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Kribensis Babies


mermaid

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I have about 20 baby kribs - no idea how long they've been in there, so no idea how old they are. I havent had the chance to clean the tank in about a month. They are about 1-2mm big.

They're eating flake just like their parents, and aren't getting sucked into the undergravel filter. Infact, they like it more when its on.

Judging by their size, would anyone know their age??

How old will they be when I need to move them to a different tank?

Will the parents eat them?

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My guess would be... 3 weeks cause i have a couple babies that are about that size and they're about 3 weeks... They should be fine with their parents for awhile longer. The parents will protect them pretty good IMO, Good luck wink.gif

cameron.

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Congrats on the babies!

Do you have any live food for them? It will help them to grow if you give them that in addition to what they are getting. Microworms, vinegar eels ... a number of people could help you out with a starter culture ... I have microworms myself.

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Congrats Mermaid!! thumbsupsmileyanim.gif

I'm pretty sure that your baby kribs are around 1-2 weeks old since they have the size of 1 - 2mm long. The parents will look after their kids until they reach the size of around 5 - 6mm (ie. around 1 ~ 1.5 months old), then the mother / father will attack them due to they are ready for the next spawning period, that's why it is really important to seperate the kids from the parents when you see the mother is unable to "control" her kids (they'll swim to everywhere and leave the team!). Kribensis are really good parents that they will take care their kids all the time, so there's no worries in seperating the father from the family~

Feed the little kribs with some new-hatched baby brine shrimps and crushed flake food will help them to grow faster. Feed them in small amounts few times a day (I feed mine 5 times a day with tiny little amount just to give them something to nip on...=D )

Anyway, hope this would help you a little bit and good luck with your kribs~ cool.gif

Cheez,

Heidi laugh.gif

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uh oh.. the babies already do that. Only about 5 stay in a school, the rest do their own thing. This morning about 10 were playing in the filter bubbles, and they even swum to the surface to eat food with the parents. The mother tries to stay where most of the babies are but they never stick together.

Also the father isnt interested in them at all and ignores them. Should I move the parents to the big tank to let the babies grow in there, then move them over once they're bigger?

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What if it's too early and it effects the babies? Like what if they get scared on their own or don't learn proper survival skills because their parents are gone?? Could moving the parents effect the babies in any way??

Also what about the parents? The mother is extremely protective, will she be okay if I move her from the babies? I don't want her to get too stressed or anything like that. What if the male tries to force her to breed again?

The main problem is the parents bred in a little 1ft tank. I'm worried the babies won't have much growing out room with the parents still in there. The parents will be moved to a 2ft tank of their own. Eventually, once the babies are big enough to hold their own, will some be able to go into the 2ft tank?

How many pairs can go in a 2ft tank?

It won't be permanent and I'm hoping to find homes BEFORE the babies pair up, but I'd like to keep some of them. If there are plenty of plants would it be okay?

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The babies will be fine without the parents. Give them cover. Fish don't bond to their parents in the same way that higher order animals may. They are very instinctive animals and "know" the survival skills.

The mother will be fine. She will get ready to breed again. You could separate the male and female while you condition her.

1ft isn't much room, yes I would move the parents.

Don't put the babies into the 2ft tank with their parents when they are grown more because the parents won't recognise them and may try to drive them away. Which in a small tank usually means kill them.

ONE pair of kribs in a 2ft tank or you will end up with one pair and the other fish either battered or dead.

While the kribs are juvenile they will be fine in a big group together. They seem to do OK either in high concentrations where they can't own territory or very low concentrations where territory doesn't overlap.

The group of kribs may not do so well once breeding behaviours start. Keeping them in a big group will delay the breeding behaviours. Give them plenty of cover. You should be able to run them together (depending on how many are in the tank, and available bioload limits) for up to, hm, 10-12 months. Or so. Also depends on growth rates.

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Well because I want more then 2 fish in the 2ft tank, would I be able to have say 3 or 4 female kribs in the 2ft tank?

Do all-female colonies work?

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1M 1F in the 2ft tank. You could have some other species in there, non cichlids especially those that inhabit the higher water levels. That would give you some visual variety.

More than 1 female with the male in a 2ft is asking for trouble.

Yes you should be able to keep a group of females together if they have all been raised together. I have a friend who had 5 that she got from me, in a 2ft tank. One was the boss and owned the flowerpot but they were all doing fine (and all wearing breeding colours). I have since swapped her a male for 4 of the females, so she has a pair, I have a trio (in a larger than 2ft tank but I think I will remove one female as it's not really working - I'll move things around a bit and give it another few days) and Nornicle is getting the other 2 girls.

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You should look at maybe a school of small tetra or something to go with your kribs. Something that wont be too hard for the kribs to chase off when spawning. Also something that wont be persistent enough to get itself bashed too badly by the kribs. I would be inclined to try a half a dozen harlequin rasbora's as I am partial to these fish wub.gif But like Fiona said, small topwater fishes (white clouds and harlequin rasboras TRUST ME)

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Well the first time they were introduced to top water fish, they turned into chainsaw weilding maniacs - and they didn't even have babies yet! I'm worried they'd hunt down and kill the top water fish :\

Also, a pair of kribs and 1 convict wouldnt work in a 2ft tank would it?? I have a convict who is looking for a new tank so I'm wondering if they could share?

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Yea, I agreed that adding some small tetra will make the pair feel safe in their tank...and it also provides some guarding position for the male krib to make the pair cooperates in protecting the fry. If there are no "enemies" around, the male might not have the interest in protecting the fry being eaten, and so that the female would "think" that he's not doing what he supoose to do (ie. guarding the fry) and make her feel unpresent! However, the choice of what kind of tetra to be put in should be choose carefully, I would suggest to add some neons / glowlight or any other tetra that are small in sizes will works well~ smile.gif

Nah....I reckon you should get a new home for the convict, they will have a BIG fight if you put them all together in a 2ft tank~

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