Move either 1 if things seem dangerously tense, don't wait until someone (likely the male) gets more hurt. It probably won't be long until you can try again. He needs time to grow, even just a few weeks can matter...Moving her might be easier, then he can (hopefully) stake out a territory & get his self respect back (lol)
Will my female Krib accept a new mate...?
- Thread starter azaahp2
- Start date
I decided to just inspect the plants well and put them in, added more rocks and a terracotta cave. The driftwood is still soaking but I'm kinda running out of room now...
pH has dropped from 7.6 to 6.8, no idea why. I thought the rocks would raise it! I haven't done a water change. Maybe it's just the bb cranking up...
She still attacks whenever she sees him but in the main she sticks to her cave (like she's always done) and he comes and goes as he pleases. I don't know how bad she's hurting him because even when she butts, he'll often just stay where he is. Hoping that's a sign that she's more annoying than damaging...?? He seems to be looking for her company but she doesn't want his.
She has taken to the new terracotta cave and is digging inside it, spitting a pile of sand outside the door. She was doing this in her coconut shell before he came along as well. Why does she do this if she's not spawning? Or does she think she can spawn on her own...?
Here's a pic of my tank now (if you can see through the reflections!), and a pic of them kinda co-existing... her spitting out sand and him waiting outside just out of her sight...!
pH has dropped from 7.6 to 6.8, no idea why. I thought the rocks would raise it! I haven't done a water change. Maybe it's just the bb cranking up...
She still attacks whenever she sees him but in the main she sticks to her cave (like she's always done) and he comes and goes as he pleases. I don't know how bad she's hurting him because even when she butts, he'll often just stay where he is. Hoping that's a sign that she's more annoying than damaging...?? He seems to be looking for her company but she doesn't want his.
She has taken to the new terracotta cave and is digging inside it, spitting a pile of sand outside the door. She was doing this in her coconut shell before he came along as well. Why does she do this if she's not spawning? Or does she think she can spawn on her own...?
Here's a pic of my tank now (if you can see through the reflections!), and a pic of them kinda co-existing... her spitting out sand and him waiting outside just out of her sight...!
Than looks much better & safer for him. I think she's probably ready to spawn if only the male was too.
Did you sand the edges of the terra cotta? It can be sharp...
Did you sand the edges of the terra cotta? It can be sharp...
Yes, enlarged the drainage hole of the pot so she can fit thru safely and sanded the edges so hopefully it's all good. But I will need to do something about the rock cave as the rocks are just piled up which means it could topple if the try digging around it. Keeping an eye on that.
His stripes are a bit more prominent now and he's got a bit of pink back on his belly - but I just noticed a long tear in the centre of his tail, right out to the tip of the 'diamond'. I don't know if I need to separate them until that heals or just continue to keep an eye on how things progress...
His stripes are a bit more prominent now and he's got a bit of pink back on his belly - but I just noticed a long tear in the centre of his tail, right out to the tip of the 'diamond'. I don't know if I need to separate them until that heals or just continue to keep an eye on how things progress...
So the tank seems to have been a bit quieter today. Either there's not so much chasing, or she's just doing it when I'm not around. She's been pretty busy digging out her new cave as well as a couple of other spots around the tank. It appears he's dug out his cave as well.
However this afternoon I noticed all his fins are shredded... hard to know whether she's done it, or whether it's happened due to the stress - he's been moved twice in week after all, and then had to put up with her.
I tried really hard to get a pic of his fins but it proved impossible, so I snuck a video - and exactly at that moment she decided to show up. She enters his cave with a flourish, comes out and 'head butts' him, nudging him away a couple of times. Re-enters his cave, takes a couple of digs and then disappears back to her own cave. I tried to upload a gif that hopefully showed her behaviour but it was too large... and all a still that hopefully shows the state of his fins. Her 'head butting' appears fairly gentle - like she's kind of nudging him rather than bashing him...?
So, what really is she at? Is this purely aggression? Or something else?
I don't have a water tester, I get it done at the pet store, but hubby brings a pH tester home from work. On Weds my water was perfect, although pH up to 7.6. Last night the pH was down to 6.8 so unless there was an ammonia spike overnight for some reason, his fin condition has come from one or a combo of these 4 things - she's ripped them to pieces (very possible, although I haven't seen her actually nipping his fins, and it looks too regular for that); stress from the move and aggression; bad water quality at his original home (apparently the place the pet shop picked him up from had a pretty grotty tank...); OR his rock cave - they're natural rocks and I didn't sand them. I'm going to take his rock cave out tomorrow, check it for sharps, sand where necessary and silicon the rocks together to prevent a collapse.
Oh, and she's been chasing the guppies off if they come too close to her dug-out as well.
I would really appreciate any pointers on what she's playing at and how I should treat his fins.
However this afternoon I noticed all his fins are shredded... hard to know whether she's done it, or whether it's happened due to the stress - he's been moved twice in week after all, and then had to put up with her.
I tried really hard to get a pic of his fins but it proved impossible, so I snuck a video - and exactly at that moment she decided to show up. She enters his cave with a flourish, comes out and 'head butts' him, nudging him away a couple of times. Re-enters his cave, takes a couple of digs and then disappears back to her own cave. I tried to upload a gif that hopefully showed her behaviour but it was too large... and all a still that hopefully shows the state of his fins. Her 'head butting' appears fairly gentle - like she's kind of nudging him rather than bashing him...?
So, what really is she at? Is this purely aggression? Or something else?
I don't have a water tester, I get it done at the pet store, but hubby brings a pH tester home from work. On Weds my water was perfect, although pH up to 7.6. Last night the pH was down to 6.8 so unless there was an ammonia spike overnight for some reason, his fin condition has come from one or a combo of these 4 things - she's ripped them to pieces (very possible, although I haven't seen her actually nipping his fins, and it looks too regular for that); stress from the move and aggression; bad water quality at his original home (apparently the place the pet shop picked him up from had a pretty grotty tank...); OR his rock cave - they're natural rocks and I didn't sand them. I'm going to take his rock cave out tomorrow, check it for sharps, sand where necessary and silicon the rocks together to prevent a collapse.
Oh, and she's been chasing the guppies off if they come too close to her dug-out as well.
I would really appreciate any pointers on what she's playing at and how I should treat his fins.
Hmm, pinkish belly says female to me...I can't tell from your last pic but not looking "girlie pink" to me. Fins should heal pretty fast...
Yes she will drive all other fish away from her territory that's normal. She's probably testing him to see if he knows what to do yet...& a bit of my place or yours? too.
Yes she will drive all other fish away from her territory that's normal. She's probably testing him to see if he knows what to do yet...& a bit of my place or yours? too.
No, when you said pink belly, I thought female but it's very pale. I'm not really sure, the anal fin looks pretty long & pointy, dorsal is too bitten to tell. I thought males have tail spots along the top half. I may just be too young yet.
It looks like it could be a different krib species than p.pulcher, there are a few & many regional types within those. Look at Pelvicachromis taeniatus...but maybe your female is too? I haven't seen her, she's always in the caves, lol.
It looks like it could be a different krib species than p.pulcher, there are a few & many regional types within those. Look at Pelvicachromis taeniatus...but maybe your female is too? I haven't seen her, she's always in the caves, lol.
Any my 'female' (Truffle), well - when she's not bullying him she spends the whole time in her 'cave (hence the bent dorsal fin I believe, and maybe the state of her tail etc - I'm not sure. Hence it has been almost impossible to get a pic of the 'whole' of her, so I've included a collage.
Plus an extra that I finally got of her in a container between tanks which is still not amazing... but hopefully give enough idea!
Plus an extra that I finally got of her in a container between tanks which is still not amazing... but hopefully give enough idea!
