Breeding Kribensis

[Assaye]

WE HAVE BABIES!

Hmm, not sure how to feed them. I have BBS, "fry flakes" and eggs. Egg yolk is messy, but may be less appleaing to other fish (not tried). Flakes are just flying everywhere and the other fish are loving the BBS. I'm trying to rear these guys in a community tank (probably a bad move) and trying to contend with some very greedy fish.

The little ones seem to be scavenging along the bottom and Mummy and Daddy are taking very good care of them. Will they be OK doing this? Will they find what they need?

Mummy Krib isn't taking them anywhere near the surface for eats so I'm squirting stuff at them with a syringe. Is this right or should I leave them to scavenge?

Oh, and some of the babies are speckled with brownish flecks and some are totally transluscent and pale. Does this mean I have a mix of normal and albino fry?

 

[kribensis12]

You may very well have some albinos. Only time will tell. But, as far as food, Baby Brine Shrimp (BBS) will be your best bet. They will eat just about anything though. The feeding method your using is acceptable.

 

[Assaye]

They're growing, slowly but surely.

Also venturing further afield which is vexing mum and dad, lol! Dad keeps swimming after them, picking them up in his mouth and popping them back with their siblings.

So cute!

 

[kribensis12]

Pictures?

 

[Assaye]

Still too small for my camera to pick them out =( it's only a phone camera.

 

[hensonc4098]

If you're having trouble getting the BBS to them then you could always try putting a bit of airline piping on the end of your syringe so that you can squirt it right down to them Never tried it myself but seen it done with young angelfish

 

[Assaye]

I can't find the fry! They don't seem to be near mum and dad and I just can't see them in the tank.

They might have been hoovered up by the other fish but is there any reason that mum and dad might have eaten them? They were being excellent parents.

 

[kribensis12]

The parents may have eaten them. If they look like they are getting ready to breed, they most likely became a snack. If not, I would just wait and see if they appear somewhere.

 

[Assaye]

The parents may have eaten them. If they look like they are getting ready to breed, they most likely became a snack. If not, I would just wait and see if they appear somewhere.

Definitely dead/eaten. I suspect that an ammonia spike may have got them - my filter wasn't pumping properly for around 24 hours. I noticed my apisto and one of my swordtails were not too happy and checked the water - faint trace of nitrite. That'll teach me to be more careful when I do filter maintainence.

A nice big water change later and mum and dad are getting flirty.

Hopefully will get getting my hands on a second 3 foot tank soon which I plan to divide for my krib pairs. Can use my 60 litre with my other krib pair in as a grow-out tank.

 

[Assaye]

Total shock today - found mum dead in the tank. Checked the water and all fine. Got double zeros and nitrates/pH etc all where they should be. I didn't think she was ill - looked fantastic and very active - so maybe she was bullied by one of the other fish. Wouldn't have thought any of them except dad would have been strong or aggressive enough to get her though =/

Absolutely gutted. She was a stunner and such a lovely girl.

 

[Spanerman]

Sad to hear, hope you arnt put off breeding

 

[kribensis12]

Sorry about your loss! She may have been killed by the male, sometimes they do that.