We've got a bit of a situation on our hands, and I'm hoping someone can shed some light on it. Our kribs have been busy, and we've got a daughter who's grown to be almost as big as her mum. We think we can tell them apart - one looks a bit younger, less chunky and smoother - but here's the thing: the one we thought was the mum has been chased off, and the "daughter" seems to have taken over the family cave and paired up with the male.
I was under the impression that these fish were lifers, but can the male really take up with his daughter? Or have we just got it all wrong? We're going to dig out some old pics of Rosy to try and figure out who's who, but I thought I'd throw this out there and see if anyone's got any insight.
Cheers,
Miles
are kribs paired for life or can they swap with my daughter?
Re: are kribs paired for life or can they swap with my daughter?
Not entirely sure, but I'm definitely keen to find out - I'll swing by your other thread to see what's been discussed so far.
Re: are kribs paired for life or can they swap with my daughter?
Miles, I'm curious, are your Kribs in a single-species tank or with other fish?
I ask because I once made the mistake of separating my Kribs and putting them in a solitary tank. They spent all day hiding and only ventured out under the cover of darkness. I was advised that they require 'dither fish' to feel secure, so I relocated them to a larger tank and introduced five Danios as dither fish. This change made all the difference.
The Kribs began to swim freely, claimed a fake tree root as their residence, and eventually spawned. They now have around 70 fry, which both parents guard zealously. I initially removed the dither fish due to concerns for the fry's well-being, but the Kribs continued to swim about the tank with their young. It's been fascinating to observe – the mother will occasionally leave the fry, and the father will take over, only to switch roles when she returns. I've even seen them work together to round up stray fry and return them to the group.
I ask because I once made the mistake of separating my Kribs and putting them in a solitary tank. They spent all day hiding and only ventured out under the cover of darkness. I was advised that they require 'dither fish' to feel secure, so I relocated them to a larger tank and introduced five Danios as dither fish. This change made all the difference.
The Kribs began to swim freely, claimed a fake tree root as their residence, and eventually spawned. They now have around 70 fry, which both parents guard zealously. I initially removed the dither fish due to concerns for the fry's well-being, but the Kribs continued to swim about the tank with their young. It's been fascinating to observe – the mother will occasionally leave the fry, and the father will take over, only to switch roles when she returns. I've even seen them work together to round up stray fry and return them to the group.
Re: are kribs paired for life or can they swap with my daughter?
I've got them tanked with Tiger Barbs, Odessa Barbs, and Dwarf Chain Loaches. They've had their fair share of broods, but unfortunately, the other fish have made a meal of most of them. The last brood was a bit more successful, thanks to a moss outbreak that gave the little ones some cover. Three of them managed to survive initially, but two have since vanished, leaving us with Baby Rosy who's now grown quite big.
It's interesting to note that since we've had these survivors, the parents haven't attempted to spawn again, which isn't too much of a concern for us. What's more fascinating is that the last brood was the first time Big Bad Burt and Rosy actually worked together throughout the entire process - usually, one of them chases the other off, like they think they can do a better job on their own. It's quite the soap opera, really.
It's interesting to note that since we've had these survivors, the parents haven't attempted to spawn again, which isn't too much of a concern for us. What's more fascinating is that the last brood was the first time Big Bad Burt and Rosy actually worked together throughout the entire process - usually, one of them chases the other off, like they think they can do a better job on their own. It's quite the soap opera, really.
Re: are kribs paired for life or can they swap with my daughter?
I enjoyed reading your Krib update, Miles. It's great to hear how Big Bad Burt and Rosy have become a team. I checked on mine earlier and they're still going strong, mom and dad taking turns to keep an eye on the fry. It's amusing to see them being so cautious even though they're the only ones in the tank now - I guess it's just an instinctual thing for them to keep guarding.
Re: are kribs paired for life or can they swap with my daughter?
It seems like our tigers, the dither fish, are currently caught in the middle of the two Rosies - one in the old haunt and the other that's taken over the other rocks. We'll have to remove one of them for the sake of the tank, it's a bit of a pickle.
Re: are kribs paired for life or can they swap with my daughter?
I was keeping an eye on mine earlier and noticed they were all huddled together at one end, then I spotted a little stray at the other end - luckily they're on their own in the tank, or it would've been lunch.
The stray vanished into the rocks, but the group eventually made its way to that end, so hopefully they managed to round it up or it found its way back.
The stray vanished into the rocks, but the group eventually made its way to that end, so hopefully they managed to round it up or it found its way back.