My Kribensis

[guppi]

Yes I would add the male and see which ones pair up then take the other female back to the shop.

 

[kribensis12]

Apologies for my shoddy sexing. The second pic does make it look like a female (furiously back peddeling), big fat belly and all. I always thought females has the "eye" on their dorsal fin? Or is that just some of them?

I don't know, but i'd imagine by adding a male, he would choose a partner then they would both bully the other one. It could help you to get a pair though, giving the male a choice of two hot female kribs! Then remove the other one? I'm probably better letting a more knowledgable person answer this though...but that's my 2 pence worth.

For future application you might want to avoid using "eye spots" as a form of sexing for kribensis as selective breeding has made that moot. It's still a fairly valuable way to sex African cichlids because the egg spots are actually used because they are mouth brooders. Here is the guide I use for sexing kribensis:
Males: Elongated and streamlined body, normally have pointed dorsal and anal fins, have a thicker black bar that stretches along their body, has no indication of a rounded stomach, pelvic fins are blue

Female: Usually more stout, definite coloring on the stomach, purple or red colored pelvic fins, more of a golden color to the dorsal fins edge, and a rounded stomach.

To Comacchio:

I would suggest returning the newer fish and adding a male. Normally it's a worthwhile venture to let the male decide but the other female is more colorful and obviously more dominant, so he will choose her as his mate and they will both torture the other female until you remove her.

 

[Comacchio]

Got back from work to find my smallest Panda Cory missing, presumed eaten by the kribs! Beginning to reconsider and get something more peaceful.

 

[kribensis12]

Yes, cory's will be bullied and possibly killed. That is the same for almost ANY bottom dwelling cichlid. If something gets in their territory, they kick it out and if it wont leave, they kill it.

 

[Comacchio]

Well after coming back from a week long holiday (never had a chance to take the new Krib back) they are now getting on swimmingly (excuse the pun)

However, they have built a sand wall around a piece of overhanging rock in the tank and are chasing my keyholes around! Seems awfully like breeding behaviour for having 2 females!

 

[Comacchio]

Now rather unsure of the sex of one of them now. Here's the most recent pics. Please excuse the algae on the glass, need to cut back on the lighting! Also excuse the awful photography, since they've started their breeding like behaviour they dont stay still for 2 seconds!


Together by Allan.Jones, on Flickr


Male? by Allan.Jones, on Flickr


Female by Allan.Jones, on Flickr

 

[Comacchio]

Beginning to think they ate the eggs or something. The male is letting other fish near where they made their nest, but im a bit worried about the female. She's hovering vertical with her head down in one of my plants.. any ideas?

 

[guppi]

Still say there both females.

 

[Comacchio]

I'm still not convinced. Seems to be getting quite a pointed dorsal fine recently - #29### to try and capture on my rubbish iphone camera.

 

[guppi]

Yes looking quite pointed cant see if colour goes all the way down the dorsal fin tho. Is one more aggressive then the other.?

 

[Comacchio]

Yeah the suspected male seems to be the aggresor at the moment, but he shoots off from the female at times too.

 

[dfield]

I have two female and two male kribs, one set have paired, the other the female is showing too but the male is not all that bothered.

The paired kribs are home hunting and the male is nipping anything that comes near a large shell they rather fancy, but it isnt reall agressive. In fact before I put the two males in, the females were worse, especially one of them. Now they are both focused on getting a mate.

My females are completely coloured up and are curving their red bellies towards the males. The males are also coloured up and shimmy to the female in a kind of mating display.

Looking at your last pic, it looks more like my males, but not so pointed in the tail... if it is a male I would have thought you'd see some of the mating behaviours mentioned.

 

[Comacchio]

Well I noticed the Kribs building another sand wall outside one of my cocunut caves over the last few days. I got a torch and looked on the roof of the cave last night.. Lots and lots of yellow eggs!

 

[Comacchio]

I think I have wrigglers! But mummy keeps looking like shes eating them when I shine the torch in the cave

 

[dfield]

Great News,

I think the fry will swim in and out of the mothers mouth.. so I read, so I shouldn't worry.