Kribensis in a community setting with smaller fish?

[vwill279]

I'm trying to find alternative bottom dwellers for my 20 tall tank. Right now the stock is only 10 furcatas rainbowfish. Originally I wanted peacock gudgeons, but my water is very hard and very alkaline and from what I've researched, they wont be very healthy in that water.

Next I researched a trio of shelles: either gold occies or brevis. I really like shellies and would love a tank with them and I know they would enjoy my hard water. However, I've heard and read that they can be nasty to tank mates and I'd be worried that they'd harass my rainbows. The rainbows rarely leave the top of the tank and the shellies would stick near the bottom, but I dont want to mix incompatible fish.

Lately I've been researching pelvachromis pulcher, or the kribensis cichlid. I've read they adapt readily to pretty much any water conditions and they are gorgeous! I'm wondering if a pair would be ok with the rainbows or if the rainbows would be too small or bullied if the pair breeds. I'm also concerned about their size and the size of the tank. I've read plenty of people keep and breed them in a 10g, but if they get up to 4" I feel like they might be a bit too large for a 20 tall. Does anyone have any first hand experience with this species that can tell me how they would do with the rainbows and if they would even fit in my tank well at all? I will be rescaping it before I add new fish and I would make sure to add a few caves and lots of plants, while still leaving an open space for them for swimming.

 

[Spockster]

Kribs

...Lately I've been researching pelvachromis pulcher, or the kribensis cichlid. I've read they adapt readily to pretty much any water conditions and they are gorgeous! I'm wondering if a pair would be ok with the rainbows or if the rainbows would be too small or bullied if the pair breeds. I'm also concerned about their size and the size of the tank. I've read plenty of people keep and breed them in a 10g, but if they get up to 4" I feel like they might be a bit too large for a 20 tall. Does anyone have any first hand experience with this species that can tell me how they would do with the rainbows and if they would even fit in my tank well at all? I will be rescaping it before I add new fish and I would make sure to add a few caves and lots of plants, while still leaving an open space for them for swimming.

I can just tell you from my personal experience that Kribs are fairly peaceful, only shooing away "intruders" from their territory from time to time. I have a 75gallon (48" long) so can't compare with your tank though I would think a single pair in your tank would be OK (I assume your tank is 24" long.) I'm not familiar with your furcata rainbows, I have Boesemani rainbow fish in my tank and some dither tetras. I've never seen the Kribs bother anybody accept as noted above (which would most notably be at breeding time.)

 

[vwill279]

Thanks for the info! Furcata rainbows are also known as forktail rainbows or forktail blue-eyes. Theyre fast active fish, but only reach about 2 inches or so; about the size of a neon. They almost always stay near the surface and are constantly moving.

 

[ch.cool]

Hi,

I had a pair of Kribs in a 55G good structured with caves, wood and lots of plants, after the Kribs started breeding 1/3 to 1/2 of the Aquarium was taken over, and they did breed all the time.

ch.cool