Tank mates

[siva]

I've got a pair of kribs matched up now and the female has dug out her cave under a rock she was under there for a few good days to. The male and female were guarding their little cave to. I thought they had there eggs but nothing! Now it's like a week later they aren't going in the cave as much and the female is still gravid. Any ideas on what could have happened?
It's in a 29g with two gouramis, two sae, and two rams is it that I have to many other species or should that matter?

Also is there any other pairs of fish I could get

I wouldn't add mollies or swords for the risk of overstocking. They get too large and have too large a bio-load to add to your tank IMO. You don't want to throw your tank off with those big waste producers and mess with your cichlids. I would add maybe a small shoal of cories to the bottom and maybe a couple male platties at most.

 

[siva]

My male krib isnt peaceful just full of energy and wants to spawn so he does chase his share of fish

Personally, I wouldn't be adding fish at all if he isn't peaceful.

 

[Hobgob]

Personally, I wouldn't be adding fish at all if he isn't peaceful.

It's not that he isn't peaceful he just wants his territory by their cave right. The female does it to. But only when she started spawning.

 

[Hobgob]

I'm thinking of getting two or three more sae. That way they can school. What do you guys think?

 

[Shetland James]

Algae eaters are 'peaceful' but they're really frantic and fast as you will know from keeping them. I would suggest that these might wind the kribs up unintentionally and would be an unnecessary distraction. Ever consider a docile fish like a neon? ****, white cloud mountain minnows would be good because they only really stay up around the top. You'll want top half fish 'cause the kribs will lay at the bottom.

 

[Hobgob]

Algae eaters are 'peaceful' but they're really frantic and fast as you will know from keeping them. I would suggest that these might wind the kribs up unintentionally and would be an unnecessary distraction. Ever consider a docile fish like a neon? ****, white cloud mountain minnows would be good because they only really stay up around the top. You'll want top half fish 'cause the kribs will lay at the bottom.

I was thinking of some type of tetra or marble hatchet I have silver ones, there just to blah. I just do t know if the tetra would fin nip my gouramis and their tentacles lol. But ya, basically read my mind on those. I went to sleep thinking the top half

 

[meegosh]

German Blue Rams and Kribensis are Chichlids, but they are Peaceful Cichlids - so they are in fact compatible with community fish like Mollies, Guppies, etc.

But they are NOT compatible with other cichlids (African or South American lake Cichlids) because those other cichlids will bully the Kribs and GBRs to death.

Angelfish are also like Kribs and GBRs - they come from the cichlid family but they are peaceful enough to be with community fish.

Absolutely correct. However, regardless of species, once they pair up and start breeding they can get very aggressive. Usually it is only until the fry are able to go off on their own.

thats true to some degree

Care to elaborate on that? It is absolutely true. I have a breeding pair of kribs in my 30g long with a large koi angelfish, tetras, otos, catfish, etc. Like I said before, I have no aggression issues - only when the kribs lay eggs and guard them do I have problems.

 

[siva]

Hey Steve, what do you do in the event of those problems? I'm just curious because I'm thinking about kribs for my 29.

 

[meegosh]

Luckily I have a few tanks so I can separate them if they get too rowdy. I found that by taking the male out of the tank the female will be too busy guarding the fry to chase other fish around. It just seems like the female would watch the fry and the male would bully all of the other fish. After a few weeks of separation I reunite them and they are peaceful as can be.

 

[siva]

Luckily I have a few tanks so I can separate them if they get too rowdy. I found that by taking the male out of the tank the female will be too busy guarding the fry to chase other fish around. It just seems like the female would watch the fry and the male would bully all of the other fish. After a few weeks of separation I reunite them and they are peaceful as can be.

Oh I see. Do you think a single krib would be happy in a community or better off getting a pair?

 

[siva]

oops I didn't mean to hijack the thread sorry

 

[meegosh]

I was thinking of some type of tetra or marble hatchet I have silver ones, there just to blah. I just do t know if the tetra would fin nip my gouramis and their tentacles lol. But ya, basically read my mind on those. I went to sleep thinking the top half

You could look at Von Rio tetras if you want some color. I have a bunch in with my kribs and they do just fine. They are far too fast for the kribs to catch.

As far as the failed spawn... have you tried conditioning the female? Feed her lots of live foods or frozen bloodworms prior to introducing her to the tank with the male. Mine go absolutely nuts for bloodworms. I'll condition the female for a week or two and then put her in right when the lights go off and usually the next morning they spawn. I'm getting a new batch of fry at least once a month. I'm already on to my third batch.

 

[Hobgob]

You could look at Von Rio tetras if you want some color. I have a bunch in with my kribs and they do just fine. They are far too fast for the kribs to catch.

As far as the failed spawn... have you tried conditioning the female? Feed her lots of live foods or frozen bloodworms prior to introducing her to the tank with the male. Mine go absolutely nuts for bloodworms. I'll condition the female for a week or two and then put her in right when the lights go off and usually the next morning they spawn. I'm getting a new batch of fry at least once a month. I'm already on to my third batch.

I only got one tank and I feed them brims shrimp frozen every so often

 

[Hobgob]

oops I didn't mean to hijack the thread sorry

It would look better IMO with a pair