Jewel or Kribensis? 75 g African tank

**geektom** · 11-20-2012, 03:20 AM

Hey everyone, new here. I have kept tanks for years and years but have always essentially had the same tank: heavily planted, South American, usually with large schools of small fish.

I want to try something new, and will be pulling all the plants from my 75 g except for anubias and crinum, and will be adding rocks to make caves.

I was very excited about keeping Jewels, but as I did some research, it seems like they are too aggressive to keep even a small group of 6-8 in a 75 g- and apparently nothing can be in there with them!

Would you all agree that is true? If so, I will go with Kribs instead, but I really had my heart set on Jewels.

Thanks!

**waack** · 11-20-2012, 03:30 AM

had both fish, if jewels pair up, nothing is safe, if jewels pair up and one is ready before the other, the unready fish is not safe, 6 may be ok never tried it, but i guarantee if some pair up its over. That being said i have kept a single forest jewel with my kribs in my african tank no problem, and its robust enough to protect itself when the kribs breed

**geektom** · 11-20-2012, 04:01 AM

Thanks, waack- that seems to be what I am hearing. Disappointing, but that is why it is important to do some research before you start buying fish, right?

If I went with Kribs, could I do 6-8? What other African fish can be kept with them? I know about Congo's, but I want to keep the Cichlids the star of the show- are there other, smaller African schooling fish?

Appreciate the help!

**cm12setx** · 11-20-2012, 04:04 AM

the last time I had fish 16+years ago. I started with 6 jewels and ended up with 2; alpha male and female which spawned. two days later they ate the young. But I still loved them. Colors and attitude++. 75 gal may be enough.

**waack** · 11-20-2012, 05:24 AM

Um i had 4 kribs in a much smaller tank (3ft) and the two males competed vigorously, but in a larger tank with enough territories im pretty sure it would be fine, um butterfly fish are from west africa, can be hard to come by but i have seen a few around where i'm from. I had congos they are great and in a 75 i really recommend them. They will act as dithers i have found kribs can be a little bit shy when by themselves, there is even the african neon tetra, but that may be hard to come by. Also jelly been tetra, none are particularly colourful tho

**geektom** · 11-25-2012, 01:56 AM

What about bottom feeders? Are there syndodontis that stay small?

**Zanre96** · 06-20-2013, 05:39 PM

Kribs over Jewels D:!!
Mistake being made right here. Kribs will bore you to death. I have jewels and they are my favorite.
Buy 3 jewels and wait for a pair (take out the lonely one and return him/her) then stock the tank up with Hap ahli's or a jack dempsey. These fish are aggressive but when placed with hap's or JD's they are timid compared to them.