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Post by murdock6701 on Jan 19, 2009 21:51:09 GMT -5
have been reading quite a few posts lately regarding them and the success you guys/gals are having w/ them - tant to put 4 in a 20 - they don't get much bigger than the electric yeooles - any thoughts?
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Post by jonv on Jan 19, 2009 22:00:11 GMT -5
I have tried to keep Kribs once before John, didn't work out so well for me. One thing of note, good for you I think, is that Kribs are one of the few Africans that really do well in South American type waters. Mine is more Rift Lake types, and I think this didn't help them much. The other thing here of note is this pretty much is a mild species like the Yellow Labs, but this is also an egg laying species, not a mouth brooder.
From having watched my Pytchochromis Oligocanthus, and how they act, I must conclude that any species of cichlid that is a substrate spawner, has a higher level of aggression when breeding then mouth brooders. This may become an issue for you in a 20 gallon tank. For that reason only, I would not reccommend mixing Kribs with even the yellows. Different water needs and egg layers get downright mean and possessive of an area for quite some time when breeding occurs. Mouthbrooders only for a very short period of time.
If species only, I think would be a good thing for you.
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Post by eve on Jan 19, 2009 22:44:03 GMT -5
as noted already, they need different water parameters that's where jon ran into his main problem keeping them
even that they're africans, they're from the other site, as well as need much softer water (might be the wrong word)
anyway
mine are right now in a 55 gallon tank in a 20 gallon tank 1 pair would definitely thrive
pH around 7.8 temperature anywhere from 78-82 degrees
don't ask me about kH or GH no clue
definitely hiding spots needed especially when they become big enough to breed
plant cover can definitely be provided, they won't dig them up like the mbuna do
very active fish fun to watch
only aggressive when in breeding mood
display awesome gorgeous colors when in spawning time
can definitely be kept with schooling fish i have even heard that people kept them with live bearers and angels, as they use different levels of the tank
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Post by murdock6701 on Jan 19, 2009 23:01:52 GMT -5
just posted Barbara about the possibilities of rusties......either way, I wouldn't mix species in small tanks! that's a gimme! just miss my rams.....
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Post by jonv on Jan 19, 2009 23:05:39 GMT -5
It's really just what happens if breeding that worries me John. I really don't have but this one time experience with egg laying types, but just from what I've seen in this group, the parents are going to stay aggressive for a more extended period of time then a mouth brooder. Even when free swimming they will guard that floating cloud until they can fend for themselves, which is likely to take many months. Anyone comming near that cloud is going to get some fury. Now if this were a mouth brooder, i wouldn't worry nearly as much because it's just excitment of a male luring a female to his area, and he will drive off anyone and everyone while he's trying to spawn, but once you take out the holding female(s) and he's alone, the aggression out of him dips down significantly vs. the continual guarding an egg layer will project over months.
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Post by Carl on Jan 19, 2009 23:07:03 GMT -5
Not much I can add, but I will note (as Eve mentioned) that these fish have more in common with SA Cichlids than other Rift Lake Cichlids.
These were one of my most popular fish I kept among my customers due to price, personality, color, ease of keeping, and next to Convicts; prolific breeding.
Carl
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