I think I have a pair of Kribensis that are ready to breed

[JMFishGuy]

I recently bought 4 Kribensis cichlids to go into my 75 gallon community tank with my Tiger Barbs and red tail shark, and not to long after two of them have seemed to pair up and are presenting breeding behavior, the fatter rounder female is swimming around presenting her belly to the male and they have both developed more vivid vibrant colors, as I have never kept breeding cichlids before will I have to remove the breeding pair from my community tank or just the other two Kribensis to spare them?

 

[Colin_T]

If the tank is big enough and there are sufficient hiding places, then you can leave the pair in the tank and they will breed and defend an area about 18 inches in diameter. The parents take good care of the young and most of the babies survive. Even if some of the babies get eaten, it's not a major issue because you can have 300+ young in a batch and most shops only take 10-20 young at a time. So you don't want all the babies surviving because you will end up with hundreds.

The baby fish can eat newly hatched brineshrimp and microworms when they start swimming around. You can also feed them on commercial fry foods available from any pet shop or online. If the tank is heavily planted, there will be plenty of micro-organisms around the plants for the babies to feed on.

The following link has info on culturing live foods for baby fish and includes newly hatched brineshrimp.

Back to Basics when Breeding Fish

STARTING OUT Make sure you have a pair, (1 male + 1 female). There is nothing worse than spending your hard-earned dollars buying a couple of fish to try and breed and ending up with a pair of fish of the same sex. Let's face it, to reproduce fish you need a male and a female. Two males won't do...

www.fishforums.net

 

[Gaz111]

I’ve got a breeding pair in my 50 gallon tank with tiger barbs and rummy nose tetras they have had around 40-50 at a time all but a few seem to make it I sell them for 1£ each at lfs. They will look after them very well (you do nothing) they are now my favourite Fish just the way they ‘walk’ them around the tank. It fascinating how they herd 40 odd fish onto a single leave and get them to wait!

Now from my research you just got to see what happens as the internet as conflicting info on breeding. Some say you got to take the male away some say after a while they will eat their to mate again others say male looks after them as well

My experience is male/female dig many caves under rocks 4/5 then they pick one few days later babies go for a walk male/female protect aggressively but not biting. Will chase fish away that weren’t even looking. Tiger barbs stay well clear and remember enough to move around the tank away from them. Rummynose dart away but always come back and will go for the babies but with little success. BN stays still so kribs leave him if he moves they do fight.

They will breed every 4-6 weeks I’m on my 3rd load now but can’t sell until 12weeks (something to bare In mind) I’ve got a sump so after they started digging caves again I removed batch the ones I left in there get chased a lot as the whole bottom of the tank belongs to them

So think you are going to have trouble with the shark and maybe the other kribs as mine think 50 gallon is theirs. Sorry if I’ve gone on got a newborn laying on me scared to move

 

[CaptainBarnicles]

Hello beautiful pair you've got!

In my experience, literally, just let them get on with it. Don't take dad away, they work together as a team fending off preditors and keeping an eye on the babies. It may take them a few go's to get it right, mine were quite young and they ate their babies a couple of times...but as they mature they get the hang of it and you'll be over run with babies before you know it! Sit back and relax my friend, you won't really need to lift a finger

 

[JMFishGuy]

If the tank is big enough and there are sufficient hiding places, then you can leave the pair in the tank and they will breed and defend an area about 18 inches in diameter. The parents take good care of the young and most of the babies survive. Even if some of the babies get eaten, it's not a major issue because you can have 300+ young in a batch and most shops only take 10-20 young at a time. So you don't want all the babies surviving because you will end up with hundreds.

The baby fish can eat newly hatched brineshrimp and microworms when they start swimming around. You can also feed them on commercial fry foods available from any pet shop or online. If the tank is heavily planted, there will be plenty of micro-organisms around the plants for the babies to feed on.

The following link has info on culturing live foods for baby fish and includes newly hatched brineshrimp.

Back to Basics when Breeding Fish

STARTING OUT Make sure you have a pair, (1 male + 1 female). There is nothing worse than spending your hard-earned dollars buying a couple of fish to try and breed and ending up with a pair of fish of the same sex. Let's face it, to reproduce fish you need a male and a female. Two males won't do...

www.fishforums.net

It’s a standard 75 gallon tank and has plenty of hiding spots and cover though I could probably add another rock structure/pile in the middle for the kribs to choose from. I run a two oversized Multistage Aquaclear HOBs on the tank and have a mix of real and artificial plants, (excuse the unsightly airstone I’m sure you know how they can get clogged with bacteria when under the gravel)

 

[JMFishGuy]

I’ve got a breeding pair in my 50 gallon tank with tiger barbs and rummy nose tetras they have had around 40-50 at a time all but a few seem to make it I sell them for 1£ each at lfs. They will look after them very well (you do nothing) they are now my favourite Fish just the way they ‘walk’ them around the tank. It fascinating how they herd 40 odd fish onto a single leave and get them to wait!

Now from my research you just got to see what happens as the internet as conflicting info on breeding. Some say you got to take the male away some say after a while they will eat their to mate again others say male looks after them as well

My experience is male/female dig many caves under rocks 4/5 then they pick one few days later babies go for a walk male/female protect aggressively but not biting. Will chase fish away that weren’t even looking. Tiger barbs stay well clear and remember enough to move around the tank away from them. Rummynose dart away but always come back and will go for the babies but with little success. BN stays still so kribs leave him if he moves they do fight.

They will breed every 4-6 weeks I’m on my 3rd load now but can’t sell until 12weeks (something to bare In mind) I’ve got a sump so after they started digging caves again I removed batch the ones I left in there get chased a lot as the whole bottom of the tank belongs to them

So think you are going to have trouble with the shark and maybe the other kribs as mine think 50 gallon is theirs. Sorry if I’ve gone on got a newborn laying on me scared to move

I have been watching the Shark carefully because he’s been bullying my Tiger Barbs occasionally, he’s like a moody kid that is calm swimming around the tank and then chasing them around usually at meal time, so I am considering removing him from the tank and replacing him with something more docile if he doesn’t calm down, as for the rest of your advice and the general consensus I have read from others it’s good to know I have little to worry about and they will just do their thing and my other fish will just be corralled to the other side of the tank for a while. as long as no serious fights break out everything should be fine.

 

[JMFishGuy]

Hello beautiful pair you've got!

In my experience, literally, just let them get on with it. Don't take dad away, they work together as a team fending off preditors and keeping an eye on the babies. It may take them a few go's to get it right, mine were quite young and they ate their babies a couple of times...but as they mature they get the hang of it and you'll be over run with babies before you know it! Sit back and relax my friend, you won't really need to lift a finger

Thank you they have quickly become my favorite fish and I am enjoying sitting in my chair just watching my tank, and I am looking forward to having them breed you all have put my mind at ease about having them in tank.

 

[CaptainBarnicles]

They have so much character and their breeding colours are amazing! I'd say if there was going to be any trouble it would likely be between the breeding pair and the other 2 kribs...you may have to consider moving them out and leaving the couple in if it gets testy