Is a kribensis a male or female?

[kaleon8]

Hi, i'm pretty sure i've got a pair of kribs, and what's been going on in the tank's got me thinking the one in question might be a female.

Could someone take a look and confirm if it's actually a male?

I've been watching them and they seem to get along just fine, no aggression or anything. I've got a coconut cave and an upturned plant pot for them to hide in, plus a big shell they can swim through, but they're more interested in making their own little cave under the bog-wood - they keep moving the gravel to get it just right.

[swiftfly]

I think you've got it the wrong way round, I'm pretty sure the one I'm questioning is male, not female. And yeah, those tags are pretty funny.

[kaleon8]

"what tags are you referring to?"

[swiftfly]

Swiftfly, I was wondering about those tags, but now they're gone, I guess you edited them out.

[freshon]

Definitely both male.

[kaleon8]

those pics are of the same fish lol

[bolt9x]

Looks male to me, I'm inclined to agree with freshon on this one, the behavior you're describing doesn't necessarily scream female, and the fact that they're not showing aggression towards each other could just mean they've found a comfortable dynamic.

[kaleon8]

Just had a spawn, and I'm thrilled to see the little ones swimming around. Didn't take long at all. Now I'm wondering, can I safely remove the fry from the parents right away?

[swiftfly]

Yeah, it's probably for the best. Keep nitrates under 20ppm in the fry tank and feed them at least three times a day. My male krib's got a thing for snacking on the babies, so.

[creekdwlr]

In my experience, Kribensis can be great parents, but not always. Sometimes they're just not interested, or maybe they're new to the whole parenting thing. Generally, though, they're pretty tolerant of their fry until they're ready to raise another batch. You'll know it's time to remove the fry when you see signs like a swollen female, disinterested parents, or an ovipositor tube appearing. That's when they start to see the older fry as a threat to the new ones and will eat them. Most people remove the fry before this becomes an issue, but some say the fry actually do better with their parents than without.