is this a false pregnancy?

[GamePix]

Hey everyone,

I've got a lone female Kribensis in my 20 gallon breeder tank. She was part of a happy pair, and they had two batches of babies. Had to separate the male after he suddenly turned on her - no idea why. Got rid of the last of the babies a few weeks back.

Her colors are looking fantastic, and she's got that certain look - bright red, slightly swollen belly, and she's been digging a bit. I'm curious, do Kribensis females have false pregnancies? Can they lay eggs without a male present?

[graye]

Typically, a lone female Kribensis will eventually lose interest and calm down. These fish are opportunistic by nature, with the female claiming her territory and the male claiming his. When their territories overlap, she gets to choose her mate. If something happens to him, she'll simply pick another. Meanwhile, he's expected to remain loyal throughout the broodcare period, although he may abandon her.

In your case, it's possible that the male was ready to move on, while the female wasn't, leading to the aggression you witnessed. Now, it seems she's preparing for a new brood, getting her nest ready in the hopes of attracting a suitable male that will treat her better.

If that doesn't happen, the cycle will pass, and she'll likely try again later.

[GamePix]

Typically, a lone female Kribensis will eventually lose interest and calm down. These fish are opportunistic by nature, with the female claiming her territory and the male claiming his. When their territories overlap, she gets to choose her mate. If something happens to him, she'll simply pick another. Meanwhile, he's expected to remain loyal throughout the broodcare period, although he may abandon her.

In your case, it's possible that the male was ready to move on, while the female wasn't, leading to the aggression you witnessed. Now, it seems she's preparing for a new brood, getting her nest ready in the hopes of attracting a suitable male that will treat her better.

If that doesn't happen, the cycle will pass, and she'll likely try again later.

I still can't help but think it was weird that he turned on her while they were taking care of the second batch. The little ones were only about two weeks old, and he had her hiding at the top of the tank for her life. I figured I'd give her some time to recover, so I left her alone for a bit over 12 hours before putting her back with him. But as soon as she was back in the tank, he went after her again, so that was it for him.

Now that I think about it, it makes sense that she's getting ready for another round. Do you think she'd be okay with a Clown Pleco, or would she see it as a threat? I've been thinking of adding some tankmates for her, maybe a Clown Pleco or a Hillstream Loach, and some dither fish like Harlequin Rasboras or Cardinals.

[graye]

Pelvicachromis - my soft spot. Raised dozens of batches, never seen a male turn on the female during broodcare. Had Apistogramma where the loss of fry sent them haywire, but that was usually the female taking out the male, except that one time a male decided to take out his partner. Steal the fry too soon, and you risk losing the parents - didn't see that with Pelvicachromis, but it's possible.

Or maybe your male was just having a bad day, who knows. Without eggs or fry, she's not a threat. I'd recommend a Hillstream Loach - they need fast-moving water, which would be perfect for your tank. A small Loracarid would work too. Cardinals might not be the best choice, as they like the lower part of the tank and she might chase them. I've kept kribs and their relatives in planted tanks with harlequin types, and it was smooth sailing. Just keep in mind a 20-gallon tank can be a bit small, unless it's a longer one.

[GamePix]

I did design the tank with a 30 inch length in mind when I brought the Kribs home. Guess the male Krib must have been watching some questionable videos in his spare time - he was a model dad with the first batch. They had eggs just 9 days after I removed the 8 week old babies.

Thanks for the advice, I appreciate it. I've never kept cardinals before, was just a thought, but they're out of the running now. Cheers