Pelvicachromis pulcher

[The-Wolf]

hi all,
I'm not sure this is the correct chiclid forum, so bear with me....

I am thinking of getting some kribs, but I have no idea how many or
what other fish they are compatable with, if any.
please give me the basics and any other info you feel relevant.

BTW they are planned for an empty 55gall, so there are no other fish in there so far.

 

[freddyk]

They can be kept with other dwarf cichlid species, and many community fish. I would be inclined to set up two pairs in a 55, then add an assortment of community fish--mostly bottom feeders and shoals, since these will be largly ignored by the kribs. I'd Avoid any aggressive fish that may impede on their territory - gourami's, for instance. They appreciate well planted tanks.

Too many compatible fish to list, but to give you an idea mine are with cardinals, glass catfish, rummynoses, otos, cory's, and a couple of shrimp.

 

[The-Wolf]

thanks for that freddy
looks like its back to java plants then

 

[parker313]

Kribs are African, but are riverine fish, which is way different from the African rift lakes. Kribs are often seen with New Worlds b/c the water parameters are very similar.

Kribs are wonderful fish and are very easy to sex if you're looking to get true pairs. I got a m and a f, and for the first week or so, I thought the male was going to kill the female, he was chasing her so much. She was terrified. I went out of town for 10 days and thought for sure I'd come home to a dead female but instead, they had paired up! It was pretty cool!!

 

[wrs]

Paul, you could give them a large school of danios. I know how much you like them.

But if you are trying to move away from danios, skirt tetras are the best choice for the schooling fish. Kribs can be jerks and so can they.

Also, get the largest male and smallest female in the tank. The female might still beat up the male, but it wont be as bad if she was the same size of bigger. They also pair up quicker that way.

 

[The-Wolf]

thanks guys

hmm small female to a big male huh,
I guess all females like large males then

please keep the info comming, I've just resealed the
tank and should be ready to fill on friday, giving me
the wekend to go buy some.
(I will clone an existing tank, so need to cycle)

 

[Wyld-Fyre]

A hint when you're selecting your male and/or female Krib's. When I last got mine I made sure I'd chosen the most dominant male in the tank. Usually, that's the one that's got the best hide-out. In this way, whatever female you get there's a good chance she'd like him.

A good pairing will lead to success. Also, Kribs require a lot of personal space, so don't overcrowd with too many fishes or with fishes that swim at the same level of the tank (just above substrate).

Bottom feeders are generally left alone. I've found that my Yo-Yo's are the only fish that don't get bullied. To my past experience, all others do, and that's including my Oto's, False Siamensis, Peppered Corydora's, and Tiger Barb's.

Hope I haven't put you off, because they really are a beautiful fish to have.

ps Did you know there are many types of Kribs?

 

[The-Wolf]

no i didn't know that

I am definatly going to get some,
so is four the max I can have in this sized tank?


EDITE to add
are kribs ok to keep with apple snails?

 

[parker313]

If you're going with pairs, then yes, I would max them out at 4. Kribs are fine with snails, I have some in my tank and the kribs don't bother them.

I'll ditto watching out for corys, since I've changed a bunch of the fish in my tank, I'm having a hard time getting food for just the cories and have lost a couple, probably due to starvation My kribs, angel and severum (and the tetras, although the serpaes are a bit nippy for my angel) are all getting along just fine. Sure, the kribs (esp the male) will chase off the other fish if they come in the kribs' territory, but the cories are the only ones that seem to be having a hard time of it.