All fish / Cichlidae

Silvia's Kribensis

Pelvicachromis silviae

Also known as silvia's krib, pelvicachromis sp. nigeria red, nigeria red krib, silviae krib, red krib, ペルヴィカクロミス・シルヴィアエ, 西尔维娅红肚凤凰

A small West African dwarf cichlid that was described in 2015 and had long been sold as Pelvicachromis sp. 'Nigeria Red'. Females turn a vivid red and purple in their bellies, while males have yellowish and pinkish tones with patterned fins. Keepers like it because it is colourful, and pairs show interesting parental behaviour in a modest-sized planted tank.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

7 cm

Temperature

24 to 27 °C

pH

5.5 to 7

Smallest tank

80 litres

Keep as

One pair; add a shoal of dither fish

Diet

Omnivore: quality pellets, flakes, frozen bloodworm, brine shrimp and daphnia

Swims

Bottom of the tank

Lifespan

4 to 6 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Nigeria (Niger Delta region)

Breeding

It spawns in caves, laying eggs on the inner surface. Both parents guard the eggs and the free-swimming fry, and the female does most of the close care. It breeds readily in soft, slightly acidic water, and the pH can affect the ratio of males to females among the fry.

Good to know

Pairs become territorial when breeding and may harass other bottom dwellers, so give them caves and plenty of space. Wild fish are rare, and some stock sold under this name may be hybrids or mislabelled relatives such as P. pulcher.