Kribensis Cichlid - Pelvicachromis pulcher

The Kribensis Pelvicachromis pulcher was introduced to the hobby in the 1950s. One look at this beautiful fish and you can see why it immediately became favored. It is still a popular fish today and makes a great choice for a new hobbyist interested in keeping cichlids. Beauty is one of their most attractive features and they have interesting behaviors. They are entertaining to watch and being small in size makes them more manageable than many of the other cichlid species. They are easy to keep, easy to feed, and are fairly easy to breed. They can be kept in a smaller aquarium and are relatively undemanding in their water chemistry as long as it is consistent. What's in the name? Pelva + chromis means 'belly' + 'color' pulcher means 'beautiful' The Kribensis is a relatively peaceful and tolerant fish that can be kept in community aquariums. They can be kept with a variety of other small schooling type fish including characins, barbs, danios, and rasboras. Gouramis and small armored Corydoras catfish, and suckermouth armoured catfishes like the Plecostomus from the Loricariidae family also work well. These fish form pairs and a closely knit family. The family will school together with the parents leading the school. They need an open swimming area but also plenty of places to retreat among rocks and wood. They like a heavily planted aquarium and though they burrow in a sand or fine gravel substrate, they will not touch plants. Aquarist Experience Level: Beginner Size of fish - inches: 4.0 inches (10.16 cm) currently 3-5cm and sexable Minimum Tank Size: 20 gal (76 L) Temperament: Peaceful Aquarium Hardiness: Very Hardy Temperature: 75.0 to 81.0° F (23.9 to 27.2° C) Auction for one fish but more available