HELP!!! Kribs - Male beats female

[vvp]

Hi All,

Could you please help!?

I bought a new male to my existing female. The previous male died last week for unknown reason. I bought them 3 weeks ago. They were not too big and the female looks quite juvenile for me. They did not breed, but they did not fight as well. So, when the original male died, I came to the LPS last weekend and chose the nicest male there. There were only males at that time there, no females. He is quite big compared to the female, more than twice bigger. When I released him to the tank, I have 350l tank with 6 big Angelfish and 4 cory, he was straight away chased by her once she had seen him. However, after 5-10 minutes the situation changed! He took a turn, occupied the cave and chased her hardly over the whole tank nipping and beating her. She hid into bunch of plants but he constantly went out to find her and chased her again. What was interesting for me ... he was full in colours but she was not. Even she showed him her submissiveness shaking and curving her head from him, he fought her and she ran away and hid from him.
I did a bit my research about this situation with kribs, and some people say that two kribs like these ones would never be a pair. However, others say the reason why he hits her is due to she is young and not in breeding conditions. If she has a red belly and shows him her readiness, he may accept her.
For now, I put them separately and try to feed well, because I found they do not like some food which I use for my Angelfish. They only like black worms. They do not eat granule tropical food or similar to it.

Could you please help me with other thoughts if I am on the correct way? Or should I rid of her/him and buy a different partner?

Thanks

 

[Lunar Jetman]

The only other thing I can suggest is that you separate them but also from the main tank. That is, have them both away from each other and your main tank. Do this for a week or so, then introduce them together back to the main tank. If you have another location I would even suggest introducing them to each other again in another location.

Kribs can be very territorial so once you have one fish in your tank you're putting another one in the original's territory so unless you can break the hold the original fish has on your main tank, you're likely to be unsuccessful in getting them to accept each other.

Depending on how your LFS is you might be able to return both and replace with a new compatible pair but if you have the space, i'd try the above first.

 

[Byron]

I agree with above, but would suggest there is more to this. Cichlids must select their mates and if they do they will bond. The fish decide this.

Sometimes the fish seem to settle (after doing what is suggested above), but this may or may not be permanent. I have had rams go through this, even spawning a few times, before the male overnight killed the female. They had not bonded.

To avoid further stress to the fish, I would suggest returning the new male, and leaving the female on her own to live in peace. Or try the above, but be prepared to return the male, or keep them permanently separated.

 

[vvp]

Thanks both for your recommendations!

For now I put him into a small transparent floating tank stick to the inside glass on the top of the main tank and I released her to the main tank. She looks recovered and feels happy in the main tank. She peacefully swims and hides in the cave. Interesting what ... this morning I came to the tank and saw her swimming on the top around his floating tank! She showed on her curving dances and she came in colour! Now she has a red belly and interest in him! )) His behaviour is not understanding... he is also in colours but he becomes very active in his tank when she reaching him. He follows her head and it looks like he tries to beat her )) Propably not... I decided to keep him isolated for now even after female shows breeding signs.
I am going to buy a 70L tank tomorrow, split it up by two parts and put them separately in there.
Only question - should I keep the glass between them transparent or not? Probably they will see each other through the glass and create a bond. I found this successfull on some forums.

My LFS refuses to refund the male and even refuses to swap with another male. ((
So, only a hope to get them pair off. )