Kribensis are spawning!

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.

 

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

 

I think your camera is fine. Try more light. Shine a torch on the little ones while you're taking a photo, might work.

 

TASA = Salvation Army? lol

 

Lol! salvation army...

 

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. 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

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

 

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.

Thanks F!

 

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"



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.