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kribs, gorami, cleaner fish and firemouth?

7K views 15 replies 4 participants last post by  aunt kymmie 
#1 ·
I just got a new tank and I was wondering if I could put in 4 kribs, 1 three spot gourami, 1 cleaner fish and a firemouth cichlid. Once two of the kribs pair off I might bring the other two back to my LFS. Would that be a good idea. Should i put alot of plants and hiding places or is it unneccesary?:-D
 
#3 ·
it is 29 gallons. It is 30" long and like 13" high. I have alot of fake and real plants in it and caves(4 caves).
 
#4 ·
it is 29 gallons. there are alot of fake and real plants and 4 caves. It is 30 inches long and 13 inches tall. I already have my gourami and my cleaner fish (I think its called an otto or something) in another tank but i will put them in the tank later on. I am letting the tak cycle for a week and then I'm adding the gourami and the "otto" then a week later I will add three kribs(one male and two females) and a firemouth cichlid.
 
#6 ·
if they breed i would bring the other female back to the LFS. What if I put a male and a female firemouth too would the firemouths and the kribs stay at their own caves? What will they do to the otto and the gourami?
 
#7 ·
I honestly am not 100%. I am not Cichlid expert. But when two different species of Cichlids breed and are in the same tank, especially one of only 29 gallons, problems will happen. If some other people knew more about cichlids, then it would be great, because I am no expert. That is just from all of the stories/experience I have heard of.

Again, not 100% sure. But best of luck to your tank.
 
#8 ·
What I've decided to do is to put in a male and two female kribs, a gourami, an otto and a school of zebra danios. Once two of the kribs pair off I will return the other to my LFS. Do you think the gourami will be okay though. If the gourami isn,t doing OK then I will bring it to the pet store( and hopefully get some store credit for it.)
 
#9 ·
The gourami should be fine. They stay at the very top, while Kribs occupy the bottom. They can hold their own for a while too, saying they are in the anabantid phylum and are related to bettas and the like. It is the danios+gourami that may make the gourami mad over anything else, saying they are o the top and are very spazzy.
 
#10 ·
should I replace the danios with another tetra like black skirt tetras or tiger barbs or something?
 
#11 ·
Thanks for all the help and I know I've asked alot of questions but I've just really decided what Im going to do. Im going to put three convicts ( 2f/1m) and once two of them pair off i will return the other female to the LFS then I will put in a group of zebra danios, a gourami, an otto as dither fish. I dont know how much you know about convicts but I know quite a bit and I know they are bottom dwellers so they should stay at the bottom while the others (except the otto) live at the top of the aquarium... hopefully the otto will be fine otherwise I will put him back in my community tank (guppies, swordtails and dwarf gourami-10 g)
 
#12 ·
I know plenty about convicts. My question to you is, do you have a place where you can get rid of the fry? Once you get a M/F pair, then they will breed. They are the rabbits are the underwater world.

I would do at least 3 Ottos as well, as they like company.
 
#13 ·
If I really have no where to put the fry I will feed them to my dwarf african frog and my fish in the other tank but otherwise I will try to sell them to my LFS for store credit or give them away to someone else. I dont think i will keep any in the tank because they will end up fighting with their parents I guess once they pair off and find a territory. Oh and just to be sure are ottos long brown and black fish that have vaccum like mouths and are kind of like plecos (they clean the tank partially)? I currently have one and I could get a couple more. Is it a good idea to keep only 1 gourami or could i get like 4 or 5 more to make a school of them. I heard that when there are 3 or two of them they will fight. I have a three spot gourami could I mix in other species of gouramis?
 
#14 · (Edited)
It's an old post but if your still here i think the barbs would be perfect just get 5-6 of them.Check the ph requirements i didn't.Danios don't bother my gouramis but they roll together all over even on the bottom and mating cichlids won't have that, i know that much.
P.S.your cave work sounds spectacular. How did you build 4 caves in a 29g ?
 
#15 ·
3 of them are just flower pots covered in rocks and two of them are right beside each other and the other one is made of two rocks leaning on eachother.
 
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