Re: new guy with question/observation

[Mike & Diane Wise <apistowise@bewellnet.com>]

Dustin,

I'd accept Scot & Bill's remarks and add just one
more. Your feeding schedule probably doomed most
of the fry to death by starvation. I doubt that
there are enough microorganisms, even in a well
planted 10 gallon tank, to feed the 50-100 fry
that Kribs usually produce. Those that didn't
starve were probably picked off by your other
hungry fish. Although most fish in our aquariums
are overfed, I feel you are dangerously
underfeeding your Kribs. Kribs are cichlids and
cichlids are heavy eaters, needing more food than
their vegetarian tank mates who can graze off of
the foliage. If you hope to keep any fry at all
you will have to feed them at least once each day
just to get a few. Cichlids will waste away on
what you are feeding them now. It may take a year
but their body mass will eventually shrink to
nothing. If you are primarily working on a planted
aquarium, your choice of species is not ideal.
They are too large and there are too many for a 10
gallon Leiden type aquarium. Actually, the 10 is
maxed out fishwise right now. If you want a water
garden stay a few small fish. Please don't abuse
your fish.

Mike Wise

Dustin Swanson wrote:

> Forgive me if this is off topic, or if Kribensis
> are not close enough to apistos to make this
> list. My Kribs had babies 2 weeks ago in my
> planted 10 gallon, and my babies all disappeared
> yesterday, this morning the male looked in very
> bad shape so I changed water and cleaned the
> sponge, and fed them ( I hardly ever feed them,
> maybe once every 3 days, it is a planted tank
> though).  Anyway I figured out why the male was
> looking so bad, the female was relentless in
> chasing him, no matter where he was she would
> chase him all over.  He found a place to hide
> though, but he can't come out or the female will
> beat him up.  I was wondering if this may be
> some sort of retaliation for the male eating the
> babies, that is if he ate the babies, I'm not
> sure if he did.  Is this a common thing for
> dwarf cichlids, the chasing I mean?  Also all
> the babies were gone before the female started
> to chase the male around, I don't think it was
> the female trying to protect the babies, I guess
> I would call it revenge if anything.  Under what
> conditions do females chase the males around
> with bad intentions? The female is not even
> bothering the pleco at all, in fact the pleco is
> eating algae off of the top of her rock.  When
> they did have babies the kribs went nuts on the
> pleco, fortunatly he had enough hiding spots. I
> serious doubt my lack of feedings is a problem
> because I've fed them hardly anything for months
> before they spawned, honestly I was shocked the
> female was getting enough food to even make
> eggs.  Probably once a week I give them frozen
> blood worms, and once a week I feed them flakes
> or tubifex worms, not on the same day of course.
> There's 4 mollys, 1 ancistrus pleco (3" max),
> and the 2 Kribs in this 10 gallon, with 80gph
> powerhead/sponge filtration.  And a little co2
> injection, ph is around 6.5, temp hangs around
> 78-90 depending on the temp outside and wether
> or not I'm home to turn the AC on, it was only
> 90 once, usually 84 is the max.  I'd call it
> average plant density. tap water too, hard
> stuff, however I just got my new ro filter last
> friday. Dustin



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