# New to Kribensis... They're digging...



## Kelly682

2 weeks ago, I bought a male and female krib. They were not a pair. Now, I think they've paired up (not really my intention) as they don't chase each other around anymore. Well, I now have 3 craters in my sand substrate. I actually saw the pair sucking the sand and spitting it out.

Problem is, I really need to syphon the sand. I waited a week because I wanted them to settle in. This past weekend, I saw mounds of sand and these holes they're digging. Normally when I do a water change I syphon the poop, move the caves to get it clean underneath. I haven't seen any eggs, but I can't really look all the way into the top of the caves.

I want to smooth out the sand (Fill in the craters), and clean my sand. Its white so everything is visible. Can I do this? I don't want to disturb whatever it is that they're doing, but I desperately need to clean it. Or, should I just let them be and do a simple water change without the syphon??

This is my first pair of kribensis so I'm not sure what exactly they're doing and why. Everything I've read leads to breeding...

Thanks so much for any help. I really appreciate it.


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## Aulonocara_Freak

They are breeding and creating safe place's for egg's, wiggler's, and fry! I have gone 2 1/2 week's without cleaning my sand and everything was fine although the sand was dirty of course. If you really feel a need to clean it just clean around the hole's and all should be fine.


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## Kelly682

I think I'm going to wait until this Sunday to clean the sand. By then, its going to be really disgusting. Anyway I've noticed the female is hiding. Sometimes the male is with her. Its really odd, because normally they're up in front ready for food. Most of the time when I'm looking at the tank, they're gone. Then I end up having to search for them. Its like finding a needle in a haystack. They've stopped digging. I ended up only having the 3 holes. I haven't noticed any eggs or wrigglers. I just hope the female isn't sick. She only comes out to eat. Maybe shes fanning eggs somewhere??

Is there some sort of kribensis breeding site I can read that goes through what the pair do and why?


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## Aulonocara_Freak

Sound's like you defiantly have egg's somewhere. The hiding is all normal, she is guarding the egg's.


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## Kelly682

You're right!!! I have eggs! She laid them inside a fake plant, on one of the leaves. They're a light orange color. Yay, so exciting!!!


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## Aulonocara_Freak

AWESOME! My krib's are pre spawning as we speak! If you want to save the fry take them out, but I like to see natural behavior's and with my krib's I leave the fry in with the parent's.


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## Kelly682

I'm going to leave the parents in there. I really don't have room for any fry at all. So I'm going to let nature take its course. Although I heard they're excellent parents.

I turned the light on the tank this morning and the eggs are still there. The female is basically laying ontop of them, fanning away.

To think, almost 3 weeks ago, they were in a store and the male hated the female. Now, they're pretty much inseperable and they have eggs!


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## Aulonocara_Freak

It's a very amazing thing to watch. Also if you don't want the fry (which you will) you can most likely sell them to your LFS.


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## brandon O

with my kribs they will keep the fry until ready to breed again and then they eat them


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## Kelly682

They eat the fry? Oh geez, that sounds horrible. But then again, I really don't have room for another tank + fry.

Anyway, I looked at the eggs this morning, and noticed that some were gone. There were a couple loose ones on the sand that the female ate. The majority are still on the leaf. The female doesn't seem to be eating. Unless she is while I'm at work. Now the male is chasing away my tetras, they only have one side of the tank pretty much. I'm concerned about them eating as well. When they try to eat off the bottom of the tank (doesn't matter which side) the male charges at them. I feel the need to feed them bloodworms daily because its the only food they can get while its slowly sinking to the bottom. I feel bad.

Hoping I have wrigglers in a couple of days!


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## Kelly682

No wrigglers. I think the female ate the eggs. I looks as if they have filled in their holes they dug out. Now she is out and about, looks like she is ready to go again. I have to clean the tank tonight before she lays eggs. Its sad, but then again I don't have room for the fry. I'm sure she'll lay again...


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## Aulonocara_Freak

Kelly682 said:


> No wrigglers. I think the female ate the eggs. I looks as if they have filled in their holes they dug out. Now she is out and about, looks like she is ready to go again. I have to clean the tank tonight before she lays eggs. Its sad, but then again I don't have room for the fry. I'm sure she'll lay again...


It's alway's sad, my krib's weren't the best first parent's either. It will happen again.


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## exasperatus2002

Kelly682 said:


> You're right!!! I have eggs! She laid them inside a fake plant, on one of the leaves. They're a light orange color. Yay, so exciting!!!


Wow in a plant? They're cavity spawners normally. Mine always laid in a coconut shell. then transfered the fry to pits after hatching. Then the female guards the fry while the male patrols the perimeter. I love how purple her belly gets while brooding.


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## Aulonocara_Freak

exasperatus2002 said:


> Wow in a plant? They're cavity spawners normally. Mine always laid in a coconut shell. then transfered the fry to pits after hatching.


I was thinking the same thing!


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## Kelly682

So, once again, can't find my female. I really don't have that many caves in my tank. There aren't any real craters that the pair have made. So there are times when I think, is she dead? I looked at the plant where she previously laid eggs, nothing there. I can't find her, or any eggs at all. I don't want to put my hand in there and uncover the caves that I have, incase there are eggs there. I'm almost disappointed. I bought fish to be seen, and she is not around.

Then there are those very few times, when she darts out of the back of the tank, kind of like "look at me!" and then she disappears. Very very odd fish.

:-?


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## Aulonocara_Freak

It sound's like you have wiggler's somewhere. Once the egg's hath into wiggler's the female will dig a pit in the sand and keep the wiggler's there until they turn into fry.


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## exasperatus2002

Kelly682 said:


> So, once again, can't find my female. I really don't have that many caves in my tank. There aren't any real craters that the pair have made. So there are times when I think, is she dead? I looked at the plant where she previously laid eggs, nothing there. I can't find her, or any eggs at all. I don't want to put my hand in there and uncover the caves that I have, incase there are eggs there. I'm almost disappointed. I bought fish to be seen, and she is not around.
> 
> Then there are those very few times, when she darts out of the back of the tank, kind of like "look at me!" and then she disappears. Very very odd fish.
> 
> :-?


she has found a very good hiding spot for her eggs she's watching. If you want to make her more visible, next time add a tighter fitting cave for her near cover but still viewable. Mine liked halved coconut shells but a rock cave would work to. I'd say if a rock cave, have it not higher then the fish are tall. otherwise she wont feel its secure enough.


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## Aulonocara_Freak

exasperatus2002 said:


> I'd say if a rock cave, have it not higher then the fish are tall. otherwise she wont feel its secure enough.


My female and male dug out sand and filled most of the opening's in my cave so there was only 2 entrance's. It was a show to watch!


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## Kelly682

Well I'll check it out again when I get home. These are the 'caves' that I have. 
http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3412984 Its not that large. I have 2 small ones on each side of the tank. And the plant that she previously laid eggs on... looked like this http://www.petsmart.com/product/zoom/index.jsp?productId=3958052 Yep, one one of those. I'm telling you, my fish is not normal. 

I'll search for eggs/wrigglers when I get home. I'll keep you guys updated.

opcorn:


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## Kelly682

So I searched and searched last night for any eggs/wrigglers. Can't find anything. The female still hides somewhere, but I notice if I'm infront of the tank, she'll come out and swim infront of me.

Oh well.

Another thing I noticed. My male has red fins. His dorsal fin has red along the top, and the top of his tail is red also. My female is yellow. Different varieties? Just thought that was intersting.

The saga continues... opcorn:


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## Aulonocara_Freak

I would love to see some picture's if that's possible! 

opcorn: opcorn: opcorn: opcorn: opcorn:


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## Kelly682

Pictures? Sure! Not that great with a camera, but i'll try.


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## Aulonocara_Freak

Thank's! 

opcorn:


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## Kelly682

In the meantime while I'm at work, this is kind of what they look like. I'll take pictures once I get home, if they'll stay still enough for me.

My female looks like this (not that fat though)









My male looks kind of like this. Mine doesn't have much black on the dorsal, and has a thin line of yellow, and then a band of red on the dorsal and tail. I don't think mine are fully grown. So I'm assuming things might change.





**These are not my picture/video. Used them mainly for description purposes**


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## Kelly682

Okay, this is my male. Sorry its not the best pic...









And this is my tank, again, sorry for the glare and the fuzziness. 









Both pics taken on a cell phone. I apologize for bad quality.

notice the lop sided plants? yea, that would be from the Kribensis digging. I couldn't get the female to calm down and just sit, so I couldn't get a pic of her. But shes alive!


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## Aulonocara_Freak

Nice, I think are male's look exactly alike.

Does your male look like this?









Does your female look like this?


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## Kelly682

Yes, my male looks like that but mine is red where yours looks yellow. My female looks exactly like yours.

They're out and about, swimming.


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## Aulonocara_Freak

Who are swimming? The pair? Or the fry? or both?

This is my pair in breeding mode:


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## Kelly682

The pair were out swimming yesterday. I don't have any fry. The female was shimmying towards the male all night last night, and when I turned the light on this morning, they both came out and ate, and the female was shimmying again. She is ready to go! The male isn't that interested at the moment.

The male is aggressive towards my tetras and danio's.

I guess the only thing to do now is to wait and see what happens. Oh, and maybe brush up on my picture taking skills. 

opcorn:


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## exasperatus2002

Kelly682 said:


> The pair were out swimming yesterday. I don't have any fry. The female was shimmying towards the male all night last night, and when I turned the light on this morning, they both came out and ate, and the female was shimmying again. She is ready to go! The male isn't that interested at the moment.
> 
> The male is aggressive towards my tetras and danio's.
> 
> I guess the only thing to do now is to wait and see what happens. Oh, and maybe brush up on my picture taking skills.
> 
> opcorn:


Thats normal. when breeding he defends the outter perimeter of the breeding site which can be a sizeable piece of tank space depending on the tank. When I had them, they were in a heavily planted tank (Hygrophila polysperma) 20 long with a pair of blue acara. They split the tank in half.


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## Aulonocara_Freak

BTW, flash help's a lot, so use "FORCED FLASH".


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## Kelly682

Well nothing is really happening in my tank since I did a water change. They have a new space they dug out by a cave and the female goes in there every once in a while. She isn't hiding anymore. No fry, eggs, wrigglers. Nothing. Fine by me.

I'm actually a little bored with my Kribs. Part of me wants to donate them and get a larger tank so I can have larger fish.

I'll see how things turn out.

Not really interested in my tank at all lately. Its kinda boring. It needs an overhaul.


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## Aulonocara_Freak

Just setup another tank. Trust me, once you sell them you will have a feeling that it was wrong and you want them back!


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## Sparrk

they seriously ARE amazing fish, I have 2 pairs in a 55gal 4foot long. One pair breeded, mom would care for her eggs, change them of spots and the male would chase any fish that come too close to protect the female and her eggs. They really loved my cichlids rocks they would go from one to an other to hide their babies. You could try maybe they would dig less, got mine on ebay for a good price. Then the eggs hatched and I got free swimmers. I was speachless, mom would try too keep the bunch of fry together and the male would catch any outsiders in his mouth and then spit them back with all the other fry. While doing that, the male protects his babies by chasing everyone that gets too close, even sometimes with fry in his mouth. And seriously they are really nice fish. Trust me, I have like 5 tanks at my place, with many kinds of africans, one with a crayfish, I also got south americans, but my favourites are, by far, my kribensis!!
















you can see fry between them(if you look closely, they re small lol)


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## Kelly682

Well yesterday I got home and noticed I hadn't seen the female in a few days. Finally I saw her come out of the air hole in one of my caves. You know how big decorations have holes in them to let the air out? Well my female was going up inside my decorations. I tried to gently shake her out, didn't work. I waited about an hour, then did it again and out she came. I checked inside the cave to make sure there were no eggs. And nope all clear! So I took the caves out, did a water change, cleaned the sand (boy did it need to be cleaned!) and put other decorations I had inside. It looks pretty good. So I went to watch tv. About an hour later I come out and in the corner of my tank are... wrigglers!!! I have probably 20-30 of them.

Now, once they become free swimming I don't know what to feed them.

:fish:


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## Aulonocara_Freak

I knew it!  There are a couple of thing's you can feed,

LIVE:
brine shrimp, daphnia, and infusoria.

Liquid:
Liquid fry food.

Powder:
Hikari "First Bite's"

Crushed flake and pellet's:
Anything really.

When I feed the powder or crushed flake and pellet I get a cup put tank water in it then put the food and mix it up so the food will sink. Then I pour it above the fry *slowly*.


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## brandon O

when i feed the powder food i use a syringe and suck up the water powder mixture.


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## Sparrk

I use crushed flakes, they also seem to nib on rocks and decoration for algea. And, she has done it few times now, the mother will take flakes in her mouth and spit it right in the bunch of fry lol, it is quite funny to see her do that. Im happy for you !!


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## Kelly682

Well its been a while. Thought I'd update. I had wrigglers and it was so funny how the parents would move them around. Slowly I saw the numbers decrease. I lost power for about 5 days. The day after the power came on, the male went crazy and almost killed the female. She was all battered up, torn fins and looked horrible. She was floating on the top just sitting there hoping he would leave her alone. I figure its always better to have the mother with the babies, so I donated the male. I had to, felt bad breaking up the pair, but he was going to kill her!!

The male got another home within a week, so I was happy about that. The same day I donated the male, the female perked up, got her stripes back, and took full responsibility of her fry. I had 8 fry for a while, a couple of weeks at least. Now down to 7. I honestly don't know what the fry are eating because I don't really feed them. I shouldn't say that. I feed my fish but not anything crushed up, no liquid food etc. I don't have room for the fry. I do feed my fish NLS pellets, frozen blood worms and I do feed the babies frozen baby brine shrimp. The fry are like little vacuums. The bottom of my tank has never looked better! 

The fry are starting to fight amongst themselves. They're still really really tiny. Not quite 0.25 of an inch. Slightly smaller. But they are starting to bicker with each other and one will flare out at the other. Its really funny to see. Some fry are larger than others, I'm assuming those are male, could be wrong though. So that is my tank at the moment.

Thought I'd update you all. Have a nice Thanksgiving!!


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## Aulonocara_Freak

Hmm, when my pair lost their fry the MOM tried to kill the male but he was tough! lol


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