care for dithers and kribensis

[bolt9x]

I'm after some dither suggestions for my breeding pair of Kribensis in a 90 litre tank, thanks.

[ridera]

African tetras would be a suitable fit, with species like Congo Tetra, Yellow-tailed Congo Tetra, African Red Eye, Long-finned, and One-Stripe being ideal options. When choosing, I'd recommend at least two females per male in a group of 6-9 fish, based on my own experience. I made the mistake of starting with 12 unsexed Yellow-tailed Congo Tetras, which all turned out to be males and ended up fighting each other viciously as they matured. Despite extra water changes and treatment, most of them sadly didn't survive. However, I've found that Yellow-tailed Congo Tetras are quite feisty, so it's worth keeping that in mind.

Alternatively, you could consider African Three-Striped Catfish, a midwater diurnal catfish that prefers some water current. They do require a sizeable group of 10+ to feel confident, but they could work well in your tank if the length isn't an issue.

African Butterfly Fish could also be a good fit, adding to the African theme. They prefer calm upper water current, some plants to hide in – mine like to lurk in floating Canadian Pondweed – and about 30cm square per specimen.

[creekdwlr]

Considering your Kribensis breeding pair, another option for dithers could be Citrus Tetras.

[bolt9x]

I appreciate the suggestions, but I'm concerned Congo Tetras might be a bit too large for my 90 litre tank.

[flarix]

In my experience, black neons have been a decent choice for dithers, they're quite active and seem to work well in smaller schools, probably the most energetic dither fish I've personally used.

[bolt9x]

Thinking of getting a shoal now. Would scissor tail rasboras be a good fit, or are they not suitable for a 90 litre tank with Kribensis?

[flarix]

Honestly, it's hard to say for sure, it really depends on how the rasboras handle the Kribs' territorial behavior - some fish can get stressed and break out in white spot, while others seem to shrug it off when they're being bullied a bit. You can always give it a shot and see how it goes, good luck.

[ridera]

I'm after some dither suggestions for my breeding pair of Kribensis in a 90 litre tank, thanks.

I came across the Seriously Fish profile for Rasbora trilineata and it seems they might not be the best fit. While I don't always take those profiles as gospel, the common name "scissortail" did make me think of their more energetic cousins, the Redline Torpedo Barbs, which can grow up to 15cm and need plenty of swimming space.

In a 90l tank, it's a challenge to find a fish that's at least as big as the Kribs and can handle their aggression when breeding, yet is relatively laid-back, doesn't need a lot of room to swim, and spends most of its time away from the tank floor.

[flarix]

Considering your tank size, I think I've got a possible alternative for you - I'll be stocking 20 tiger barbs with my breeding kribs in my 90l, might work for you too. Alternatively, you could look into five banded barbs, they're less aggressive.

[flux9]

I've had tiger barbs with my breeding kribs and they're a great combination. No bullying from the kribs, they all coexist happily. They even spawn, though the eggs don't last long. Still, it's a good sign they're comfortable.