Are kribs suitable for a community tank?

[Bill]

I've seen these guys at my LFS, they are beautiful and I'd love to get one. Being a cichlid, though, would a krib eat my neons and beat up all my other peaceful fish, or be chilled with enough hiding places and stuff? I haven't been able to find a clear answer, they sound fairly peaceful as cichlids go and very easy to care for, but I don't want anything destroying my community!

Thanks

~Bill

[Dino]

I would not try it in anything less than a 55.

Once the kribs start breeding, they can be a terror for a tank.

A 55 is large enough that the other fish should be able to stay out of the kribs way.

[Bill]

OK, thanks Dino I won't get one. If there's any chance of it eating my lovely neons, it won't go in the tank

[Allie]

I have a single female krib with 5 neons temorarily...she doesn't bother them at all...getting her a male soon.
I had a pair in a 20g community tank last year and no one got beaten up by the kribs at all.

[Bill]

Hmm, maybe a female would be okay then? I'm still not sure though because my tank only has really peaceful fish (the most aggressive is a male dwarf gourami) and I wouldn't want to lose any of them.

[simpleton]

I have a sindle Male in my 29 gallon. He definately establishes his dominance in the tank with the others. Just a bit aggressive but not to hurt anyone of my others...The Chinese Algae Eater is about the same size as my Krib (3 inches) and he chases the Krib around the tank on occaision. Once you put soem other Cichlids in the tank that are a bit larger than the Krib, he will stay in his area and use plants to hide. I would not put a Krib in the tank with the Neons. That could be trouble.

[Allie]

Originally Posted by Bill

Hmm, maybe a female would be okay then? I'm still not sure though because my tank only has really peaceful fish (the most aggressive is a male dwarf gourami) and I wouldn't want to lose any of them.

I had my kribs in a 20g with swordtails, betta, 3 dwarf sunset gouramis, dalmation mollies and bronzed cory doras...they all got along fine.