Should I buy it?
Kribensis
Pelvicachromis pulcher
Also known as: krib, rainbow krib (colour forms)
A West African dwarf cichlid that breeds readily in community tanks, then claims territory around the nest site. Peaceful until spawning.
Kribensis tank mates · 100L tank size hub
semi-aggressive · beginner care
Sources & confidencehigh · partially verified · beginner: caution
Checked against several solid care sources that mostly agree. Numbers here are a careful starting point. Your tap water, tank size, and habits decide the rest. How we evaluate.
Best for: Planted community tanks 100L or more with sand substrate and caves. A pair works with mid-water schoolers above them.
Avoid if: You keep other cichlids, bottom-dwellers in the same zone, small nano fish, or shrimp. A spawning pair aggressively defends a cave area.
Common mistakeKeeping kribensis with no cave is how keepers invent a pair that claims any corner and bullies tank mates without pause. Give a designated nest site and plant breaks from day one. Easy to keep is not the same as easy to share a mixed community during spawn.
Top things that go wrong
- Shrimp & snails. Shrimp are a gamble with this fish; some ignore them, some clear a colony in days.
What most shops don't tell you
- 1.Myth: kribensis stay peaceful community centrepieces because they are beginner-hardy dwarf cichlids for any mixed tank. Reality: pairs become corner-aggressive at spawn without a cave plan — give nest sites and respectful neighbours, not a bare mixed community where every corner becomes a battlefield.
- 2.Spawning or rearranging the layout can flip a calm pair into corner-aggressive fish, especially in short tanks with no line-of-sight breaks.
- 3.A breeding pair in 40L. The female hammers a corner while every other fish freezes at the surface.
- 4.Mixing with shy dither fish that have no exit lane from a defending female.
- 5.More tolerant of neutral tap water than rams. Drop coconut shells or stacked rock for caves before adding a pair. A breeding pair clears a 30 cm radius around the entrance.
About this species
Kribensis are West African dwarf cichlids that cave-spawn. A pair holds quiet in a community tank until they claim a cave, then defend the corner around it.
- Apistogramma Macmasteri100L min · same group, comparable tank size
- Checkerboard cichlid100L min · same group, comparable tank size
- Cockatoo / crested Apistogramma100L min · same group, comparable tank size
- Bolivian Ram110L min · same group, comparable tank size
- Agassiz’s dwarf cichlid80L min · same group, comparable tank size
- Apistogramma Borellii80L min · same group, comparable tank size
- Apistogramma Trifasciata80L min · same group, comparable tank size
- German Blue Ram80L min · same group, comparable tank size
- Swordtailalso beginner semi-aggressive, similar tank size
- Rainbow cichlid tank matesnames this fish as a conditional pairing — read the pair page conditions
Plan grid
Key limits are above. Here: pH band, swim level, bioload, and activity.
Swim zones
Care snapshot
Quick compare before you buy. Not a score of how “good” the fish is.
- Beginner ease60
- Peacefulness44
- Community fit22
- Small-tank fit100
- Hardiness76
- Energy54
Numbers are deterministic planning indices from Fishori fields — not a scientific score of your individual fish.
Example setups
Starting points only. Run the pair checker for every fish you add.
Avoid “one of everything” baskets — Kribensis belongs in a plan built around territory, line-of-sight breaks, and matched water chemistry.
Compatibility
Tank mates for Kribensis
No unconditional “safe” tank mates are listed for Kribensis — this shortlist has CAUTION pairings that need specific conditions and RISKY pairings to avoid. Conditional (CAUTION — read the pair page before buying): Bristlenose Pleco, Cherry Barb, Corydoras Catfish, Molly, Neon Tetra. Avoid (RISKY): Jack Dempsey, Oscar. Every name links to a live pair check — the lists are a shortlist, not a stocking plan.
Usually safer
Open a pair page with this fish as the starting point.
None listed. Use the pair checker before mixing.
Needs planning
Read the blocking rule on each pair page before experimenting.
Usually avoid
Do-not-stock combinations on conservative hobby rules.
No safe-mate list on this record yet. Use the fish index to find species with similar care, then run a pair check before you buy.
Behaviour and temperament
Kribensis are semi-aggressive when paired and spawning, which happens often in settled tanks. They stay calmer with caves, plant breaks, and dither that can escape. Stress and injury rise when a bare short tank forces the pair to own every corner of the glass.
What sets them off
- Crowding and limited territory
- Similar-looking fish in the same tank
- Spawning, for any breeding pair
Fin nipping: Not a habitual fin-nipper; stressed or crowded individuals can still test fins.
Predation: Not a predator toward similarly sized community fish; fry and dwarf shrimp are still fair game for most species.
Territory: Holds a patch (cave, corner, or surface). Break sight lines so neighbours can pass.
Planted tanks: good — easy plant ideas
In the glass: typical and warning signs
- A pair holds a cave and digs substrate around the nest site.
- Short territorial displays at spawn are normal ownership for this species.
- Nonstop corner bullying without a cave means layout failed first.
- Torn dither fins after spawn means neighbours and footprint failed together.
- Spawning pairs defend caves and may harass soft-bodied fish.
- Both sexes can flip from calm to corner-aggressive around fry.
- Add a proper cave before rehoming a 'suddenly mean' pair.
- Move delicate community fish out if spawn defence will not settle.
Fish behaviour can vary between individuals and tank setups. Always observe new fish closely after introduction.
Water, food, and grouping
Hardness
variable
Diet
omnivore
Kribensis are omnivore dwarf cichlids that take quality pellets, frozen foods, and occasional veg without fuss in a cave-ready tank. Overfeeding a breeding pair fouls caves and water faster than their hardy reputation suggests. Offer what they finish, keep a real nest site, and expect digs and rearranging around every spawn.
Shrimp & snails
Shrimp are a gamble with this fish; some ignore them, some clear a colony in days.
Kribensis is fine singly or as a researched pair — check behaviour before doubling up.
- Hold 23 to 27 °C steadily on a real thermometer, not the dial on the heater.
- Aim for pH 6 to 8 and a hardness you can re-test in two weeks. A one-time strip in the shop car park is not a water test.
- Footprint: short wide tanks and tall narrow tanks fish differently for the same volume. Match the tank shape to the swim pattern, not just the litre count.
- Tank volume meets or exceeds 100L published minimum for adults.
- Heater can hold 23–27°C without cooking cooler-water tank mates.
Explore and stocking hubs
Tank-mates hub, matching guides, category peers, and litre stocking lists around this species’ minimum tank.
Plan with tools
Check mates as pairs first, then add this fish in the tank builder for the full stocking.
Filtration & heating
A 100L minimum tank needs a filter rated for at least 400L/hr turnover and a heater to hold 23–27°C reliably.
Plant suggestions
Kribensis does well in planted tanks. Plants compatible with 23–27°C and pH 6–8:
Research: partially verified · Confidence: high · 3 linked source(s). We do not invent citations.
How Fishori evaluates compatibility (same logic as pair and tank tools).
- Seriously Fish. Pelvicachromis pulcher
Primary: aquarium size, water chemistry, behaviour, and compatibility (URL verified in upgrade script; recheck if site content changes).
- FishBase. Pelvicachromis pulcher
Secondary: taxonomy, distribution, and maximum length in nature; cross-check with aquarium import lines and measured tank parameters.
- Wikipedia. Pelvicachromis pulcher
Secondary: general species context; verify all husbandry numbers against a dedicated aquarium care sheet and your test kit, not a single table row.
Evidence notes
- The Seriously Fish profile for the binomial in this record was successfully reached as the primary aquarium reference.
- FishBase contributes natural-range size and habitat context. Translate those numbers through your heater, your water report, and your tank footprint before stocking.
- Wikipedia is only cited if the article URL returned OK. Use it for orientation, not as the only care sheet for an import.
- All compatibility text reflects typical hobby experience and the Fishori model. Individual fish, shop stress, and the order tank mates are added in can still defy a single-paragraph label.
Common questions about Kribensis
- How big do Kribensis get?
- Kribensis adults reach about 10 cm. Shop fish look smaller; stock for the adult length.
- What size tank does Kribensis need?
- 100L is the planning floor for adult swimming space and bioload. A 122L+ tank is the more comfortable long-term footprint. Length and depth matter as much as raw litres for active or territorial fish.
- Are Kribensis aggressive?
- Kribensis are semi-aggressive when paired and spawning, which happens often in settled tanks. They stay calmer with caves, plant breaks, and dither that can escape. Stress and injury rise when a bare short tank forces the pair to own every corner of the glass.
- What is the most common mistake with Kribensis?
- Keeping kribensis with no cave is how keepers invent a pair that claims any corner and bullies tank mates without pause. Give a designated nest site and plant breaks from day one. Easy to keep is not the same as easy to share a mixed community during spawn.
- What fish can live with Kribensis?
- This profile currently has no curated unconditional safe-mates shortlist for Kribensis. Other species may still return GOOD in the pair checker, so check the exact pair rather than treating this shortlist as exhaustive. Bristlenose Pleco, Cherry Barb, Corydoras Catfish, Molly are conditional (CAUTION): workable only with the specific conditions on each pair page. Avoid Jack Dempsey, Oscar (RISKY). Run the pair checker for your exact water and tank size before stocking.