What fish can live with Kribensis?

Keep as the only cichlid alongside dither fish that stay above the substrate: cherry barbs, platies, mollies, larger tetras, bristlenose plecos, corydoras. Pairs claim the floor when breeding. Give 80L+ per pair, plenty of caves, and skip neon-sized fish during spawn.

What tank mates should you avoid with Kribensis?

Avoid Oscar, Jack Dempsey, Neon Tetra based on size, temperament, or predation risk on file.

What size tank do Kribensis need for a community?

100L is the planning floor for adult swimming space and bioload headroom. Long-term, a 122L+ tank lets adults use the full footprint without crowding the next species. Footprint, meaning length and front-to-back depth, matters as much as raw volume for active or territorial species.

Kribensis tank mates

A West African dwarf cichlid that breeds readily in community tanks, then claims territory around the nest site. Peaceful until spawning.

Evidence: partially verified

Confidence: high

Lists below are built from this species record (safest, best with, risky, unsafe) — each link opens a pair-level check, not a guarantee.

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Best tank mates (on file)

Merged from conservative safest and best with fields — de-duplicated by species.

Bristlenose Pleco Pair check
The Kribensis profile lists Bristlenose Pleco as both safe and a recommended pairing. Bristlenose Pleco is a peaceful beginner-care species with a 80L minimum. Run the pair checker for your specific tank before stocking.
Cherry Barb Pair check
The Kribensis profile lists Cherry Barb as both safe and a recommended pairing. Cherry Barb schools in groups of 6 or more, so plan room for the whole group rather than one fish.
Corydoras Catfish Pair check
The Kribensis profile lists Corydoras Catfish as both safe and a recommended pairing. Corydoras Catfish schools in groups of 6 or more, so plan room for the whole group rather than one fish.
Molly Pair check
The Kribensis profile lists Molly as both safe and a recommended pairing. Molly is a peaceful beginner-care species with a 80L minimum. Run the pair checker for your specific tank before stocking.
Platy Pair check
The Kribensis profile lists Platy as both safe and a recommended pairing. Platy is a peaceful beginner-care species with a 60L minimum. Run the pair checker for your specific tank before stocking.

Risky or situational

From risky tank mates and broad avoid with (excluding “unsafe” below). May work with species-only setups, more water, or mature systems — read the pair page.

None on file beyond the safe list.

Fish to avoid with Kribensis

From the unsafe list — predation, aggression, or space rules on this profile.

Oscar See why (pair)
Oscar reaches 35cm and is flagged predatory. Kribensis at 10cm is prey-sized for it. Oscar needs at least 300L, far above the 100L minimum for Kribensis. The tank that houses one stresses the other.
Jack Dempsey See why (pair)
Jack Dempsey reaches 25cm and is flagged predatory. Kribensis at 10cm is prey-sized for it.
Neon Tetra See why (pair)
Neon Tetra conflicts with Kribensis on temperament, predation, or footprint. The juvenile size in a shop tank is not the figure that matters here.

Tank size and groups

Published minimum for Kribensis: 100L — group minimum 1 .
Compatibility changes when the tank is too short for turning, too little for a real school, or too warm for one species and not the other — that is why pair checks include tank context, not only temperament.
Nearest litre hub to this minimum: 100L hub.