kribs in a 20 yay or nay

[lovleeko]

In your opinion, is 20 gallons enough to keep a pair of kribensis? I dont really want to breed. I just want a pair for better coloration. I'm thinking a twenty gallon long for these guys.

[troy]

No. IMO 20g is too small for a pr of kribs.

[lovleeko]

No. IMO 20g is too small for a pr of kribs.

Really? Just the two kribs by themselves is to small? I would have thought it would be enough just by themselves. hmmm.

[Red]

I think it is fine for a pair..

[lovleeko]

I think it is fine for a pair..


Thanks for your opinion sev. I was looking down there for a minute. I was a bit excited about the prospect. I have never kept kribs but I read they only grow 4 inches and that the females were around three. I was thinking of keeping just them because it seems there aren't a lot of suitable tank mates for them.

[robnepper]

I have my pair in a twenty and they are doing great and giving kids too. They are not very active swimmers, like say, Danios, so they don't need as much space to swim. They just to hang around the cave defending territory and scrounge food from the bottom.

They are great addition for a twenty, no smaller though. Have fun.

[Sharon]

I think it should be fine...thumbs2:

[lovleeko]

I have my pair in a twenty and they are doing great and giving kids too. They are not very active swimmers, like say, Danios, so they don't need as much space to swim. They just to hang around the cave defending territory and scrounge food from the bottom.

They are great addition for a twenty, no smaller though. Have fun.


Thanks, do you keep anything with them?

[Lady Hobbs]

Unless I'm missing something, I can see no reason you can't have kribs, either. They only get to 3-3 1/2" and mix well with platies, gourami's and other community fish and small cichlids. If you don't want spawn, you could
have just males.

[Red]

Yeah i would throw a nice school of bloodfin tetras with them. Are you looking to breed them?

[robnepper]

Thanks, do you keep anything with them?

two corys
7 danios

[lovleeko]

Yeah i would throw a nice school of bloodfin tetras with them. Are you looking to breed them?


It doesn't matter. That really wasn't the point but it might be interesting to watch since I'm assuming that it will happen with a pair. I'm not separating the fry or anything. Anther reason why I said I wasn't sure about tank mates because I read they were really bad when breeding. And unlike the GBR their aggression was a lot worse. (this is just stuff I'm reading I have never kept them.) I wanted them in my 55 but I am getting blue rams for it and I already have bolivians and considering they are all cave dwelling and occupy the same area of the tank I figured that was not going to work out too well.

I keep reading that their best kept in pairs or their color is drab. IDK Else I would keep just females or males but I definitely want more than one.

Thanks for the help guys:ssmile:

[fishbum]

I keep a single krib male in a 30g with a single GBR,keyhole,and a pair of angels.He colors up nicely from time to time,but nothing like when I bought him,and the tank I got him out of was full of females.In a 20g,if you get a male and female,I would not add any other fish,myself.They are sure to breed,and that just isn't enough room for other fish,IMO.

[lovleeko]

two corys
7 danios


How are they during breeding time with the danios being around? Is it manageable?

[Northernguy]

How are they during breeding time with the danios being around? Is it manageable?
Corys????
A cory could never hurt another fish!
Cichlids are mean when spawning!

[lovleeko]

Corys????
A cory could never hurt another fish!
Cichlids are mean when spawning!


That is what I'm talking about. lol He said he had corys and danios with kribs. I meant, how are the kribs with the danios during spawning. Which come to think about it, I would like to know the corys would be okay as well because they seem to just follow their barbels and not pay any attention to were their going or whos territory their going into. So I was wondering if the aggression was manageable with the kribs during breeding. :hmm3grin2orange: Those darn cory get mean :hmm3grin2orange: lol

[Sharon]

Kribs tend to dislike bottom dwellers... I'd worry about corys if the Kribs breed.

[lovleeko]

Kribs tend to dislike bottom dwellers... I'd worry about corys if the Kribs breed.


Sharon would you get something more aggressive for the bottom or just leave out bottom dwellers all together? A tank doesn't seem complete without bottom dwellers.

[Sharon]

I'd leave them out altogether...It's going to be a problem with breeding, especially!

[lovleeko]

I'd leave them out altogether...It's going to be a problem with breeding, especially!

Thank you for your opinion Sharon. I keep wondering if maybe I should try to keep just one sex. But the colors of having a pair are to die for.

[Sharon]

Yes, and they are really good parents and fun to watch. I wouldn't know, as mine have bred but have eaten the fry...which they will do for the first couple of times. Now my two hate the sight of each other!!!:14:

[lovleeko]

Wow, what do you do when they decide they hate each other? LOL

[Sharon]

I'm watching them closely, and they are looking very stressed. I'm considering moving them soon...

[Taurus]

A pair of Kribs should be fine in a 20g long. Just make sure they have a cave, over turned flower pot, ect. for shelter. Kribs and 3 or 4 small cory cats. thumbs2:

[Taurus]

Yes, and they are really good parents and fun to watch. I wouldn't know, as mine have bred but have eaten the fry...which they will do for the first couple of times. Now my two hate the sight of each other!!!:14:

Yeah, if the pair feels that their eggs are threatened in anyway, they will eat them rather than allow harm to them from others. But I think the same thing would happen if the pair were in a larger tank??

[Jellygirl]

Hi there,

I have recently kept a pair of kribs in 68 litres and whilst this worked fine for the krib family who bred within a couple of weeks of being introduced, the dither fish (tetras) were hounded continually. I eventually moved the pair to a 125 litre where they bred within 10 days. They killed off a couple of cardinals before I even noticed. The clown posed a real threat and the parents gave him a hard time for several weeks. However, the parents completely ignored my BN catfish and have never chased it out of their territory. I am now inundated with krib fry but before I had a chance to wonder what I will do with another batch should they breed again, the parents had a major fall out and I have had to put the female in a different tank. The parents still colour up from time to time, especially at feed times but not as nice as when they were a pair.

I think you should consider what you would do should yours have a fall out and what you will do with all the fry. I thought maybe the clown and BN catfish would polish off all the eggs but the parents defended the eggs and fry so carefully that about 30 - 40 of the second batch survived. Oh well it has been very very fascinating to have them breed and they have given me much pleasure but oh what shall I do with about 190 fry :sconfused

Whatever you decide good luck with them.
Jellygirl

[lovleeko]

Thank you very much for sharing your experience with them. IT helps a lot in my decision with themthumbs2: