I Think My Kribs Are Spawning Again

[ColR1948]

As The title says I think my Kribs are spawning again.

I have a breeding pair, they have spawned before and I managed to save 8 of the fry before being picked off one by one by the other tank mates.
I had them in a community tank but took them out as it looked like they were spawning again, I put them on their own on a small tall but this was a mistake, all they did was hide.
I later learned they need dither fish to come out but the small tank was too small to add dithers so I moved them again to a lager tank leaving 5 x Danios in there, this worked as they were all over the tank investigating.
I added a few caves for them and now they have picked a spot that is their's and going off the behaviour they look like they may have eggs, the female is staying in the hiding place but comes out now and again while the male stands guard then she goes back in after her little swim around, and he is on guard all the time now just like before.
He isn't chasing the Danios away much but then again they do seem to be holding in the other end of the tank but when one comes near he just makes his presence known and they swim off again, so fingers crossed.

(Side note) The 8 fry are doing well by the way, they are about 2 weeks old now and starting to look like baby Kribs.

 

[Donna_G]

From your description I think my Kribs might have eggs, this is the first time so not sure how successful they will be. What have you been feeding the fry? And when did you start feeding them? Have only had them 2 wks so wasn't prepared for any hanky panky yet lol

 

[ColR1948]

Hi Donna, It was my first time with fry, they were like very very tiny tadpoles when I managed to separate them and I got some 'Liquid Fry' stuff in a small plastic bottle from the fish shop, you get some of the tank water in a cup or something then add 5 drops of this liquid and stir then put it in the tank. It clouds the water but only for about a minute and you should see tiny white particles, the fry were eating that.
I asked about this when I first got the fry and someone said they eat bits from the substrate till they get bigger, course I separated mine so I had to look for another source.
I now use crushed flake and I have also fed them on brine shrimp, I was going to try Daphnia but I think it is out of season as I've not seen any in the shop for a while.

As for separating them I used a siphon, I got some water from the tank and waited a short while till the mother came out in the open with them then I slowly moved the tube over them and sucked them in to the bucket, then transferred them to a small tank I had already waiting.

They lay their eggs in the roof of the cave by the way so you probably won't see them till they are hatched, when they are hatched or nearly hatched the female will spend most of the time in the cave and hardly come out, then she will emerge with the fry to take them around the tank she will be protected by the male at all times, he will defend with his life and scare off much larger fish, they are great parents.
Sometimes you may see her get the fry in her mouth to carry them off to safety, at first I thought she was eating them but I was wrong.

Good luck, please keep us informed.

 

[gregswimm]

Crush up the same food you give to the adults (make it dust or close to it). Feed them a little 2 or more times a day, the more you feed the more often you have to change the water. Keep your nitrates under 10ppm and you will have great growth rates.

I use a siphon to catch all my fry

 

[ColR1948]

I think that's what I said above.

 

[gregswimm]

I think that's what I said above.

 

[ColR1948]

Thank you.