love the wormy livefoods, and despite not being the most water quality sensitive of fish, they arent good with nitrate readings much over 30 ppm. Given a sheltered area of bogwood or an ornament or pot with a hole in, they will often use it and defend it.

A 10g should be ok for a pair, but because of the potential for aggression due to breeding I wouldn't keep any other fish with them.

At my last cichlid club meeting the talk was about various Pelvicachromis species. It was suggested to add a 'beater fish' (his name) after a pair has spawned. That way any aggression will be directed towards that fish other than the partner.

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Hmmmm.......................So Theresa, you are saying it needs a territory. I got that covered. Now, i cant keep it in a tank with a betta? Aww......... I wanted that soooooo badly. Do you think it will be ok for the krib if it has territory, and a cave? Will the betta be killed, even if it has its own territory?

PS: Im not going to have a pair. Just one male.

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Id only risk the two together in 40 gallon or bigger, and maybe not even then. Kribs tolerate no nonsense from other fish, a betta might start something it cant finish, and besides a betta might be too dumb to remember about not intruding on a kribs territory.Ive not found them to be especially intelligent, and combine that with being ruled by their hormones, they stand no chance against the better armed and highly intelligent kribiensis.

The krib will batter the betta whenever it comes close, and while siamese fighters seem tough, compared to even a small krib, they really dont measure up on the power to back up their aggression. Even a couple of bad bites from an angry krib could finish a betta, although kribs often posture and give fair warning, bettas are often too stupid to take the hint.

For some reason though, kribs often completely ignore non-territorial shoaling fish like tetras, danios, etc. Gouramis, bettas, and other territorial cichlids be they african or south american will be in the firing line though.

Kribs arent truly community fish, ive done it, and many others have too, but you have to plan stocking that includes kribs pretty carefully. Some specimens are much quicker tempered and better fighters than you might imagine. When they lose their temper they can really go at it for a small fish.They arent a truly evil fish, but they are intolerant, especially when they feel their personal space in invaded. I saw one in an LFS pick a fight with a goby over a burrow, they were about the same size and mass and the krib kicked the gobys backside. They have a real temper.

Do not put beta into the same tank with kribs, unless you want him to have a bad hair cut . I used to have a beta in my 32G with 2 kribs. For a while they seem to be ok, as the beta spent most of the time in the upper level of the tank. Then beta started to explore the different part of the tank. It probably got into the territory of the kribs, and he has a lot of fin damages overnight

When the kribs start to to breed, they will defend their territory fearlessly. I was doing some tank cleaning last weekend. When I tried to clean the algae off the plants near the kribs cave. The male attacked my hand viciously. Boy, he really has some firepower, for fish of his small size..

I know you are only having one male, so you won't have the aggression that comes with breeding, but this is an example. My 23G tank only housed parent kribs and 2 ottos. Fry were free swimming for approx 4 days & until then, a perfect parternship between the parents. For whatever reason, Dad banned mum from the fry & wouldn't let her near. She wasn't taking that without a fight, but being slightly smaller, she lost the battle. He must have bitten off her tail in one clean bite. It looked like it had been guillotined, it was such a neat clean cut. I feared for her life, so removed dad & left mum to care for fry. She now only had her fry & 2 otos for company. The otos were absolutly no threat to her fry, however, they were either too silly or too stubborn to move out of her way. Both otos lost their tails - but still stubbornly refused to move on.

My point is a female breeding krib is a pretty tough cookie and can hold her own, but a male krib was able to chase her down & bite off her tail. I'm sure she would be dead if I hadn't removed him.

In case you're wondering, everyone's tail grew back just fine & I now have 10 juvenile kribs, which sadly I will have to re-house soon.

Cheers
TW

"For some reason though, kribs often completely ignore non-territorial shoaling fish"
!
I got my first kribs at auction along with some WCMM, everyone got added to the same tank since we were only able to set up one at that time. Kribs hang out at the bottom WCMM take over the top. Balances the tank out fairly well, although it won't be the final set up by a long shot .

^_^

Now, if you were going with a pair of kribs,
I would advise no tankmates whatsoever, except maybe a bunch of zebra danios - something too fast to be killed by breeding kribs.
Man those fish can be brutal.
My sister had a breeding pair, who tried to kill everything in the tank off - killed half her pepper corys, left two permanently disabled (came to live with me, one with a broken back and the other missing a couple of fins), killed and ate her neons, took out both dwarf gouramis, and kept trying to kill her dojo loaches.
Then the male turned on the female and killed her too.

However, youre only keeping 1 and I see no problem with compatibility between him and your other fish, even though myself personally, I would not mix african fish with non-african fish, for many reasons, including body language being dramatically different. A perfect tank would be a krib with some Jellybean tetras or congo tetras - some african varieties of fish.
However, it Should be ok. If he starts to get too aggressive, return him to the LFS.
Good Luck.


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Never heard of the tetras you mentioned, sneaky. Oh well! It will likely become a species tank with a breeding pair of kribs and maybe 6 z. danios, when i get my 35 hex. THanx all 4 the advice!

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