Kribensis Fry Info

[gothicangel69]

My kribs had babies about a week and a half ago. They have been free-swimming now for about a week. I havn't fed them yet, but they are thriving on what I am assuming is algae or microorganisms in the water (it is a very well established tank)
I'm just wondering how long it will be until they actually start looking like kribs, and how long until they can fend for themselves.
I want to move them into my 55 gallon, but am wondering when its safe to do that.
Also, and other info on them would be great.

 

[Colin_T]

If they aren't being given any food they could take many months before they look like the parents and are big enough to go into another tank. If you feed them on newly hatched brineshrimp they will start to look like the adults in a month or so and be able to go into a community tank soon after that.

 

[kenny fish fanatic]

thanks for that mine had young about 5 days ago,theres loads of them,nothing dare go near them,proper thugs they are mam n dad,called them mr n mrs tyson,if anything goes near they get a right seeing too,

 

[gothicangel69]

I do have some liquid fry food, but I havn't been putting any in because when I look at them, their bellies look nice and full. They spend most of their time grazing on the plants and driftwood and eating the microorganisms in the water.

 

[mattbond]

will they all peck at one large peice of immobile food? E.G a granule, flake or pellet?

will finely crushed flake do?

 

[Colin_T]

Most young fish will learn to feed off sinking pellets and crumbled flake food, but these aren't that good for growing fish. They generally don't have enough protein and can stunt the fry's growth. Newly hatched brineshrimp, microworms & vinegar eels are much better for them. Raw prawn that is finely chopped up is also very good.

 

[mattbond]

Freeze dried bloodworm? i have got liqui-fry food but i heard it makes the water filthy very quickly? is this true?

 

[Colin_T]

Freeze dried bloodworm tends to float and not sink to the bottom where the fry are. Finely chopped up frozen bloodworm would be better.

Liquid fry food can cloud the water if you use too much or use it incorrectly. Add a few drops of liquid fry food to a small phial of tank water. Shake it up and then pour the milky solution into the tank. Do this a couple of times a day and it shouldn’t cause any problems.
You might need to turn the filter down or off for a few minutes when you pour the solution into the tank otherwise it will get washed all over the place. You can also use an eye dropper attached to a piece of airline and direct the solution near the bottom of the tank.
Make sure you turn the filter back on a few minutes after you feed them.

 

[gothicangel69]

Yesterday, I moved all of the other fish in my 30 gallon over to the 55 because the krib parents were chasing them and stressing them out. After they were all out of the tank, and it was just the parents and fry, the father started attacking the female. After a few hours they were still fighting, so I decided to take them both out and put them into the 55 as well. They stopped fighting immediately and are getting along great, but I'm not sure how the fry will do without the parents. They seem very timid and are no longer staying in a bunch but are scattered all throughout the tank.
I'm wondering if I made a mistake by taking out the parents. Will the fry survive on their own>???
Oh, and will the fry be able to eat frozen daphnia??

 

[Colin_T]

By removing the other fishes in the tank you got rid of the dither fish that kept the parents occupied. Dither fish are any fish that swim around and get chased about by the breeding pr. By moving these to the 55g tank you messed up the territories and boundaries in the tank and that is why the adult Kribensis started fighting.
Cichlid fry are pretty competent and can usually survive without their parents.
If the daphnia is small enough then the fry will be able to eat it. But it depends on how big the fry are compared to the daphnia.