Fishes / Breeds
The kribensis carries a soft olive-brown body with a striking magenta-pink belly, most vivid in breeding females, and a dark horizontal stripe running the length of the body. It comes from Nigeria and
The kribensis carries a soft olive-brown body with a striking magenta-pink belly, most vivid in breeding females, and a dark horizontal stripe running the length of the body. It comes from Nigeria and Cameroon in West Africa, with males growing to around ten centimetres and noticeably smaller, rounder females typically staying closer to seven or eight, a useful size difference for telling the sexes apart alongside the female's brighter belly colour.
It is one of the easiest cichlids in the entire hobby to breed successfully, forming stable pairs that show attentive, genuinely interesting parental care, making it a popular choice for a keeper wanting to witness cichlid breeding behaviour without excessive aggression or a large tank.
A pair does well in a tank of sixty litres or more, with caves, flowerpots or PVC pipe sections offering the enclosed breeding sites this species favours. It tolerates a reasonable range of water conditions, including typical Indian tap water.
A tank with a mix of open swimming space and defensible cave territory suits its natural behaviour and reduces unnecessary conflict with tankmates.
An omnivorous diet of good-quality cichlid pellets, supplemented with occasional live or frozen food, suits it well. It is not a fussy eater and adapts readily to whatever is offered.
Its belly colour genuinely intensifies with water quality, diet and breeding condition, so a dull-coloured kribensis in a shop tank often colours up considerably once settled into a stable, well-kept home aquarium.
Article content © Ravi Teja. All rights reserved.
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