is kribensis exhibiting spawning behaviour

[River8ide]

Are the platies in with my kribensis gonna be alright when they breed, or do kribensis need special water parameters? Mine are currently - no3 nitrate 10, No2 nitrite 0, Geneflake hardness 8d, Carbonate 6d, Ph level 7.4, Chlorine 0.

Do you think they'll use those tubes in the video for spawning or should I get something else? What signs should I look out for when they're starting to spawn? And should I leave the area under the tubes bare or change the gravel completely, since the female was trying to move it? Thanks for all your help.

[pastime1]

Your water parameters look great, and the gravel is perfectly fine for them. They're cave breeders, so I think your tubes will work out just fine. I'd just wait and watch for now, and if it doesn't work out, you can always make some changes later. Watching some kribensis spawning videos on YouTube might give you a better idea of what to expect.

I do think you should consider removing those platies though - they'll likely get stressed out once the kribensis start spawning.

[River8ide]

Thanks for the advice, I'll keep an eye on them and let you know what happens. When they start breeding, I'll remove the platies and probably put some neon tetras in as dither fish. What about foods they don't like or can't eat - is there any frozen or live food I should avoid? And do I need to change the temperature or water more often to get them to spawn?

[pastime1]

Kribensis aren't picky eaters, they'll take in anything that fits their mouth. No need to mess with temperature or water changes, just stick to your routine. Adding more caves and breaking lines of sight would be beneficial, giving the female a place to hide if the male gets aggressive. As for dither fish, I'd say try without them first, see how it goes.

[River8ide]

I was thinking of adding some plants or decorations to break the lines of sight, what would you recommend for that? I've got some plastic plants at the moment but I'm not sure if live plants would be a good idea. Also, what kind of caves or hides would be best for them, would just using more pipe be okay or should I get some pots or something else?