Silvia's Dwarf Kribensis

Geographic Origin and Biotope: Very restricted habitat in southern Nigeria. Found in microscopic covered streams and deep forest ponds embedded in the jungle, where the decomposition of foliage and peat causes the water to appear as an infusion of very black tea and currents are absent.

Taxonomy and Morphology: A true Dwarf among dwarfs. Only recently (2013) separated from the chaos of the *subocellatus* complex, it kept the commercial pre-classification reputation for years (often sold as a color variant). The male barely touches 6 cm (2.4 inches) maximum, equipped with a minute but proportioned body and short lance fins. The female is a coin of 4 cm (1.5 in) or a little more, compact and rounded, with an almost angular and snappy profile.

Social Behavior: Extreme shyness and nervousness. An aquatic ghost that skims the dark edges and covers: it detests swimming in open spaces or those not protected by floating fern leaves. Even in the moment of maximum territorial vigor for mating (always in tiny cavities) its impulses are defensive and not very harmful to fish of equal modest size. However, the nervousness of the species makes it prone to waste away or refuse food for days if threatened or uncomfortable in the setup wearing itself out and retreating to the bottom of the cave in irreversible lethal deadly invisible depressed isolation.

Coloration and Sexual Dimorphism: Diaphanous colors, fine and almost drawn in watercolor. Stupendously elegant male on a very light sand or hazelnut base, gill opercula iridescent with lemon yellow fading towards the belly with pale pinkish hues up to reddish stripes on the blue-edged dorsal fins. The female is as always a bright visual candy: shows a turgid round tummy blazing with a glossy bright and neon PURPLISH PINK, surrounded by the ochre/yellowish back and huge jagged black spots on the top fin with the intent to look like huge eyes of seductive intimidation to the spouse.

Tank Setup: Categorically demands the rigor of a "Micro Blackwater Biotope". Dedicated tank from 60 cm (24 inches) up in penumbra and almost dim dark light. Gravels strictly prohibited, vital obligation for its soft micro-snout the sand dust or bed of peaty silt. Must sink in bewitched and very intricate inextricable forests of boiled beech or branched alder leaves with dozens of dark and closed micro-shells for brooding with safe micro holes, hidden to total visual obstruction to alleviate the continuous phobias and instill in it false mastery over microscopic fake forest kingdoms.

Feeding and Diet: Shy edge omnivore (Micro-benthic). If fed only on goldfish flakes it will face deadly starvation retreating. Provide extremely fine chopped and pre-sinking premium microgranules massively combined with an abundant manna of microscopic thawed frozen food: cascading brine shrimp nauplii to awaken its instincts atrophied in captivity, very small size red bloodworms or mosquito larvae, strictly lowered near the entrance of its hidden cave in late darkness.

Water Quality: Untouchable and inflexible extreme chemistry and intolerant to average tap water: The absolute apex of acidic demand or the fish kills itself. Mineral hardness annulled maximum Gh from 1 to 5 in total Osmosis-based mixing. The pH demands perennial stall on 5.5 or 6.0! Beyond these values the species poisons itself and inhibits sex falling into furious pale lethargic mortal infectious bacterial patinas. Meticulous bottom hygiene with ridiculous very sweet asphyxiating flows in filter of mild air pumps peaty sponges anti asphyxiating deadly mortal nitrous polluting impurity to the small dwarfs respiratory sensitive fungal mucous weak very fragile red inflamed agonizing terminal ascitic fins of pale necrosis of torn fin to nitrite.

Compatibility and Cohabitation: Inclusion model at extreme asphyxiating attention of solitude. Species suitable uniquely for small thematic dwarfs or Species-Tanks in which they are absolute monarchs solitary protected masters. Admissible reassuring tiny swarms very weak inefficient swimmers shy companions (Aerial microrasboras or microscopic punctiform Characin dwarfs like the *Boraras* unaware to the ground) and strictly prohibited and murderous any companion or mighty armed and blind plecostomus Loricariid, large lethal African cichlids lethargic smashers and aggressive furious angry feeding Corydoras asphyxiating and intimidating the silviae and devouring phobias and eggs to death in a depressed day of flights banging its little nose on desperate mortal blinded bleeding infectious asphyxiating stressful fatal fatal glasses.

Aquarium Reproduction: Formidable miraculous nanometric engineering reproduction in cave difficult to manage species (Monogamous 'Cave-Spawners'). Heroic but very shy vibrant U-arched female enchanting glowing pale pink turgid ovulated tummy in front of the male. Tiny brood in pink eggs attached invisible inverted to the roof of the small hidden dark half pot for weeks starving constipated asphyxiating fierce blindored very isolated obscured care where trembling dad of shadow guardian patrols hunting threatening asphyxiating fleas, until the miraculous pasture of proud nanometric spits of very thick fry cared for attentively sheltered and regurgitated blindly defended but to be fed furiously by the handful brine shrimp and copious grindal on pain of rapid starving exterminated asphyxiating desperate useless die-off in thin sterile poor bare disastrous tanks.

Risks and Diseases: Lethality deriving from asphyxiating phobic stress due to lack of visual cover and suicidal starvation depressive heart attacks if placed defenseless with aggressive conspecifics and large Haps. Very high decay and life expectancy reductions due to irreversible alkaline decalcifying constipation for neutral or hard tap water irreparably fading the colors aborting for weak corroded and fungal mucous from lethargy or mortal ascitic livers occlusions (Bloat) asphyxiating lethal dropsical if badly fed blooming in rare fake cheap vegetarian farinaceous and poor commercial diets.