Kribensis care guide

Plan a tank with kribensisSee all tank mates

Kribensis quick facts

• Needs sand or smooth, fine gravel to protect its barbels and belly.

Tank setup

A pair in a community tank needs at least 29 gallons (110 L) and about 30 in (75 cm) of length. Use sand or fine gravel, as they dig pits and tunnel under rocks. Give them caves such as coconut shells or clay pots, with more caves than cave-dwelling fish. Set rocks on the tank floor and anchor plants well, because digging can topple them.

How many kribensis in a tank?

The smallest common tank that suits kribensis is a 29 gallon. Here is roughly how many fit in each size when they are the only fish, based on adult size and waste output. Leave room if you want tank mates.

Numbers are bioload limits only. Males fight, so keep one fish or one pair.

Water parameters

Keep it at 24–27 °C (75–81 °F), pH 6.0–7.5 and soft to medium-hard water (about 2–12 dGH). Captive-bred kribs adapt well to most tap water. Water chemistry can shift how many fry turn out male or female, and near-neutral water (pH 6.5–7.0) tends to give a fairly even mix.

Best tank mates for kribensis

These popular species share kribensis' water needs and temperament. See the full list of 33 good matches.

• Nerite snail

  2.5 cm (1 in) · 22–27°C (72–81°F)

• Tiger barb

  7 cm (2.8 in) · 22–27°C (72–81°F)

• Assassin snail

  2.5 cm (1 in) · 22–27°C (72–81°F)

• Ramshorn snail

  2 cm (0.8 in) · 21–27°C (70–81°F)

• Malaysian trumpet snail

  2.5 cm (1 in) · 20–27°C (68–81°F)

• Mystery snail

  5 cm (2 in) · 21–26°C (70–79°F)

• Cherry barb

  5 cm (2 in) · 23–27°C (73–81°F)

• Platy

  6 cm (2.4 in) · 20–26°C (68–79°F)

Avoid keeping kribensis with

• Cherry shrimp: Kribensis eats small shrimp like cherry shrimp.
• Common goldfish: They need different temperatures: Kribensis 24–27°C (75–81°F), common goldfish 15–22°C (59–72°F).
• Fancy goldfish: They need different temperatures: Kribensis 24–27°C (75–81°F), fancy goldfish 18–23°C (64–73°F).
• Oscar: Oscar can eat kribensis: they're small enough to fit in its mouth once it's grown.
• Discus: They need different temperatures: Kribensis 24–27°C (75–81°F), discus 28–30°C (82–86°F).
• Dojo loach: They need different temperatures: Kribensis 24–27°C (75–81°F), dojo loach 18–23°C (64–73°F).

Feeding

Kribs eat almost anything. In the wild they graze algae and detritus as well as small invertebrates. Feed a quality sinking pellet or flake, frozen foods like brine shrimp, daphnia and bloodworms, and some vegetable matter such as spirulina.

Behavior

Kribs are fairly peaceful most of the time, but a breeding pair will chase any fish that comes near its cave and can hurt bottom dwellers. Choose quick midwater fish like tetras, barbs, danios and rasboras. Avoid slow, long-finned fish, which they may nip, and other cave-spawning cichlids in small tanks. Keep one pair unless the tank is large.

Breeding

Males are larger with pointed dorsal and anal fins, while females are smaller and rounder with a bright red-purple belly when ready to spawn. The female usually starts courtship and lays about 50–300 eggs on the roof of a cave. Eggs hatch in 2–3 days, and both parents guard the fry for several weeks. Feed baby brine shrimp or microworms once the fry swim out.

Tips from experienced keepers

• Provide more caves than you have kribs and other cave-dwelling fish to cut down on fights.
• Expect a breeding pair to guard the bottom hard. Corydoras and plecos may get chased.
• Avoid slow fish with long fins, like fancy guppies, bettas and angelfish, which kribs may nip.
• Kribs hunt small shrimp. Don't keep them with a cherry shrimp colony.
• If you want a pair, buy several young fish and let them choose partners.

Sources

We checked these references when writing this page. Values are for healthy long-term keeping, not survival limits. Last reviewed 2026-10-13. See our editorial policy.

• seriouslyfish.com
• fishbase.se
• fishkeeper.co.uk
• en.wikipedia.org
• fishkeepingworld.com