Cant Get Them To Breed

[kribensis12]

I have a pair of Albino kribensis. The female is around 3 inches, the male around 5 inches. I have had them for months now, and they wont breed. The female dosent ever seem to be full of eggs. She will shake and show off to the male, and the male dosent really seem interested. Theyare in my 20g with 1 mollie, 2 swords, 2 guppies, and 1 golly. The decorations are, 1 flower pot, 1 pvc pipe, 1 amazon swordplant, 5 grassy plants, 2 java mosses, and i big rock.. The gravel is small, so they can build a nest, but i have no results. I acnt figure it out. This isnt the first pair in the last 8 months that i have had problems with. They flirt, but nothing happens. I have done 50% water changes, feed them high quality foods to encourage them and nothing has worked. Anyone have any idea's of whats wrong, or what i can do to fix this problem?

 

[BigC]

Look to you water stats. (but also consider the other tank inhabitants needs) Temp. pH and hardness specifically.
Then consider live and frozen foods.
Regards
BigC

 

[kribensis12]

I need to get a API Freshwater master test kit. I can take it to the lfs and have it tested. But is it possible for them to be to old to breed?

 

[GuppyDude]

How old are they? I dout they are too old to breed though. Maybe they just don't like each other?

 

[fry_lover]

i would never just expect a single pair to breed of any fish, unless they had bred before, the male might not even be fertile for some reason or one of them might not be interested / ever be interestedif they breed consider yourself fortunate rather than than assume they definitley will breedLOL are your measurements correct?a 5" Kribensis LOL, thats a monster!!!

 

[kribensis12]

If not 5inches, 4 and a half, he is one of the biggest kribs i have ever seen. The male has always seemed to be a little absent minded and dosent always pay attention to the female, and i have never heard of a male fish not wanting to breed. I might exchange him for a smaller one and see how it works out. He is a stunning albino, i havent seen that many around that rivals his quality.

 

[jayjay]

Did you buy and a group and let them pair off or just throw two together?

Have any other fish that are breeding? Could try adding them to the tank with other breeding fish or using the water from a tank with breeding fish in it, to see if hormones from other breeding fish encourage them.

 

[kribensis12]

I had my water checked and here is the stats: ph:7.4, nitrite: 0, nitrate: 30, ammonia: 0.
They are in a tank with livebearer's( when dont they breed) and that hasnt helped them. I think i am going to do a tr ade in for some store credit and get somthing i can take care of easier, and that breeds easier. I am thinking of jewel's. I had some before and didnt have any problems. I took some pics of my kribs and i will try to post them later. The only reason is becasue i need somthing i can make money off of so i casn take care of my fish.

 

[invader]

I would suggest getting a job if you are looking to making money.

 

[kribensis12]

I am not old enough, and here are some pics of my kribs:
male albino: http/i170.photobucket.com/albums/u274/kr.../malealbino.jpg
Female Albino: http/i170.photobucket.com/albums/u274/kr...emaelalbino.jpg
Both: http/i170.photobucket.com/albums/u274/kr...emalealbino.jpg

 

[BigC]

Kribs are considered very very easy to breed, So either the male is sterile or the stats are wrong pH isn't everything, you need to check the hardness and the temp should be 77-80'F provide them with a few more clay plants at various positions throughout the tank to give them some options as to where they think is safe and easily defendable to raise their family. Also they need to be offered a varied diet (little and often) consider livefoods for conditioning.
Have you given any thought as to how you are going to off load such offspring when they reach maturity. believe me when the do eventually settle down the you will have one brood after another.
Regards
BigC

 

[fry_lover]

i hear what your saying Big C, but even with Kribs (of which i have quite some experience in breeding), you cannot just assume two fish will automatically breed because one is female and one is male, even in ideal conditions. I am not saying you are 100% assumming this, but its just i want to make this point. Both partners could be perfectly fertile, the water params perfect and layout of the tank perfect and i still wouldnt be overly suprised if the fish didnt breed (perhaps a little disappointed)

I think the best way is to get a proven pair (and this still doesnt gaurentee anything) OR.... like someone else suggested, get a few males and females and let them decide who they want to pair up with etc...

Good luck though, i know it can be frustrating!

Perhaps, dim the lights, do them a candle-lit dinner with some soft music? just kidding buddy

It's ironic with Kribs (or from my experience anway), as i have only had breeding activity when there is a group of them (i have had male and females alone and nothing ever happened).

However, although they start to pair up for me in a group, i find the best way of successfully having them raise fry, is if they are on their own (no other Kribs)

So, for me, in an ideal Krib breeding project, i would have a group, hope for a pair to be established, then remove the pair to their own set-up (in my experience, the pair remains together for breeding despite the stress of the move)

You may also find, if you add a few Kribs to your set-up (although cant recall size of your tank), your actual pair that you want to pair up will as they are the established members of the tank.

 

[steve2000]

Hi i have exactly the same problem. But mine paired up from a group, i kept them in a community tank and they used to shimmy up against each other,but nothing more so i put them on their own with their prefered water stats but still the same. I think that the pair are about 9 months old and about 2inches long so i would have thought they were old enough.

 

[kribensis12]

I did have them in a tank of 4 with 2 other kribs, and the females and one male were trying to breed, but this male was a little bit but he kinda lost interest and went digging on the toher side of the tank. Here is a pic of my other female and for some reason her and the other male didnt breed: http/i170.photobucket.com/albums/u274/kr...ispairingof.jpg

 

[kribensis12]

I dont know about you, but i thought she looked pregnant, and if i am not mistaken from past kribensis breeding( she was in breeding colors). I took the 2 kribs back to day, along with 2 convicts, and instead got 2 jewel's( they are stunning), 1 albino cory, and 1 dozen small crickets. I will post pics later of them.