How Long Will It Take For My Kribs To Settle Down

[black molly3]

i bought a pair of kribs today in the hope to breed them. i am ure they are male and female however the male went straight under a natural cave in the tank made out of bricks and the female is just in the corner. how long will it take for them to settle down and colour up a bit more.
i have been trying to tempt them out with a bit of food and it seemed to work slihtly for the female but the male isnt bhaveing none of it.
what elce could i do
thanks

 

[kribensis12]

First off, this belogns in the African / Old World Cichlids section. Second, give them time to adjust. If you could provide pictures, i might be able to tell if they are sick. Also, leave the lights off for a day or too and that should get them accustomed tot he tank ( also try not to traffic the area). What size tank are they in?

 

[black molly3]

there not sick they are realy healthy adults i wil try to post some pics later but dont wana disturb them yet. they are in a 20 gal tank. female is moving around a bit more and the male hu is under the cave is starting to move a bit more haha.
thanks

 

[black molly3]

noticed something very interesting. i put a target fish in (minnow) for when they do breed and this gave them some confidence. the female creaped around the cave the male was in and went along side him. stayed in there for about 5 mins then went just outside and started curving her body whilst the male was watching.
what is she doing. is it being flirty

 

[kim03333]

i don't think curving the body is flirting as my cribs do this to each other and to the other fish very often - just before they chase each other. they take a few days to settle in properly, they are just unsure of their new surroundings but they will explore in their own time.

 

[black molly3]

i have just seen the female do a shakey sort iof movement dance to the male and started gettin closer to him then the male sort of kissed her body. does this meen anything. how do thye breed do they rub together i dont realy know lol
thanks

 

[black molly3]

they are both doing it now. when the female lays her eggs how does she get them on the upperside of the cave
thanks

 

[SharonCC]

She'll rub her "belly" against the surface where she lays the eggs...

 

[kribensis12]

When she bends her body out she is saying" Hey, look how big my stomach is, maybe we should make baby fishies". Shaking is just enticing him. She will " rub" her ovipositer( sp?) against the cave and they will stick to the cave.

 

[black molly3]

they are both doing the shakey dance o wouldnt that mean they are both ready 2 have eggs. but still none are in their lil home. do you think they could have them tonight. i have fed them half a cube of frozen brineshrmp and they loved it.
wat elce could i do

 

[black molly3]

right male and female out flirting rubbing against eachother and my females belly were it is red behind that there is the equivelant size of black but it looks like it is inside here. are these the eggs.
trhanks

 

[black molly3]

anyone?

 

[black molly3]

the two of them are just staying in the little cave now. i cant se any eggs as of yet. should i be expecting some
will someone please reply haha

 

[bricko]

Not sure it all happens this fast. Give them a few days at least! The dancing does sound like courtship behaviour, think you may just need to be patient and let things take their course. My pair bred within a fortnight of being in the tank, not sure how long the eggs take to hatch but that was when I first glimpsed fry with the parents. Kribs breed like rabbits so you won't have to wait too long black molly.

 

[black molly3]

haha thanks for your reply i have waited a long itime for a reply well a day isnt too long but i am just too eager haha ts my fist pair of kribs and the first time i have attempted to breed them its just so amazing and exciting to watch them live together and do their lil shakey electrifying dance haha.
they are both in the cave now together thats were they spend most of their time and only realy come out for food.
anyone got anything to tell me or post some pictures of your kribs, eggs, or fry just to get me in the mood hahau