# Kribensis pair - sick or bad behaviour?



## jacane (Sep 6, 2010)

Hi all, 
I'm new to the site and would appreciate any good advice to help my cichlids.
I have a pair of Kribensis Cichlids and my female (Mama) has attacked my male (Big Daddy).

We have a 4ft tank. We started with the pair of Kribs, four Serpae Tetra, five guppies and two catfish. The guppies died off due to fungal disease and stress due to the spawning Kribs who of course claimed the tank for themselves.
We took out the Tetras and put them in another tank so it's just the Kribs and cats in the big tank.
The fry are about 3 weeks old now and seem to being going good.

The day before last i noticed Daddy didn't look too good. He was very pale and slow, laying on his side near the top of the tank. Mama kept coming and attacking him so i called the shop i bought them from and they told me to put him in another tank until he seemed better.
So i put him with the tetras and he turned a really dark grey almost all over and chased the tetras around then just went and sat in the log and didn't come out. Come morning he seemed a bit better so i thought i'd see how he would go back in the big tank.

Big, huge mistake!!!
My poor Krib now has almost no tail left and i'm really cross with Mama for attacking him (i know that sounds silly, to be cross at a fish but i'm really fond of Daddy, i was taken with him as soon as i saw him in the shop) and of course with myself for trying to rush things.

He's now back in with the tetras, sitting in the middle of the tank like he owns it. He does look a bit better despite missing most of his tail fin but i'm stilll worried about him.
I can't figure out what might have triggered Mama to attack him so bad.

This is our first time owning any of these fish so it's still very much trial and error and i've found it really hard to find the right kind of info i want about Cichlids and their behaviour.

I'd really appreciate any advice about how to help keep them happy and healthy!!!

Thankyou!


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## jacane (Sep 6, 2010)

This is my poor Daddy fish at the mo. I don't think he's gonna make it as he can't keep him self upright at all.
Does anyone have any ideas how i can help him?


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## juliocromus (Aug 1, 2010)

man thats one messed up mamma
my female krib chases the male krib up behind the filter too 
its natural but *** never seen this
the krib still has good coloring in this picture so i guess hes gonna be fine
oh, and does the momma krib chase and beat up the daddy fish after 7 days after she lays the eggs?


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## juliocromus (Aug 1, 2010)

oh and to answer yor question just put api salt in the tank with the daddy krib i think it says one tablespoon per every 5 gallons


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## Fogelhund (Dec 3, 2002)

If the male is upside down, that is a bad sign that chances are he won't make it.

Do you have a picture of the whole aquarium?


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## jacane (Sep 6, 2010)

Thanks everyone but unfortunately i messed up too bad with him and he's gone...
That's one lesson learned - if you take a fish away from an attacker don't bother trying to put it back at all!!!
Not even for a few minutes thinking all might be well 'cos it won't be!!!

juliocromus, Mama chased him around a bit but it never seemed hostile, more like she was just rousing at him. They actually got along faily well for the most part. 
I think it might have been my topping up the tank that disturbed her. A good maybe two inches had evaporated out of the tank and i didn't have time and weren't yet due for a proper water change so i just topped it up and added the stuff.
It was after that, that she really went off at him.
I took water samples from the main tank to the petshop and it all came up really good.

This is our main tank.









This is Mama.









This is the fry









This is the tank i moved Daddy to after the attack.









I'm thinking i should have left him in the big tank but separeted him within it becasue this tank has the proper filter system and the water quality is much better. But i didn't think of this until it was too late. So like i said i messed up alot with him.

I'm gonna miss him heaps though, he was my fave.

This is our first time with these kinds of fish so it's still trial and error.

I think we'll sell off the Cichlids and go for a nice calm fish, something pretty and happy...
I have 3 young kids who love watching the fish too so i don't want them watching the fish killing each other.

Anyone have any suggestions on some good fish???
Thanks.


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## AnnaFish (Aug 9, 2006)

I'm sorry for your loss.

I'm going to have to be the mean forum person that tells you you need to be doing more water changes.

You should do a water change at least once every two weeks.

If you are having more than an inch of evaporation before your water change you are likely building up a lot of nitrates which are bad for your fish in high ppm at long exposures. Your smaller tank looks like it has had 3 inches or more evaporation since its last water change, and that's assuming your last water change wasn't just a top off.

Losing your favorite fish is disheartening, but don't give up.

Remember, you will have a lot fewer losses if you do proper water changes.


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## Fogelhund (Dec 3, 2002)

You can put fish back, even after they have "divorced". Having said that, with many fishes, and in particular with cichlids, you need to provide adequate hiding places, in case they do get aggressive. You tank is pretty barren, and just doesn't provide places for fish to hide, if necessary. I hate to say it, but the result is predictable looking at the tank.

Should you choose to try again, and I hope you do, you will want to rescape the tank, in a manner that provides a great deal more cover and hiding places. Live plants, fake plants, rocks... they will all work.


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## jacane (Sep 6, 2010)

I did a 25% water change about two weeks ago, after i finished running Pimafix through the tank and i've been aiming for three week changes but if it's best to do 'em sooner, well i'd better huh?
That's the max water level for the samller tank which i cleaned out before i put Daddy in there. Because it only has a basic filter system and my 6y/o daughter sneaks food to the Tetras it has to be changed regularly That's just a $70 tank i picked up as a temp home for the Tetras while the Kribs were babying it up.
The high nitrates would have shown in the tests the guy at the petstore did wouldn't they? I took in a big tubful so they could do all the tests and he said they all came back really good, a bit alkaline but the Kribs like that apparently.

My hubby suggested getting another male but i just don't know. Either that or convert to saltwater fish but we just haven't decided yet.

I have to admit though that i'm not all that interested in getting more anytime soon. Daddy was my favourite, my handsome man you know? I'd sit and talk to him. I haven't taken to the other fish like i did to him.

Daddy before...








It's just not the same...


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## jacane (Sep 6, 2010)

BTW AnnaFish I don't think you're the mean forum person at all.
I came to the forums because i needed help and advice and everyone who has replied has given me some valuable food for thought and i really appreciate the honest straight out answers i've been getting.
So thanks everyone!!!


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## Fogelhund (Dec 3, 2002)

jacane said:


> My hubby suggested getting another male but i just don't know. Either that or convert to saltwater fish but we just haven't decided yet..


I hope I am not coming off as harsh at all. Saltwater fish can be just as aggressive as cichlids, and all aspects, from tank mates, to filtration needs, to water changes and water chemistry are quite a bit more complex (and expensive) than freshwater. I don't believe you are ready to make that step yet. If it is something that you desire, I would try again with the kribensis, doing the research on how to best house them, provide them adequate cover, food, water parameters.... Get the test kits to test the water yourself, a good learning experience as that will absolutely required if you do go the salt route.


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## AnnaFish (Aug 9, 2006)

I'm really sorry you lost your favorite fish.

I recently had to give my favorite fish back to the store because he was eating everyone. :\

Don't give up. If you really liked your male krib, go for kribs again. Like Fogel said, do the research, learn from your mistakes.

Maybe trade the female back to the LFS and start over. Especially if you have negative feelings about her because of your loss.


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## Fogelhund (Dec 3, 2002)

I've been keeping fish and cichlids for over 30 years now. I've had some of my favourite fish die, or be killed. I've had a tank full of fish killed, that I loved, and were very expensive, killed, because a bleach spill in the laundry room leaked into a tank. We all have made, and will make more mistakes, but as Anna states, we learn from them and move on.


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## jacane (Sep 6, 2010)

I'm certainly leaning from it!!!
I'm sorry hear about your fish guys.
I can't imagine how difficult that was to deal with Fogelhund. That would have a terrible shock.

He was eating everyone Annafish? What kind of fish was he?

I think i was shocked at how quickly everything changed. Mama seems very mellow now so i suggested to hubby that we put the Tetras back in the big tank and see how they go but he doesn't want to risk it. 
We're going to wait until the fry are old enough and then pass them on and try something different. I'd like more Cichlids because i really like the look of them but i don't think we want anymore pairs.

We're definately sticking with freshwater.


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## AnnaFish (Aug 9, 2006)

He was a synodontis eupterus (featherfin squeker) catfish.

I was working 80 hours a week and he got just hungry enough to pick off some 2inch white labs.

:/

I traded in all of my remaining malawis and now have a 55gallon with 8 subadult black calvus. Waiting for some of them to pair off or maybe get a harem. Also thinking about some julies and cyps.


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## juliocromus (Aug 1, 2010)

heres a link jcane hope dis helps
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/s ... hp?id=1350


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