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Freakin Kribensis @[email protected]#

9757 Views 15 Replies 9 Participants Last post by  shane3fan
Ive had a Kribensis pair in a 29g community tank for months now without any real issues-until now. Im in the middle of a move and I dont get to check my tank everyday because it is at the old house. I checked it Sunday ( feed and ferts ) and all was good. I went today at lunch to check on the tank only to find a big mess. The Kribs have spawned and have fry and evidently the male has gone abso-fricken-lutely NUTS. Dead oto, dead Cardinal tetra, neon tetra with half his body missing, WCMMs scared out of their minds hiding in the plants, and a female Kribensis all beat up with tattered fins. The Harlequin rasboras and the male Kribensis are all swimming around like nothing is up.

Nothing I could do at lunch except get the dead/dying bodies out and feed the fish. The poor female Kribensis looks awful, Im not sure she will survive. I dosed the tank with Pimafix and Melafix and hope for the best. I will go by there on my way home tonight.
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Yeah, welcome to parent kribs. They're monsters when it comes to parenting....and yes, especially the males.

Years ago when I had a breeding pair, the male literally chased every other fish into a corner. And if I wouldn't have found the other fish they likely would've starved to death b/c they were too scared to even come out to feed.
Yeah, welcome to parent kribs. They're monsters when it comes to parenting....and yes, especially the males.

Years ago when I had a breeding pair, the male literally chased every other fish into a corner. And if I wouldn't have found the other fish they likely would've starved to death b/c they were too scared to even come out to feed.
They have spawned several times ( male eats the fry after several days each time ) but they have never been this bad. The only time they have been real agressive to other fish was when I had a Rainbow Shark and some Corydoras in the tank--the kribs ganged up on those poor fish--guess they REALLY hate bottom dwelling fish.
the kribs ganged up on those poor fish--guess they REALLY hate bottom dwelling fish.
That is because they are also bottom dwellers and get particularly territorial during breeding. In the wild they command a relatively large territory compared to the amount of space they are given in most aquariums.
Do you have a cave for them. Especially a inverted pot or one on its side.
Do you have a cave for them. Especially a inverted pot or one on its side.
Yeah. They have a hollow log that has been their home since I've had them. They have never been this bad.
Ha ha! Oh you brought back my Kribensis nightmare. I had a pair and they would peck my hand when in the tank and it hurts! Little bastards...and they're really hard to catch unless you uproot your tank. There is one bright side, when my kids misbehave....their hands go into the Kribensis tank. Shut those little rug rats up quick :)

Good luck.
asiansensation2000, I want to nominate you for parent of the year.
Ha ha! Oh you brought back my Kribensis nightmare. I had a pair and they would peck my hand when in the tank and it hurts! Little bastards...and they're really hard to catch unless you uproot your tank. There is one bright side, when my kids misbehave....their hands go into the Kribensis tank. Shut those little rug rats up quick :)

Good luck.
lol I need to remember that one. :icon_lol:
Well--Im sure I will catch much grief from some about this--I commited genocide last night. I sucked all of the fry out of the tank and flushed them. The male had nearly killed the female and had killed 6 other fish defending the fry. I relocated the female to a 10g to recover and removed all the fry that I could find. Hopefully the male will calm down a little and not be too stressed about me killing his kids--I mean, he was gonna eat em anyway...
asiansensation2000, I want to nominate you for parent of the year.
I'm honored:hihi:
Well--Im sure I will catch much grief from some about this--I commited genocide last night. I sucked all of the fry out of the tank and flushed them. The male had nearly killed the female and had killed 6 other fish defending the fry. I relocated the female to a 10g to recover and removed all the fry that I could find. Hopefully the male will calm down a little and not be too stressed about me killing his kids--I mean he was gonna eat em anyway...
Why didn't you just stick the fry in the 10 gallon with the female? Just saying. :)
Why didn't you just stick the fry in the 10 gallon with the female? Just saying. :)
The 10g had 8 Glolight tetras in it. I didnt want teh kribensis female to kill them all defending the babies. Both parents are doing fine now and all the other surviving critters are much happier.
i don't get it. your fry would've survived by themselves if you just put them into an alternate tank.
i don't get it. your fry would've survived by themselves if you just put them into an alternate tank.
I didnt have an alternate tank setup. I have been moving and the only tanks I have up and running have a full load of fish. I do have some empty tanks but they are not cycled and I didnt really have time to do mucho water changes on a fry tank right now. So, I did what I felt was best.
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