acolli51

Hello, I just got a pair of Kribs for my 20 gal long and put them in the tank yesterday and the female seems to be chasing/bullying the male. They are only about 1.25-1.5 inches so still very young and besides two ottos they are the only things in the tank. I have searched around but only seem to find info on males being aggressive so is this normal? The female is a little larger than the male and seems to run him away from the main cave I have in the tank. I hope they sort it out but has anyone else had this happen?

Now whenever the female even sees the male she will chase him around the tank and into a corner behind some plants or something. The male will hide for a while and then try to swim around some but eventually the female sees him and the cycle repeats. It has only been one day but if it keeps up I'm thinking about trying to get a bigger male.

Nick G

Hi acolli51, Welcome to Fishlore! Sorry to tell you this, but if the Female Krib is bigger than the Male then she won't accept him, and could even kill him. Female Kribs are REALLY picky when it comes to the males, and they will almost never accept a mate thats smaller than they are. I'd definatly recommend taking him back to the store and exchanging him for a bigger male if possible. (Or swap her for a smaller female). Good Luck, and if you have anymore questions just ask!

acolli51

Thanks for your help. I'll have to try to exchange them to work it out I guess.

aquarist48

Hello Acolli and Welcome to Fish Lore.
Here is a link that you may find helpful:
Facts about the Kribensis - Pelvicachromis Pulcher

Hope you enjoy the site. Lots of great information and friendly people here!
Ken

acolli51

Thanks Nick and Ken! I exchanged the pair today for the largest male and smallest female they had. They are about the exact same size (1.0-1.25 inches) and I have just acclimated and introduced them to the new home. They had a stare down and a stand-off but then they seemed to settle down and are currently exploring together (nicely). We will see how it goes and I will keep this thread updated if anything happens. Thanks again.

acolli51

Ok well this is not going well at all. It looks as though the male must be noticeably larger than the female. My male is at least the same size, maybe a hair bigger and the female is still harassing him. Looks like she may be spending the night in the quarantine 10gal tonight and going back to the store tomorrow. I guess what I will have to do is grow a male to at least 2" and then get a small female to add later.