issues with my krib pair

[condoKeeper]

I'm dealing with a bad situation with my Kribs. Had an awful week, didn't keep an eye on them like I should've. Everything was going great, they were breeding, then disaster struck. They had their fry, I spaced out and didn't put a sponge tip on the filter intake, now most of the fry are gone - probably sucked up. The male's gone aggressive on the female, like he's trying to hurt her. Should I separate them or will this pass?

[belleora]

You've got another tank to separate one of them, right. I'd personally move the aggressive male, not the female - they're cichlids, so you know they can be pretty mean and territorial. If he's after her, separating them for now is probably the best idea. Maybe reach out to @willie32 or @boomer for some advice - they're both super knowledgeable about cichlids and can likely help you figure out a long-term plan and whether or not to reintroduce them later on.

[belleora]

To better understand the situation and offer more tailored advice, could you please share the tank size and its complete stocking? It'd also be helpful to know how long you've had the Kribs paired together - is this their first batch of fry?

Regarding water parameters, do you have a testing kit that could provide some numbers? A picture of the tank would also be quite useful for visual context.

[graye]

The sudden loss of fry can be misinterpreted by brood-caring Cichlids, like Kribs and Pulchers. When fry vanish without a predator in sight, it's often assumed to be the parents' fault. In this case, the male seems to be driven by a strong parenting instinct, trying to protect the remaining fry. However, his aggression towards the female suggests he needs to be removed.

Another possibility is that the male is indeed correct in his behavior, especially if the pair is young and was raised artificially. Broodcare instincts are often learned from parents, so if they didn't have that opportunity, their behavior might be off. Since you didn't witness the fry getting sucked up by the filter, you can't rule out the male's perspective.

The solution is either to remove the remaining fry or the male. Once the fry are gone, you can reintroduce the male, but be prepared for a cautious reunion, especially if the tank is large enough for Kribs and Pulchers to coexist.

[belleora]

The sudden loss of fry can be misinterpreted by brood-caring Cichlids, like Kribs and Pulchers. When fry vanish without a predator in sight, it's often assumed to be the parents' fault. In this case, the male seems to be driven by a strong parenting instinct, trying to protect the remaining fry. However, his aggression towards the female suggests he needs to be removed.

Another possibility is that the male is indeed correct in his behavior, especially if the pair is young and was raised artificially. Broodcare instincts are often learned from parents, so if they didn't have that opportunity, their behavior might be off. Since you didn't witness the fry getting sucked up by the filter, you can't rule out the male's perspective.

The solution is either to remove the remaining fry or the male. Once the fry are gone, you can reintroduce the male, but be prepared for a cautious reunion, especially if the tank is large enough for Kribs and Pulchers to coexist.

I really appreciate the insight, it's been helpful.

graye said:

So either remove the fry, or the male. Once the fry are gone, reintroduce him. If the tank is large enough for kribs/pulcher they should reconnect, but warily.

I'm glad I initially thought to move the male instead of the female - my reasoning was that if he stayed, he'd become even more territorial and might not accept her back.

[willie32]

Gary's analysis is spot on. Removing the aggressor seems the way to go, letting the female care for the remaining fry if that's the route you want to take. Reshaping the tank's layout might also be beneficial, could help reduce the male's territorial behavior when reintroduced.

[graye]

If you're stuck with just one tank, rearranging the decor might confuse the male and distract him from his aggression. I'm not proud to admit it, but I've done this before when working with P. kribensis pairs - it's not ideal, but it's worth considering. By changing the layout, you can create a bit of discombobulation that might redirect the male's frustration away from his mate and towards the new environment.

Removing the male is still the preferred course of action, though. Female kribs are naturally territorial and choose which males to let into their space. Once a pair forms, they work together to defend their territory and young, but the male's aggression can sometimes get the better of him. It's not unlike those TV cop shows where the young detective jumps to conclusions based on limited evidence - male kribs can be a bit like that, too, reacting impulsively on minimal cues.