Done It.

[Honeythorn]

I have now moved my very nervous and picked on Krib into the 12 gal plant tank . She was very stressed at first and shot behind the plants at once, and refused to come out. I left her there overnight, and by morning she'd moved into a planting basket I put in there as a temporary cave. she was still very dull and sticking close to the bottom, and I figured she was possibly freaked out by the new surroundings.

So I took the 3 peppered cories from my main tank and have put them in with her as temporary company until I obtain my betta ( I will return them to the main tank and add 2-3 more ). I thought perhaps the sight of familiar fish would help her settle and bring her out of her shell.

WHAT AN IMPROVEMENT! She's gone from being dull grey to getting a good deal of colour back, even a bit of reddish belly, and she's shunned the plant basket in favour of digging a pit in the sand right behind it. She's been swimming round more and has taken a little bit of flake food. She definitely appears vastly happier now that she isn't being constantly harrassed by the other Krib ( who is in full colour and traversing the 30 gallon in a state of supreme triumph , horrid creature ). She darts back to her sandhole the minute anyone comes into the room, but if you sit there quietly she comes out and starts swimming and showing off to her reflection again.

I am very relieved!

 

[pirate monkey]

I had some similar problems with a male/female pair, did you add that female after the other, or at the same time?

This is what I did: took male krib out into 15g put female back in community and rearranged the tank. I let her settle in and eat properly for around a week or two then reintroduced the male, things were rosy after that!!!

Might be worth giving that a go...

 

[Honeythorn]

I bought them both at the same time about a year ago. I bought 2 because all the books suggested a pair. But I have no interest in breeding so I got two females. They hate eachother. One picked on the other terribly. There are no torn fins but the submissive fish went from being in full colour, to being terrified, dull grey and nervous as hell.

They both seem very much happier now. The sub fish is swimming around a lot more and has dug another pit in the sand. Her colour is so much better as well

I'll try and get some pics if I can. The sub fish is the one in my signature, when she was at her best before the bullying began.

 

[pirate monkey]

It's so nice to see a happy fish when they've been miserable! I had a blue phantom plec with my kribs, but they hated him and picked on him a lot. Unfortunately in my other tank I had another pair of kribs, and was waiting for another tank to cycle so he had to stay there for a few weeks. I've moved everyone around now and they're all a lot happier!

Are you going to keep the females separate? I'm glad she's happy now, she's a pretty lady!

 

[Honeythorn]

Yes she's going to stay in that tank now. I'm going to put a betta with her.

My friend's friend has over 80 white bettas and is getting rid of a load. He said I could have one, and I figured that's better than ending up in some horrific chain pet shop, in a tiny cup.

I can't foresee too many problems as there is plenty of space for the both of them , and as this tank is primarily for growing plant cuttings, they both have lots of hiding places.

This is the tank, her sand pit is in the back left corner behind everything :

 

[jourdy288]

Good to hear she's doing better.

 

[Honeythorn]

Just a couple more pictures to show the bully, and the much improved other Krib now she's moved


Lucifugus, the horrid bully:

Valium, now regaining her colour after being completely grey with fear :

 

[tibby25731]

You can keep a krib with a betta? Really? Oh wow, this may solve my dilemma! I also have 2 female kribs and one bullies the other. I've just got a new 4ft tank and moved the bullied krib into there last night along with my plec and 3 guppies, and she is so much happier. I was planning to introduce the bully to the tank at the weekend, by which time the bullied krib should have established a territory of her own.... only thing is, i was planning on bredding and have been told not to have 2 breeding pairs together... do you think things will be ok if I get one male and see who he pairs off with? if there was a problem i was gonna put one krib abck into my 2ft but I had been hoping to house a betta there.... if a krib and a betta are ok together then I needn't worry!

 

[pirate monkey]

Hey Honeythorn,

wow, Lucifugus is stunning! I'm happy to hear Valium is feeling better too! (love the names!)



Hi Tibby

I have to say I was surprised about keeping the 2 together but I continue to be surprised as to what fish you can keep with bettas!

do you think things will be ok if I get one male and see who he pairs off with?

I think that is the best thing to do, then just take the other female out before she gets bullied too much. Usually the males go for the ladies with the biggest reddest bellies!

 

[tibby25731]

Ah, then the male will definitely pick the bully as she has a very red belly, she is magnificent!
Sorry for hijacking the thread Honeythorn

 

[Honeythorn]

Hey Honeythorn,

wow, Lucifugus is stunning! I'm happy to hear Valium is feeling better too! (love the names!)





I have to say I was surprised about keeping the 2 together but I continue to be surprised as to what fish you can keep with bettas!

Haha, thanks, she is a total cow though. That's her cave behind her, she's excavated pretty much all the sand out into a massive mound at the front.

I have never kept bettas before, and never with a krib, but as I said this tank is mainly for growing plants for transferral back into my main tank, and for friends and family's tanks, so there are plenty of places and plant clumps to hide and keep away from eachother. I hope it works out.