Got Kribs???

[Jayhawk]

After another turbulent week in the old convict tank, this time with the male ripping a hunk of scales off of the the old girl's nose and the violence only escalating after brief periods of calmness, I decided to give kribs a try in my 20 long.

So, I picked up a beatiful female and a really drab male along with 3 cherry barbs as dithers and a bristlenose pleco. The female is, despite being 1/3 the size of the male, the brave and curious one. She's all over the tank. The male is, basically, hiding most of the time --- the big old coward!

Anyone know if all male kribs are quite this drab? I'm hoping he colors up with time. Like I said the female is gorgeous, but she already is more colorful than she was in the store after only 12 hours in my tank.

One other question. I got the cherry barbs as dithers, but I had thought of using an African butterfly fish instead (I just really like them) since they're topwater fish. Anyone know if an African Butterfly would get shredded by the kribs in the 20 long (12 inches deep)? Or, as a topwater dweller, would it likely be ignored? Obviously, I'm still thinking of going back to the LFS and adding him to the tank.

Well, I need to go stare at the new fish a bit more .

Eric

 

[Tim Bo]

It can take a while before the male feels at home in the tank. It could just as well have been the female that is the docile one, though it's a good sign that she is feisty for her size. You could very well be experiencíng the opposite once the male discovers he can be king.

African butterflies will work. You should not see any aggressiveness from the kribs since the butterfly stays clear of the bottom regions unless scared by 'human intrusion.'

 

[Beth]

I have a pair of kribs and the male is much more social than the female. He hangs out all across the front of the tank while the female hangs out in back among the plants and rocks. She isn't too shy though, she comes out when she sees me.

As for the coloration, my female is very bright despite being quite pale when I first got her. My male was even more pale than she was when I got him but his colors became more distinct over several days (they were also very young and so maybe the colors come out more as they mature). He is still not nearly as painted as the female but he looks good.

 

[Jayhawk]

Thanks for the info!

The male is probably close to 3", and he is already showing a bit more color. He's also chasing the female a little bit (but nowhere near as much or as aggressively as my former convicts did). I do hope they eventually will pair up. Is it common for a random male/female stuck in the same tank to eventually come together?

I also went and picked up an African butterfly fish. Man, is he one cool fish! He looks like a dwarf arrowana (or even a dragon) cruising up top. I read they are fromt he same biotope as kribs, so I'm thinking they'll do well together.

Eric

 

[Tim Bo]

Agreed, I remember being in awe at those butterfly fish when I first discovered them. Have fun!