Kribensis

Water parameters

Tolerated range for this species. Aim for the middle of each band rather than the extremes.

Tank and habitat

Substrate: any.

Behavior

Plant interaction: plant safe.

Feeding

Omnivore that eats flake food, pellets, frozen bloodworm, frozen brine shrimp, frozen daphnia, and live food. Not picky. Feeds at the bottom and in the midwater column. During breeding, both parents forage heavily to fuel egg production and fry guarding. A varied diet with frozen food 2-3 times weekly keeps coloring vibrant, especially the female's characteristic cherry-red belly. Feed twice daily.

Compatibility

• One of the more manageable dwarf cichlids for community tanks, but still a cichlid. A breeding pair defends a territory roughly 30 cm in radius around their cave and will chase anything that enters it, regardless of species or size.
• Outside of breeding, relatively peaceful. Pairs coexist with mid-water community fish (tetras, rasboras, barbs) without conflict, provided the community fish don't stray near the cave.
• Bottom-dwelling tankmates (corydoras, loaches) get the worst of it during breeding because they wander into the defended territory while foraging. This rarely causes injury but the constant chasing stresses them.
• A pair is the standard way to keep kribs. Single specimens are peaceful but lack the interesting behavior. Two pairs in the same tank need 200 L and two distinct cave sites on opposite ends.

Origin and habitat

Endemic to southern Nigeria and coastal areas of Cameroon. Found in still and slow-moving waters, usually heavily vegetated and shallow; some populations occur in brackish conditions near river mouths. The scientific name breaks down as Pelvicachromis (Latin pelvi- "belly" + Greek chromis "fish") and pulcher (Latin "beautiful"), referring to the vivid red or purple belly females display during breeding. The common name "krib" comes from historical taxonomic confusion with Pelvicachromis kribensis, which is a separate Cameroonian species split from P. taeniatus in 2014. P. pulcher was formerly placed in Pelmatochromis. One of the easiest cichlids to breed and often the first fish newcomers to the hobby successfully spawn. The female initiates courtship by showing her flank to the male with vibrating movements, her belly flushed bright red. Cave spawner; eggs are adhesive and typically laid in rows on the upper surface of the cave, with clutch sizes of 40 to 100. Both parents provide active brood care lasting 21 to 28 days, including guarding, herding, and feeding fry, though the female handles most direct fry care while the male defends territory. First-time parents sometimes eat initial clutches. The fish form monogamous pairs; it's better to let pairs form naturally from a group than to force-pair a male and female, which can result in the death of an unwilling partner. Sand or fine gravel substrate is recommended since the fish excavate pits when breeding. Fry sex ratio is pH-dependent, with lower pH producing more females.

Breeding

Cave spawner that breeds readily in aquariums. Provide a cave (coconut shell half, overturned clay pot, or driftwood cave) and a pair will usually spawn within weeks of being established. The female takes the lead in courtship, displaying her red belly and shimmying in front of the male near the cave entrance. She deposits 200-300 adhesive eggs on the cave ceiling. Both parents guard the eggs, but the female does most of the direct egg tending inside the cave while the male patrols the perimeter. Eggs hatch in 3-4 days. Fry are free-swimming in another 4-5 days. Both parents shepherd the fry around the tank in a tight cloud, aggressively repelling any fish that approaches. Watching krib parents manage their fry school is one of the best behavioral displays in the freshwater hobby. Fry eat baby brine shrimp and crushed flake from day one. The parents maintain guard duty for 3-4 weeks, after which the fry disperse and the pair may spawn again. Kribs are prolific; a healthy pair produces a brood every 6-8 weeks.

Common problems

Aggression during breeding catches community-tank keepers off guard. A pair that was peaceful for months suddenly becomes territorial the moment eggs are laid. The solution is a large enough tank (120 L) with enough mid-water space that other fish can stay out of the defended zone. Hexamita (hole-in-the-head disease) occurs occasionally, especially on low-quality diets. Symptoms: pits forming on the head and lateral line. Treat with metronidazole and improve the diet. Females sometimes become egg-bound (unable to release eggs), showing as a swollen abdomen and lethargy. A large water change with slightly cooler water can trigger egg release. The pH-sex-determination effect means that breeders in very soft or very hard water end up with skewed sex ratios, which is frustrating when you want balanced breeding groups. If all your krib fry are females, raise the pH slightly for the next brood.

Bioload

Further reading

• Biotope aquariums: matching fish to their natural habitat
• Setting up a breeding tank