How to Breed Kribensis Cichlids?

The process of breeding kribensis cihlids is relatively simple. You don’t need to be an expert to breed them.

And as they are one of the most popular fish species for many tank owners, many will be wondering how you can breed these fish, and what it takes to do so successfully.

You can select your own pair if you want to, as they are fairly easy to breed. The best way to breed these fish is to select healthy, strong fish and pair them together.

That is almost a guarantee that you will be getting quality offspring that will survive for longer.

These fish will reach maturity for breeding at about the age of six months, although it can take longer than that.

An important thing to keep in mind is that these fish can get aggressive when they are breeding, which is why a separate tank might be in order.

However, breeding these fish is not a complicated matter. In this article, you will learn everything there is to know about breeding these fish.

It will be helpful for you if you are looking to breed them, and you want to have good success when doing that.

Water Parameters for Breeding Kribensis Cichlids

If you increase the temperature slightly when you are breeding, it might increase the likelihood of successful breeding.

The ideal temperatures for these fish are between 72 and 79 degrees Fahrenheit. However, if you are looking to breed them, you should try and keep the temperature on the higher end of that spectrum.

It’s best to aim for temperatures of between 77 and 79 degrees Fahrenheit. This will give you the best chance of breeding these fish successfully.

Another very important thing to keep in mind is to keep the water well cycled, fresh, and extremely clean when you are trying to breed these fish.

You will want to provide a separate breeding tank for these fish when you are breeding them. That’s an important factor for two reasons:

• These fish will get aggressive when they breed, so putting them in a separate breeding tank might be for the best.
• A separate breeding tank will allow you to maintain ideal conditions and temperatures much easier.

If you are setting up a separate breeding tank, make sure you create multiple caves in the breeding tank, and add a dark substrate to the tank.

If you have multiple caves in the tank, it will allow the fish to get comfortable and create a good breeding environment where they will lay their eggs and let the fry spawn in there.

The fish should spawn in most PH conditions and water hardness levels, but try to keep them in ideal levels nonetheless. These will be at neutral levels for PH levels.

How to Sex Kribensis Cichlids?

It’s fairly easy to distinguish a male krib from a female krib. The biggest distinctive factor will be their size – namely, males will be usually much bigger than females.

Males will grow to about 4” in size at most, while females will be between 2-3 inch large.

Another distinctive feature of male kribs is their tales. Males will have a pointier tail, while females’ tail will be much more rounded.

The males’ dorsal fins will also be more pointed, while a female’s fins will be rounded.

It’s also easy to distinguish between the two sexes by their colors. When males are ready for breeding, they will normally display much brighter colors, and more vivid colors. That’s how they will try to attract females.

So that’s how you can easily distinguish between males and females. This allows you to pair up the males and females easier.

Breeding and Spawning Behavior of Kribensis

So what can you expect to experience when you try to breed kribs?

As I’ve already mentioned, you should aim to have a separate breeding tank, which will prevent aggression and will also allow you to keep ideal water conditions.

Aim for a 20-gallon tank, fine gravel, and a neutral ph; also consider slightly higher temperatures.

The female will initiate the breeding process by showing off her brightly colored abdomen. And the male will also display more vivid colors when they are ready to breed.

The female will arch her body, curl the fins, and she will vibrate her body in order to entice and attract the male.

The pair will start to create a nest for their fry. Then, they will start to breed.

After a week or so, the female will start to lay eggs – 200-300 of them, and she will spawn them into the caves that the fish created before they started breeding.

When the eggs are spawned, the female will remain within the cave, while the male will patrol around the cave, protecting it strongly against any potential predators.

The female will also protect the fry, and will very rarely come out of the cave – only for food.

That’s when aggression from males might start to occur. Make sure you place them into a separate breeding tank, as other fish might get hurt as a result of this aggression.

How to Care for Kribensis Cichlid Fry?

When the fry spawns, they will mainly remain around the female and the male, as they will want to be safe. But more likely, they will be found in the caves for the first few days.

After they come out of the cave, they will start to swim on their own. At that time, you should start feeding them freshly hatched brine shrimp, or small flake food pieces, which the fry should be able to digest easily.

It’s important to offer them smaller pieces and bits of food for several times per day. They will need several servings and will need constant care if you want them to grow up and develop nicely.

Make sure you do frequent water changes for the fry – this is a critical thing, as the toxins in the water can kill off the fry.

But don’t vacuum near the cave or remove water from there. This can be too stressful for the fish and can result in death.

Keeping a close eye on the fry for the first few days and weeks is crucial, as it will allow them to grow and develop better, and they will also be able to survive on their own later on.

What to Feed Kribensis Fry?

As I’ve already mentioned, it’s best to feed them small pieces of food for several times per day.

You can feed them freshly hatched brine shrimp – this is the best type of food for fry, as it contains a good amount of proteins, which is crucial for the growth of these fish.

Also, you can consider feeding the fry small pieces of flakes, but these should be small enough so that they can fit into their mouths.

The offspring also like tiny organic matter particles, as well as powdered flakes. Consider these foods when you have krib fry ready to eat.

Another important thing is to feed them with smaller meals for several times per day. That’s the best way to feed these fish as it gives them the opportunity to maintain their fast metabolism easier.

How Often do Kribensis Lay Eggs?

Kribensis can, just like many other fish, spawn and breed at incredible rates.

They can lay eggs approximately every four weeks, or when the fry is large enough to survive on their own and the parents don’t need to keep a close eye on them anymore.

This also depends on whether you allow them to breed or not, or if you provide females and males together so that they can easily breed.

When the fry is half inch large, they will be able to breed again.

So you can see that these fish will breed at incredible rates if they are allowed to do so.

However, many fish tank owners don’t do that as the fish will overwhelm the tank and there will be too many newly hatched fry to keep an eye on.

If you don’t want to see these frequent breeding patterns, then it’s better to keep males and females separate in order to not see these patterns.

How Many Eggs do Kribensis Fish Lay?

The kribs will spawn about 50-300 eggs at once. That’s an extraordinary amount, and they will mostly spawn them in caves where these fish will start breeding.

If you can’t handle so many new fish, then it’s better to remove the eggs altogether in the first place if you want to avoid the problem of having to many fish in your tank.

Wrapping Up

Kribs are a great fish to own in your tank, and they are also fairly easy to breed. If you’re looking to breed these fish, then you won’t find it particularly hard.

You need to keep temperatures as high as possible, and keep males together with females in the tank. Also, makes sure the water is as clean as possible, which will encourage faster breeding.