Kribensis vs Betta

Following my post about the apistos, I went to the LFS store today to get some, but they didn't have any. Had a choice between two more female bettas, OR a pair of kribs, which the guy said was a matter of luck and fish personalities.... So far so good, no fights, nothing. The kribs stick to themselves and just explore. The betta sometimes goes nearby to inspect, but not flaring or anything.

Whats your experience with these two fish together?

Also heard kribs destroy the plants. Its a planted tank, so I would've never bought them if I knew this. Anyone has any input on this one? So far no plants harmed.

Can anyone confirm its a male and a female? The smaller guy has the tail destroyed, he was being chased a lot on the store. (super overcrowded small tank)

 

The colored up one looks like a female, can you get a closer pick of the smaller one? Also, if you were hoping for them to pair up you’ll need to get a new male, the females prefer having a larger male instead of a small one. If the kribs are fed well they shouldn’t eat any plants.

 

The colored up one looks like a female, can you get a closer pick of the smaller one? Also, if you were hoping for them to pair up you’ll need to get a new male, the females prefer having a larger male instead of a small one. If the kribs are fed well they shouldn’t eat any plants.

Won't they pair up in time when he grows up?

Here are some photos of both that I just took

Think the small guy is still being bullied. Just watched the female chase him away. It's hard to take a pic as hes always hiding in the back of the tank while the female is less shy.

Edit: more pics. Hope it's a female so I can get a big male. If I have to remove this guy, going to be a pain, I just fed them so I just noticed they're fast swimmers

 

I'm sorry to say, but I think this is a really bad idea. They probably will pair up and Kribs get nasty when they spawn.
I used to have them in 4ft a community tank and during spawn one of them killed a 6inch yoyo loach.

Imo kribensis do not make good community fish.
They're young and new to the tank, so they haven't settled yet. But once they do establish a territory and spawn I think there will be trouble. Male Kribs get up to 4 inches, they're a lot bigger than bettas and theyre both aggressive species.
There's always a chance it could work! And I hope it does, but I'm just giving you a forewarning. As someone whos bred both kribensis and bettas. Not in the same tank though.

 

That sucks, my tank is only 1 meter long. And that was a big loach! How did they managed to kill it?! Wow. Well I told the guy from the shop I would be returning them if anything happened... Hope it doesn't! The one female betta is docile but she's not one to become afraid, one time I had a bitter Molly and the betta wouldn't go away... She was like "come at me bro i dare you" lol... We'll see, would love some interesting spawning behavior in the tank other than livebearers which is boring as they don't care for the fry whatsoever. Also just noticed the female trying to dig up a valisneria.... So not a good start lol. Maybe I'll go swap these for two female bettas instead.... I'll wait a little to see what happens

 

That sucks, my tank is only 1 meter long. And that was a big loach! How did they managed to kill it?! Wow. Well I told the guy from the shop I would be returning them if anything happened... Hope it doesn't! The one female betta is docile but she's not one to become afraid, one time I had a bitter Molly and the betta wouldn't go away... She was like "come at me bro i dare you" lol... We'll see, would love some interesting spawning behavior in the tank other than livebearers which is boring as they don't care for the fry whatsoever. Also just noticed the female trying to dig up a valisneria.... So not a good start lol. Maybe I'll go swap these for two female bettas instead.... I'll wait a little to see what happens

Oh its incredible how aggressive they can be when protecting their young. They were taking their fry out of the coconut and the loach saw them as food. Kribs will fight to the death for their fry . The female got the loach in the Gill, he died about an hour later
Keep a very close eye on them. A sorority would probably be safer imo, even though they have problems of their own .
I'm glad you've got a backup plan at least! Some lfs don't take returns.

 

Oh its incredible how aggressive they can be when protecting their young. They were taking their fry out of the coconut and the loach saw them as food. Kribs will fight to the death for their fry . The female got the loach in the Gill, he died about an hour later
Keep a very close eye on them. A sorority would probably be safer imo, even though they have problems of their own .
I'm glad you've got a backup plan at least! Some lfs don't take returns.

Yeah I'm glad they take returns as well, as I don't have an extra tank. Any other fish which take care of their fry? Other than cichlids... Is it too risky to try a male and female betta and get them to breed in this tank? It's a 200L tank

 

Yeah I'm glad they take returns as well, as I don't have an extra tank. Any other fish which take care of their fry? Other than cichlids... Is it too risky to try a male and female betta and get them to breed in this tank? It's a 200L tank

Yeah, they raise their own fry. Kribs are paternal.
I wouldnt try and breed bettas in a community tank. The fry probably wouldn't survive. You're supposed to remove the female after they embrace. Then remove the male a few days later and raise the fry yourself.

 

Ok. Last question.... Britlenose plecos? Safe? Ive got a female already. Heard they breed well and have a cool behavior as well. Ill give the kribs a try if that doesn't work out, guess ill find a male BN.. Thanks for the tips!

 

Ok. Last question.... Britlenose plecos? Safe? Ive got a female already. Heard they breed well and have a cool behavior as well. Ill give the kribs a try if that doesn't work out, guess ill find a male BN.. Thanks for the tips!

OK! Im actually planning to breed BN myself. I love them!
Yeah, I'd say your tank is big enough to house a male and a female.
Though they can be a bit territorial, and the breeding is a little aggressive. But imo a much better option than bettas or kribs for breeding. Providing you've got plans for the fry, they can have a lot of babies!
And you're most welcome

 

Yeah I'm glad they take returns as well, as I don't have an extra tank. Any other fish which take care of their fry? Other than cichlids... Is it too risky to try a male and female betta and get them to breed in this tank? It's a 200L tank

Peacock gudgeons are great. They don’t raise their fry past the wriggler stage but their bright, colorful, and great nano fish that shouldn’t bother your bettas. Bn plecos are great fish to breed but not so great with other fish when breeding. Mine got crazy territorial when I added in a female and started bullying my corys (he was peaceful before) and stopped after she was removed. It could work depending on the pleco but I would wait until you can put more focus on a pleco specific set up. I’m not saying it’s impossible because many people have done it, I’m just saying that it can be risky.

 

Once the kribs become a pair they will work as a pair. Any fish that gives them trouble - they will call the other for assistance. I purchased the kribs thinking they were passive aggressive like angles but even before they reach maturity they were aggressive. In that fashion i regret putting them in a community tank but on the positive side it is amazing to watch them raise their youngs and they do a very good job at it.
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Specific to your question as long as the betta stays out of their terrority or near the top the kribs will ignore it - if the betta has reason to check them out (or if they breed the frys) the betta will take a beating. There is no doubt in my mind the kribs would rip the betta to shreds if they feel like it. All of my pygmy cory (the ones that werent' killed) have learned to rest on leaves in the upper layers of the tank. I applaud them for being fast learners and they aren't the only ones. The only fish i have that will stand up to the kribs are the nannacara and from time to time both kribs will push him back.
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One thing i will add is since they created a cave and settled in with frys they have become a *lot less* aggressive. Yes they protect the fry and chase anyone they see off but there is a whole lot less actual contact.
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I posted a short video of the kribs caring for the frys here:
What are you doing to your tank today? | 434148 | General Discussion

 

I was hoping my kribs would hook up but they hate each other's guts. The first day the female did the shimmy dance but the male wasn't into it, and that really ticked her off. Ever since I have to keep them in divided tank by themselves because they're just too mean even without spawning going on. I guess it's kind of a crapshoot.

 

No - give them 4 weeks. Mine fought liked cats and dog for 3ish week - then dug a cave under a piece of drift wood and the rest is history.

I was hoping my kribs would hook up but they hate each other's guts. The first day the female did the shimmy dance but the male wasn't into it, and that really ticked her off. Ever since I have to keep them in divided tank by themselves because they're just too mean even without spawning going on. I guess it's kind of a crapshoot.

 

About the pleco, mine is nice, but I've noticed some aggression when doing bottom feeding, corys got beaten up.... So then i stopped feeding him and he can just scavenge for leftovers like the corys... (i overfeed a little, got a big clean up crew)
Other than that, no other issue... As for the fry, I always give them away to the LFS or trade for stuff like plants...

The kribs.... Now that scares me a little! And considering how big they can get, they can really do some irreparable damage....
I know a guy who used to breed them in a community tank, without any issues other than the chasing away..

I still have them, hoping for the best... If this doesn't work I guess I'll try the plecos, but I love my corys, if they start beating them... They go. Well the male goes. I'll look into the other fish you mentioned, thanks

I was hoping my kribs would hook up but they hate each other's guts. The first day the female did the shimmy dance but the male wasn't into it, and that really ticked her off. Ever since I have to keep them in divided tank by themselves because they're just too mean even without spawning going on. I guess it's kind of a crapshoot.

They fight each other or the other fish? Or... Both?

 

I was hoping my kribs would hook up but they hate each other's guts. The first day the female did the shimmy dance but the male wasn't into it, and that really ticked her off. Ever since I have to keep them in divided tank by themselves because they're just too mean even without spawning going on. I guess it's kind of a crapshoot.

That can happen too!
They don’t always like each other. Theyre far more aggressive than they're advertised to me imo. I've heard stories about females killing males vice versa. And whole harems turning on each other and it ending very badly.
They have a lot of personality and some are just mean

 

They fight each other or the other fish? Or... Both?

Mine will tunnel under the divider just to fight each other. I tried putting other fish with them and they went after them too. I really kind of regret getting them because the tank can't house other fish. I put a ram in and
they like stalked him, he was stressing bad. Yours may be totally different though.

 

About the pleco, mine is nice, but I've noticed some aggression when doing bottom feeding, corys got beaten up.... So then i stopped feeding him and he can just scavenge for leftovers like the corys... (i overfeed a little, got a big clean up crew)
Other than that, no other issue... As for the fry, I always give them away to the LFS or trade for stuff like plants...

The kribs.... Now that scares me a little! And considering how big they can get, they can really do some irreparable damage....
I know a guy who used to breed them in a community tank, without any issues other than the chasing away..

I still have them, hoping for the best... If this doesn't work I guess I'll try the plecos, but I love my corys, if they start beating them... They go. Well the male goes. I'll look into the other fish you mentioned, thanks

Yeah, I’m surprised your having issues with a female BUT I think I have a guess why it’s aggressive at feeding. Usually when plecos aren’t fed veggies very often or a varied diet they get very mad when they do get fed. If you feed them veggies 3x a week (zucchini is best) and a algae wafer once a week that should help with aggression and the pleco will still get good nutrients to help with breeding since it’s not very good to breed a pleco who isn’t on a high quality diet.

 

If you feed your algae eating pleco you should feed them zuc rather than cucumber as it has more nutrient. Another option is solient green. As for aggression. Mine would go mad for shrimp pellet and the first one she saw she would be-line to it and anything in her way was pushed aside - well that was until the upside down cat stood his ground and made it clear that she couldn't have the one he was eating. She learned an important lesson that day.

 

If you feed your algae eating pleco you should feed them zuc rather than cucumber as it has more nutrient. Another option is solient green. As for aggression. Mine would go mad for shrimp pellet and the first one she saw she would be-line to it and anything in her way was pushed aside - well that was until the upside down cat stood his ground and made it clear that she couldn't have the one he was eating. She learned an important lesson that day.

Thanks for catching my typo, I meant to say zucchini not cucumber.

 

I have never had kribs mess with plants, will the store let you trade him in on a larger male? Sometimes it takes a week or two for them to settle in and breed, I have had females breed with a smaller male but raley does it work, I have about 50 albino krib fry now that are about four weeks old and if you want a fish that raises and cares for its young than kribs are pretty neat to watch.
BN are pretty easy and straightforward, feed them good and they will breed, I have some albino BN fry that just came out of the tube yesterday. Good luck

 

Mine has nibbled at plants and dug them up but so far nothing horrible.

I have never had kribs mess with plants, will the store let you trade him in on a larger male? Sometimes it takes a week or two for them to settle in and breed, I have had females breed with a smaller male but raley does it work, I have about 50 albino krib fry now that are about four weeks old and if you want a fish that raises and cares for its young than kribs are pretty neat to watch.
BN are pretty easy and straightforward, feed them good and they will breed, I have some albino BN fry that just came out of the tube yesterday. Good luck

 

Hi. Update... Kribs are fighting. Well the female is... Good thing it's a planted tank with places to hide... So the male can run away... Sometimes I think he's gonna die soon.... He stays still at some corner of the tank... While the female is all over the place. But the male is coming out more often and the female sometimes tolerate his presence , hopefully they'll pair up. As for the betta, I got 2 more females, got 3 at the moment and gonna get at least 2 more. They don't care for the kribs, kribs don't care for them. Bettas are getting along fine with each other, they bite each other sometimes to establish hierarchy I suppose... Nothing major, should be done in the next week or so...

Now I'm worried is the male krig getting picked by the female... Can I put him in a breeder box inside the tank or that I'll kill him due to very low space...?

As for the pleco issue.. I feed everyone random vegetables, mostly kale, carrot, pea, broccoli and zucchini, though probably not as often as I should... I used to dump the whole leaves in there and by next morning it was all gone. When I had Mollys they would fight anyone for it. The pleco didn't used to... But I guess since I don't have mollys anymore, she's in charge now lol. Now I just break everything in small pieces and everyone go look for their bit. This way there's no fights. Even if I put the sinking tablets, several, she wants ALL of them lol what breaks my heart is when she picks on corydoras which are the most docile fish ever, doesn't bother any being whatsoever... So I gave up on that method and break everything in tiny bits and everyone gets their bit. They eat top quality food along with some frozen food... Sometimes live food and sometimes (will do more often) boiled vegetables. Also gotta buy those algae wafers. I've heard of it but haven't bought them yet. I do have spirulina food and some vegetable stuff food, tiny pellets. I have a whole collection of different foods lol every month I buy a new different one

 

Is your male smaller or same size as the female? The female is testing him and unless he can stand up to her things might not end well. My male is substantially larger than the female and she just sort of bounced off of him.

 

Is your male smaller or same size as the female? The female is testing him and unless he can stand up to her things might not end well. My male is substantially larger than the female and she just sort of bounced off of him.

The male is younger /smaller... The guy from the store should've told me they prefer larger males, he knew was my first time with kribensis..... Now they will accept him if I donate, but won't swap for another fish... Because this guy has war scars...... I don't know how kribs work but sometimes the female will chase him till he goes inside some cave to hide... But other times he comes out to chill and she tolerates, so hopefully we're getting closer to pairing up. Is it a good idea to put the male in a breeder Box or is he gonna die from stress?? Should I give him away or let nature take its course?? I can donate him for sure, but he was getting kicked back at the store with a bunch of other kribensis in like a 20 liter tank... Not sure that's gonna be a wiser idea. I picked him because he was taking a beating in there. He already had his fins torn but nothing irreparable, and I felt sorry for him

 

Do you have some place you can put him until he gets a bit older/larger ?

 

Do you have some place you can put him until he gets a bit older/larger ?

Nope, can either put him in a breeder box inside the tank which I suppose is extremely small... Or I can donate him to the store. Either way he's nowhere to be found. I went home for lunch and I had a quick look in the tank and I couldn't find him... Hopefully hiding somewhere... There's lots of places to hide.

Well he's dead. I'm pretty sure the female either beat him to death or stressed him out to death.... Can I keep just the female? Or she's gonna go unhappy and mad?

 

You can keep her or you can try to find a larger male - either way. Or you can get rid of her. They really are not the best fishes for a community tank as they can be a bit aggressive just for the sake of being aggressive.

Well he's dead. I'm pretty sure the female either beat him to death or stressed him out to death.... Can I keep just the female? Or she's gonna go unhappy and mad?

 

You can keep her or you can try to find a larger male - either way. Or you can get rid of her. They really are not the best fishes for a community tank as they can be a bit aggressive just for the sake of being aggressive.

I wanna try a male.. I have A Lot of rocks and hiding spots, lots of plants, a bunch of half coconuts, a ceramic pot... Plenty of space 100 x40 centimeters But I was just reading some experiences with kribensis, one dude said their couple were doing fine just simply chasing potential danger to fry, next morning all tank was dead except for the kribs... Another said the male was ripped apart by the female... The female, at the moment seems to be fine, doesn't care one bit for any other fish, not even the 3 bettas... But I know how aggressive fish can become out of nowhere. I also have 5 corydoras and a bristle nose pleco at the bottom (which luckily don't care much about fish fry..) ... I'm worried they can get in trouble accidentally, doubt they'll catch the pleco he's super fast, but the coryes have a history of getting caught in the wrong place at the wrong time with previous aggressive inhabitants.... Would you give it a try in my conditions? Here's a photo of the tank right now

 

My experience has been they will leave anything above them ok (so dither fishes on the surface) and my kribs have totally ignore otto and pleco while devastating my cory. The larger cory have learned to stay away and the pygmy have learned to rest mid level on plants (i.e, when ever the kribs threaten them they just get off the substrate and the kribs leave them alone).

 

My experience has been they will leave anything above them ok (so dither fishes on the surface) and my kribs have totally ignore otto and pleco while devastating my cory. The larger cory have learned to stay away and the pygmy have learned to rest mid level on plants (i.e, when ever the kribs threaten them they just get off the substrate and the kribs leave them alone).

Do they actually kill Corys? I've got the albino kind, which have been with me since the very beginning. One of them even came from my first 20 liter tank with river mud as substrate and is still alive to this day (I know horrible conditions, I knew nothing back then) I would be really sad if a single one of them gets killed. They're my favorite fish of them all. Can I risk it or should I just keep the female single?

 

Mine have killed or caused several cory to die.

 

Mine have killed or caused several cory to die.

Even the big cories? It already breaks my heart the pleco sometimes takes a bite at a Cory when they invade her space (probably due to incorrect feeding as mentioned before I'm feeding veggies more often now).. Don't want more stress for my Cory's -_- ugh... Any chance the single female will turn into a savage and destroy the tank or should I not be worried with that? I guess I'm not going for the kribensis breeding.... Maybe next tank

 

Yes they killed 2 or 3 larger cory.

Even the big cories? It already breaks my heart the pleco sometimes takes a bite at a Cory when they invade her space (probably due to incorrect feeding as mentioned before I'm feeding veggies more often now).. Don't want more stress for my Cory's -_- ugh... Any chance the single female will turn into a savage and destroy the tank or should I not be worried with that? I guess I'm not going for the kribensis breeding.... Maybe next tank

 

Ugh why do I always want incompatible fish...... I would totally love to see their breeding behavior, I have seen a video of a guy I know where they just chase invaders away but not much aggressively... But am I willing to risk my corys die or my bettas? Probably not... The bettas can also be somewhat distracted and get in trouble...

I have a 20 liter tank with a couple guppys and some shrimp, I'm gonna move them soon to my old 84 liter tank. Might try the kribs there... Think it's a wise choice or also no? I know they're excellent shrimp predators, I noticed that already... Even better at it than the bettas. But the shrimp have plenty of hiding spots

 

20 liter is like 5 gallons - that is way too small for both kribs and large cory.
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what size is the tank the krib currently inhabit ?

 

20 liter is like 5 gallons - that is way too small for both kribs and large cory.
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what size is the tank the krib currently inhabit ?

Nooo no, maybe I explained wrong lol
I have a 200 liter tank which is where the kribs and everyone else is.

This tank is new, used to have an 84 liter one. Which is empty now.

I have a 20 liter tank with a couple guppys, that I'm gonna transfer to the empty 84 liter tank. My old one. And was asking if I could keep the kribs with a few guppys (endler) in this one. Just that. Endlers and kribs. Few shrimp and snail for healthy ecosystem and that's about it.

 

The endlers should be mostly ok as long as they don't try to get food off the substrate infront of the kirbs - they will likely learn. The shrimp will likely be food.

 

Thanks so much for the help.

 

Just remember that every fish is different so you will want to keep an eye on things the first week or two.

Thanks so much for the help.