Breeding kribs: tips for successful spawning

[jimmyocean]

My Kribs have paired up and found a cozy little cave to call their own.
They're doing all the right things - taking turns digging out the substrate in their mouths, the female sitting tight in the cave for a few days while the male chases off any unwanted visitors.
But then, nothing. No eggs, no fry.
This keeps happening every couple of weeks, and I'm stumped.
I've tried treating them to bloodworms, and even bumped up the temperature a degree or two, but I'm not sure what else to try.
Can anyone offer some advice on how to encourage them to actually lay eggs and fertilize them?

[coltin]

First off, are you certain you've got a male and female Krib, or could you have two females? Posting some pictures of the adults would help us determine their sex.

In terms of feeding, how often are you providing them with food? When trying to breed Kribs, it's recommended to feed them 3-5 times a day.

Regarding water changes, what's your current schedule? I'd suggest doing big water changes - around 75% - every day or two. This can really help stimulate the fish to breed. Just make sure any new water you add is free of chlorine and chloramine before introducing it to the tank.

[jimmyocean]

First off, are you certain you've got a male and female Krib, or could you have two females? Posting some pictures of the adults would help us determine their sex.

In terms of feeding, how often are you providing them with food? When trying to breed Kribs, it's recommended to feed them 3-5 times a day.

Regarding water changes, what's your current schedule? I'd suggest doing big water changes - around 75% - every day or two. This can really help stimulate the fish to breed. Just make sure any new water you add is free of chlorine and chloramine before introducing it to the tank.

I've got a male and female, I'm pretty sure, I'll post some pics so you can confirm. I feed them a few times a week, maybe more often when I remember. I do water changes every week, about 25% each time. I'll try to do more frequent changes, 75% every day or two as you suggested. I use a water conditioner to remove chlorine/chloramine before adding it to the tank. What's the ideal temperature for breeding Kribs? I've already tried turning it up a degree or two.

[graye]

It's likely that they are laying eggs, but the pattern you've described suggests that either the eggs aren't fertilizing or the water conditions are off. If the water is too hard, it can be fatal for the larvae. I'd recommend keeping the temperature at around 26 degrees, rather than warmer.

It's not uncommon for male dwarf Cichlids to experience infertility, especially in younger fish, but this can sometimes resolve itself with age and a few breeding attempts.

[jimmyocean]

I've not noticed any eggs in the cave for the male to fertilise, which seems odd given their regular nesting behaviour.

[infold]

Couldn't agree more with coltin. Big water changes do the trick, especially around new moon.

[graye]

Lifting the cave is not the answer, trust me, I've bred my fair share of Kribs and their relatives without ever laying eyes on the eggs or wrigglers. The thing is, the female will remove any bad eggs to protect the rest, and if they're all duds... well, you can see the problem.

I'm with the others on this, a big water change, especially around a full moon, or even better, just before or during a summer thunderstorm, can work wonders. My own experience with Parananochromis has shown me that these triggers can be key - my pair spawns every two weeks, and they'll guard for three to five days before giving up. I've been tweaking things, gradually reducing the water hardness by 10ppm TDS each time, and increasing the flow around the nest sites.

You'd think Kribs would be a breeze by comparison, but nope, they just don't seem to follow the rules.

[jimmyocean]

They've really gone to town on the cave this time, biggest mound yet. The male is now camped out in there, refusing to budge, while the female just lingers at the entrance. What's the story here, are they finally getting down to business or is something else going on?

[jimmyocean]

It seems like that brief moment of activity didn't quite lead to anything. Now they're back to taking turns going in and out of the cave, with the rest of their time spent hovering around the entrance.