Kribs and Rams?

[cohazard]

I have a new 75g tank with nothing in it but water and some plants that arn't 'supposed' to be floating, but the lighting isn't strong enough to plant them yet (plus there's no eco-complete yet ).

I was wondering if after I get it all setup and cycled and what not, will I be able to keep 2 kribs and 2 rams in this tank?

It's going to be a planted tank, with (rough outline of inhabitants): angels, cardinals, rasboras, neons, a dwarf gourami, some cories, maybe other stuff.




Thanks in advance,
Serg

 

[WharfRat]

have a cave type arrangement for the kribs and good water quality and your good to go. Rams are SouthAmerican cichlids and Kribs are african non rift lake cichlids. Neither get very large male kribs might get 4" but I rarely see them that big. Rams will max at around 3" . So in a 75 you could have a bunch of them.

 

[cohazard]

Cool, thanks for the reply. I plan on keeping other inhabitants with them, mostly peaceful amazonian fishes (I'll probably keep the ph at 6 or 7). I've heard that both types of cichlids are peaceful with the exception of breeding time, so hopefully things turn out okay.



Serg

 

[PumaWard]

So in a 75 you could have a bunch of them.

This is a very bad idea.

Kribs will spawn very easily and usually in the community aquarium, so their breeding aggression must always be noted. Males are also quite territorial and will defend the female from every other fish. Rams will be seen as a major threat because they are other cichlids.

Also, rams are more delicate than kribs and will not be able to handle the kribs aggression even when the kribs aren't spawning, let alone when they do.

I personally think that you would be better off to pick a pair of either specie and go with just that. You could also have a colony of apistos, with like 1m and 3 females. Though, I've heard all heck breaks loose when the females start prancing around their fry .

 

[cohazard]

Hmm, that's disappointing because I love both species and it's hard to pick just one or the other. I've only recently heard of apistos, so I need to do more research on them. I've only seen a couple of pics, and they're not as flashy as kribs or rams. But like I said, more research is needed.



Serg

 

[PumaWard]

Hmm, that's disappointing because I love both species and it's hard to pick just one or the other.

I know .

You might also be able to have 2 pairs of rams in your 75, just as long as there are 2 definite territories. Same goes with the kribs, though they might be more difficult.

Apistogramma cacatuoides (sp?) is a nice little flashy guy and they are constidered a beginner species.
Here's a pic off google

Here's a species profile

http://aquaworld.netfirms.com/Cichlidae/Apistogramma/Apistogramma_cacatuoides.htm

 

[Captain Hook]

I did research about this because I wanted a pair of kribs and rams for my 72 gallon tank. I was told by knowledgable cichlid keepers that it would be possible. As long as the tank is large (ours are) and there are numerous territory dividers they should be fine. That means put a few caves, rock piles, driftwood pieces, etc. to help break up the tank.

 

[cohazard]

Cool, that's good news. Here's more good news, the 75g turned out to be an 80g! I used one of those tank volume calculators.

I do plan to have lots of driftwood in the tank, so they won't have any problems establishing territories. I also plan on having other fish in the tank such as angels, tetras, clown loaches, rainbows, and maybe some other specimins. Nothing concrete yet. Thanks for the help.

(ps, I really like the cockatoo apisto, may exchange one of the other two for two of these.)




Serg


__________________

 

[Tim Bo]

Just want to add my two cents. I've had lots of experience with the two cichlid species discussed in many different tank sizes. It is possible to have the two together in that sized tank though it is a very individual thing. I would recommend starting off with the Rams and then wait with the Kribs. Kribs will also get after the angel which cannot withstand much agressiveness - especially its fins, even in an 80 gallon. Once those Kribs get fry (and they will do so constantly) you will have your hands full trying to take care of them and so will the Kribs when they take the clutch for a 'walk about' in the tank! Don't mean to be negative, just voicing my own experiences

 

[cohazard]

Your 2 cents are greatly appreciated in any of my threads! I've been thinking about how aggressive they get when they have a batch of fry to protect and I don't want to deal with it in the community.

Will the cichlids do alright with just a single specimin of each? (one apisto, one krib, one ram) I haven't read anything that says they should be kept in groups.



Serg