Birth Announcement

[jonah]

Just wanted to announce my kribs have spawned again. Their first spawn disappeared quickly within a day of hatching. They're in a planted community 55g. This time, their second spawn, they've done a much better job of protecting their fry. The fry are about 1/4"-1/3" in length, and I'd guess there's at least 50 of them. The rest of the fish are wisely staying on the opposite end of the tank. :D

[SGypsyMermaid]

congrats gramps!! :wink:

[Boilermaker]

congrats gramps!! :wink:

lol congrats on the kribs :) I had a hard time keeping them alive let alone spawning them.

[jonah]

I know they're tougher to keep/breed than the rift lake cichlids I've bred in the past. My first attempt several years ago ended with both of my pair eventually dying mysteriously. I think if I move out the skunk loaches to another tank the parents might have a better chance of rearing their fry.

[aharris]

I remember my Kribs. It was tough to find a pair that didn't want to kill each other, but once I did, they were the best parents I've seen yet (they even beat my julis).

I remember once I was trying to catch some fish from a previous spawn to make room for the new spawn. It meant removing a lot of decorations and I didn't want my babies to get lost so I siphoned them into a floating plastic container. Then, I caught the male who was frantic by this time. As soon as I put him in the container, he grabbed two or three fry and jumped back out with them. We went through this song and dance several times before I just decided to leave him out. He never left the side of the floating container. He just knew his babies were in there. He even attacked my arm when I got it too close.

The female just hid. So much for maternal instinct! :rofl:

[jonah]

I've got the kribs in a 55g now with some chromides and some guppies that are about to go outside for the summer. The kribs should have better luck defending against the chromides. I only have 3 fry left from the last krib spawn.:(

The good news is they seem to be getting ready to spawn again in their new home. At least this tank doesn't have any loaches in it.

[aharris]

Yeah, I made the mistake of putting some clown loaches in with mine. That was the end of Krib babies and the end of the pair. The female got stressed and decided that every fish was a threat including the male. In essence they killed each other over custody while the loaches got fat off the fry. I would have moved somebody but a poor college student just can't afford extra tanks. Nowadays I'd be better prepared for that problem.