kerbensis cichlids breeding issues

[trackerboy]

Hi all,

I introduced a male and female kerbensis into my tank about 4 months ago, hoping for some breeding activity. So far, nothing. I've been changing the water every 2 weeks, keeping it clean, and added plenty of hiding spots for them. Both the female and male have really red bellies, and the female's belly is marble-shaped, so I think she's in spawn. The male chases her a lot too.

A few things are on my mind that might be affecting their breeding. The male's top fin was damaged when I bought him, but it doesn't seem to bother him. Also, I have neon tetras, catfish, and a yoyo loach in the tank with them. Could these other fish be the issue? I recently switched to a fine sandy substrate, thinking that might help.

If anyone has any info on breeding these fish or can spot something I'm doing wrong, please share.

[pastime1]

Hi trackerboy, welcome to the forum. I'm happy to help you out with your kribs. To start, I'm curious, are you certain you have a male and female pair? It'd be great if you could share some photos of your kribs so we can confirm.

It's possible that they might have spawned without you noticing, as they tend to do it in hidden spots. The eggs or fry might have been eaten by your other fish, which could be why you haven't seen any signs of breeding.

Also, what type of catfish do you have in your tank?

[trackerboy]

hi there, thanks for getting back to me

i've added some pics of my kerbensis on facebook, you can find them here: https/www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=7350778 ... =1&theater

unfortunately i could only get one decent pic of the female, and it's not the best quality.

as for the catfish, i'm not entirely sure what type they are - they're the sucker type, and they're both around 3-5 inches long.

[pastime1]

Sorry, can't view those pics on FB, says content unavailable.