View Full Version : Kribensis are spawning!
Yay! :rolleyes:
I moved a pair of Kribs into a smaller tank over the weekend so that they can be alone and do that thing :blink1:...
They started spawning about an hour ago. It's too damn cute how they moved the (very fine) black gravel out of their way.
I provided two small terracotta pots (on their side) to serve as "caves, but the Kribs chose a spot between one of the pots and a piece of Mopani root...
great stuff! the best part is watching the pair look after the young
That's my favorite part too! I never have enough patience to wait for the hatching, lol!
Congrats on the spawn mate
Patience is something we all should learn in this hobby :)
Congratulations on the spawn!
sailing_derrick
23-06-2009, 13:32
Photos, Photos, Photos
Lemme see if I can take some photos... The nest is hidden away and you must focus (with a torch) at a 50 degree angle to see the roof of their sand and wood cave...
Here's a few photos - not the best, but it's about what I could get. The eggs are hidden between the piece of Mopani root and the long terracotta pot...
That's a HUGE box of Ponado's in the backgroud of the last pic... Late nights?
That's a HUGE box of Ponado's in the backgroud of the last pic... Late nights?
:p Lol! Panado was on special at Game...
I just love kribs.They are suited for Community tanks but what is most amazing is that a pair survived in my Malawi tank for more than 6 months!Managed to catch them late last night and moved them to the community tank.Anyone breeding Kribs???
Kribs are really cute - I bought two pairs, and they went on as if they were a little community of their own...
BTW - does anybody know exactly how long the eggs take to hatch and when the fry will be free swimming? The water's temp is 28*C.
PS: how doe I insert the little circle to indicate "degrees"?
Eggs take about 3 days or so to hatch, and 3 days or so to free swimming. Make sure you have brine shrimp nauplii hatched and ready for the fry...
Thanks Z - I wasn't sure, I've "googled it" though, but got (I think) the wrong info on a few sites that claimed 5 to 8 days for the eggs to hatch and a few more days to become free swimming.
Thanks again.
dont forget to keep us posted
I'll keep you guys (and gals?) posted. I just hope this is a successful spawn... It is their first time and they are still a young couple. Hold thumbs!
Yay! The eggs have started to hatch, and mommy Krib is furiously looking after a mass of wrigglers. Unfortunately she's moved them further under the mopani root, so I can't get a pic for you guys to see...
Maybe mommy Krib dropped something in the mass - they're "vibrating" like hell!
Here's some pictures. A bit blurry - but it's hard holding the torch and trying to use the max zoom and focus... How I wish I were an Octopus sometime...
The first pic shows the wrigglers best. look under the mom, right at the end of the terracotta pot.
:blink1:
Sorry for barging in.
Here is a pic of my Krib with the kiddies.
You can barely see them on the photo becouse of the gravel's colour.
http://photos-g.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs102.snc1/4881_1139487738121_1555255410_334862_3829690_n.jpg (http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=334862&id=1555255410)
Sjoe, it must take a trained eye to see the kids.
Nope just a crappy camera.
p.s. Anyone want to give me free stuff ....like a camera maybe??
LOL
Nope just a crappy camera.
I think your camera is fine. Try more light. Shine a torch on the little ones while you're taking a photo, might work.
p.s. Anyone want to give me free stuff ....like a camera maybe??
TASA = Salvation Army? :) lol
Just thought I'd post a photo of my little Kribs and their dad. My Brine shrimp hatching attempt failed miserably, so the baby Kribs have been raised on a diet of algae (on the tank decor), grazing the sponge filter, finely crushed flakes, TetraPrima Mini Granules (soaked in water, then squirted gently into the tank with a syringe), and finely chopped - very very finely chopped frozen mussels.
I counted them last night, and got to 38. No double counting but I might have missed a few, lol... The pair is still small and young, but I think they're doing a tremendous job looking after these little rascals. On concern though... The male and female Kribs seem to chase each other around (mom's tail has a bite out of it), and I need to know if I should move her/him/ the babies?
I change 25% of their tank water every three days or so with water from my main tank (this tank get about 50% weekly waterchange).
Congrats on the spawn there chas. :D I've got two pairs of breeding Kribs at the moment and each pair raises their spawn differently. For example - the first pair that spawned, I had to remove the father because the mother was chasing him around the tank and I later found that he was eating the babies. With the other pair, both mother and father look after their brood beautifully so I don't have to remove either of them :) Best to take a look and make sure that one of the parents aren't eating the babies, although the mother generally is not the one to prey on her offspring so I doubt she will be the problem, if either of them are - the father may be battling it out with the mother, as my one pair does, so that he can get to the babies.
Congrats on the spawn there chas. :D I've got two pairs of breeding Kribs at the moment and each pair raises their spawn differently. For example - the first pair that spawned, I had to remove the father because the mother was chasing him around the tank and I later found that he was eating the babies. With the other pair, both mother and father look after their brood beautifully so I don't have to remove either of them :) Best to take a look and make sure that one of the parents aren't eating the babies, although the mother generally is not the one to prey on her offspring so I doubt she will be the problem, if either of them are - the father may be battling it out with the mother, as my one pair does, so that he can get to the babies.
Thanks Vee. I'll watch them closely and then decide who gets custody :p
I don't think they're being eaten, as I count them a few times a day and get (roughly, lol) the same number - give or take 2 or 3. Holding thumbs I have a pair that will look after the young.
At what age/size do you seperate the babies from the parents?
Nice one chas84 .... I have two pairs in the same tank - never had a spawning, well nothing that reached being a fry, maybe I should separate them. Since the couples seem to have a bit of a tussle all the time.
What are the chances of these guys spawning / raising fry in a community tank?
Hey F - chances are good, they are SERIOUSLY good parents and will take on your Rottweiler if it gets too close to the babies.....
Thanks zafgak - I shall do the transfer to the 4 ft ASAP.
Fish - give them an upturned terracotta flowerpot or two as a cave to spawn in - Break a hole in the side for an entrance
Fish - give them an upturned terracotta flowerpot or two as a cave to spawn in - Break a hole in the side for an entrance
I had two pairs in my 4foot community, and shortly after moving the biggest pair to their own little (1.5foot) setup they started. I'm not sure if the substrate can have an effect, but in the small setup I have fine black gravel (almost like sand), and in the 4foot community it's large (also black) gravel. No spawning from Kribs in the 4 Foot yet. The pair in the 1.5 foot setup dug out about two tablespoons of substrate under a small mopani root I have in their tanks. When the fry hatched, they were moved into one of the terracotta pots I had in the tank for them.
Nice one chas84 .... I have two pairs in the same tank - never had a spawning, well nothing that reached being a fry, maybe I should separate them. Since the couples seem to have a bit of a tussle all the time.
What are the chances of these guys spawning / raising fry in a community tank?
Thanks F!
At what age/size do you seperate the babies from the parents?
I usually separate when they start getting to around 3-4 weeks old (from free swimming not egg laying :) ) The parents are usually rather keen to go at it again soon after that. :blink1:
Hmmm - I think I might be over doing the terracotta pot thing. But lets just say I want to use this Motel ... should I add a false floor or leave the top pot "open-plan"
https://sites.google.com/a/f-fish.net/home/images-cabinet/motel.jpg
Did this architectural master peace last night - it has been moved to the community tank, but I have not moved the fish yet .. been wondering about the false floor this morning while doing the LFS rounds.
looks good to me, how did you cut the terracota?
The holes may be a little large as the kribs like to cover the front of the entrance to their caves to make it easier to protect their brood. They'll probably still use the pots though but would feel more secure if they had smaller entrances. I leave the floor open and we cut a small piece out of the pot and then smooth it out so that there are no sharp edges....I'll see if I can get a photo of one of our pots to show you what I mean.
Not the best photo, but it's the best I could do in the light I have available here..... Daddy coming out of 'cave' with some babies and mommy in the background.
Speedz: soak the pot in water for a while (I like to do this in boiling water) then I used a hole saw to drill them. It blunts the drill bit but keeping things wet helps allot.
Thanks for the pic veegal - I see what you mean by a small entrance. I'll leave the motel stuck in the back corner - seems like the rest of the gang love it.
Chas84: I have some dark substrate on the left of my 4ft (the new home) I shall add a "veegal design (TM)" to that section.
I just get the feeling that I am going to all this trouble to do the "best" solution and then the kribs are gonna go and set-up camp in a different area all together ...
OK done with the new design ... Speedz: This was done with a Dremel 562 Tile Cutting Bit - very easy.
https://sites.google.com/a/f-fish.net/home/images-cabinet/smallpot.jpg?attredirects=0
This one has had so much interest from the rest of the community fish that I think I'll add a few more tonight.
Of course the first in would not be a krib ....
https://sites.google.com/a/f-fish.net/home/images-cabinet/firstin.JPG?attredirects=0
good diy there! what catfish is that?
Is anyone else not seeing the picture f-fish posted of the 'new design'???? It doesn't seem to be loading at all on my side????
me either, cant see any pic
me either, cant see any pic
Shew - I thought I was losing my marbles here seeing as other people are seeing catfish??? :p
https://sites.google.com/a/f-fish.net/home/images-cabinet/smallpot.jpg?attredirects=0
https://sites.google.com/a/f-fish.net/home/images-cabinet/firstin.JPG?attredirects=0
I usually separate when they start getting to around 3-4 weeks old (from free swimming not egg laying :) ) The parents are usually rather keen to go at it again soon after that. :blink1:
Ok cool - I'll wait then for another while. One problem... Space. I'll have to devise some sort of divider in my 4ft community and transfer the babies there when I move them.
Damn these small townhouses... :mad:
You don't have to separate at about 4 weeks old if you have a space problem. Just keep an eye on them and should there be large amounts of fighting or if the father is getting frustrated because mom won't 'play' with him again - then you are going to have to move them. But keep them together as long as you can otherwise. I move them only because I have the space to :)
I just get the feeling that I am going to all this trouble to do the "best" solution and then the kribs are gonna go and set-up camp in a different area all together ...
Lol... The terracotta pots I use in my Krib tank were once used as wedding table decor, and I had such a struggle removing the wax from them, then the Kribs never even spawned it them - they opted to dig out a nest under a small piece of Mopani. I guess all the trouble can sometime be in vain. :smile1:
I guess all the trouble can sometime be in vain. :smile1:
I think sometimes, in fact often, we just try too hard :bigsmile::p
You don't have to separate at about 4 weeks old if you have a space problem. Just keep an eye on them and should there be large amounts of fighting or if the father is getting frustrated because mom won't 'play' with him again - then you are going to have to move them. But keep them together as long as you can otherwise. I move them only because I have the space to :)
I'll have to move them to avoid overcrowding the Krib tank - it's only 1.5ft long, but I'll come up with something innovative :blink1:
I think sometimes, in fact often, we just try too hard :bigsmile::p
I absolutely agree...
I think sometimes, in fact often, we just try too hard :bigsmile::p
But thanks to the advise on the forum .. it worked.
http://www.f-fish.net/images-cabinet/happykrib.JPG
I caught both in the pot this morning :cool:
But thanks to the advise on the forum .. it worked.
http://www.f-fish.net/images-cabinet/happykrib.JPG
I caught both in the pot this morning :cool:
Awesome! Congrats!
Well, just an update on my Kribs breeding thread...
I've managed to raise 12 of the babies from the previous batch. They're happily living in a breeding net in my main community tank, and are about 1cm long already :cool:
On Friday I cleaned out the breeding tank (a little 1.5footer) and changed around the decor, and noticed that the parents were courting each other heavily by Saturday morning. I think they've laid eggs under the mopani root, as there is a fairly large pit dug out and the parents don't really move away from one specific spot. They spent yesterday making turns under the piece of mopani, so I can only assume they've been busy.
Although I can't see any eggs, their behaviour does look like spawning and the fact that I cleaned out their tank (which usually induces spawning) leads me to safely assume they're at it again - Yippeee :bigsmile:
Nice one chas84 ... thanks to the move you guys prompted and the pot talk .. mine have also managed get busy.
Noticed a bunch of fry on Monday .. not sure if they will survive the community tank. Convicts managed to raise a bunch previously but the Kribs seem way more relaxed and have not taken to removing all the plants in the one half of the tank - so we will see if these guys are up to the task.
I am thinking of leaving this bunch in the tank - let the fittest survive.
Tx man and congrats to you.
Hehe... let the fittest survive. I agree, as long as there's sufficient hiding place for them (even when they eat). I did the same with my African Jewels (which I only found out afterwards were blacklisted), and I've still got about 6 of the babies in my community tank that are just over 2cm long. So it's a good think to have a few really good babies than hundreds of "peeped up" little ones.
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