Krib Breeding

[JohnRossDele]

Hi all,
i have started up my tank (just the aquascape not the water)

i need to know these things before i start!!

1) Do I have enough Caves? (i have got half a coconut buried into the gravel and also a half buried pot)

2) What temp, i heard 26-28C is best?

3) I have got: freeze dried bloodworms, spirulina flakes, spirulina floating cichlid pellets, ordinary tropical fish flakes is this menu ok to turn them into spawning mode?

4) How many fry will they have in a single hatching?

5) Is a betta lifespace (90litre) tank ok for to raise fry in (their selling one for a bargain at £45 in my lfs, better snatch it up before someone else does!!! )

6) How hardy are fry?

7) Is their any expert special advice to make them spawn?

THANKS I'LL REALLY APPRECIATE IT IF SOMEONE ANSWERS!!

 

[indigoj]

90l is a decent size for fry raising as long as you are very dilligent with water changes.

Fry are pretty hardy, I've had them living in filters before with no harm done.

Most my pair raised to saleable size was about 75-80 out of a brood of about 150.

You could do with some frozen bloodworm

Regular water changes with water slightly (1-2 degrees) cooler can help induce spawning but patience is best.

Caves look fine.

I kept mine at 27 and they spawned every 6 weeks unless I separated them.

 

[Ferris]

Nonsense removed - back on topic please and if you can't be constructive, please don't bother posting.

F

 

[kribensis12]

You need more caves. The kribs wont breed in those. You need to make a small hole on the side of coconut you have, and sit it on the gravel, not bury it. It's too reveaing, they wont feel safe. The same with the pot. You could do with 2 more caves. The fry tank is fine. Thats about all you need to know.

 

[indigoj]

I found once my kribs chose a pot they stuck with it - it even went with them when I sold them and they bred within a week for their new owner

I'd still say split the terracotta pot in half (just make sure there are no sharp edges after) or get hold of some aquarium sealant (small tube from LFS/ebay is about £4) and some slate and make them a cave - a 3 sided one like a mini table is fine, I used a fallen roof slate to make caves for some of my fish. Boil it first.

 

[indigoj]

This is the best pic I can find of my old krib set up. This was when they were still in the community (so probably their first brood) you can just see an eel I had then behind them - he was a real b*g*er for darting in and eating fry.

 

[skippy_49nz]

You might find floating pellets are a waste of time feeding them. They seem really reluctant to come to the surface to get food. I find sinking crumbles or the like are a better option. They will breed on any decent commercial food. Don't go out of your way to feed them like royalty. I did find they really turned on the colour when I fed them live mosquito larvae but it also made them terrors with any other inhabitants so I quickly stopped.

 

[kribensis12]

Kribs are very shy fish. Which is why they don't like floating pellets, as it requires them to swim into open water, which they don't like. Flaks can be a hassle aswell. I feed sinking Sprinula Pellets and ATTACK! Sinking African Cichlid Pellets ( both sold by HBH ). Better food means more color, and depending on the protien content, more eggs.

 

[JohnRossDele]

You need more caves. The kribs wont breed in those. You need to make a small hole on the side of coconut you have, and sit it on the gravel, not bury it. It's too reveaing, they wont feel safe. The same with the pot. You could do with 2 more caves. The fry tank is fine. Thats about all you need to know.

Bingo! I've got a good idea what if i made another one like this!! it has the same idea as the small hole in the side and they may feel safer http/www.aquariumlife.net/projects/diy-decoration/87.asp if i buried the pot into the gravel deeper would it help?

 

[kribensis12]

Yep, that's what I was talking about!

 

[doktor doris]

OP

Is the picture on the left of your sig, with a sunken ship one of your 2 tanks?

doris

 

[JohnRossDele]

OP

Is the picture on the left of your sig, with a sunken ship one of your 2 tanks?

doris

yeah it was takin a couple of months ago tho, do you like it

 

[JohnRossDele]

Yep, that's what I was talking about!

im on my holidays using the wifi of the hotel on my laptop will update a pic of the tank when i get home its in a way more suitable aquascape

 

[JohnRossDele]

Yep, that's what I was talking about!

I hope im not asking to many questions but will a coconut cave be big enough for to lat eggs in?

 

[indigoj]

Definitely - the eggs are about the size of a pin head and they will lay a fair few but a coconut is about the right size.