A moody cow in my krib, how can i help it?

[duskyfish]

I made a bit of an impulsive decision and added a female krib to my 200l tank - I'm not proud of it, but I took the advice of the woman at the fish store. She assured me that a single female would be fine in a community tank and wouldn't be aggressive without a mate. I was aware that kribs might pick on long-finned or slow fish, so I rearranged the tank to give her some space.

However, this morning I found that two of my platy's fins had been nipped. I'm not saying she's definitely the culprit, but it's pretty obvious who might be responsible. I've done some research and thought that kribs and platies would get along, given that they occupy different swimming levels.

Is it possible that this is just a settling-in period, or do I have an aggressive fish on my hands? Should I consider moving her to a separate tank? If so, are there any small fish that I could keep with her safely, or would she be okay on her own? We're planning to set up a planted tank, but we haven't finalized our stocking plans yet.

[dutzu]

I think getting a male Krib might be the way to go, she could then take out her frustrations on him instead. I've had experience with a pair of kribs in the past, the female would often pick on the male but it seemed to work for them. Although, I do recall that after they spawned, the female passed away a couple of days later, and unfortunately the baby fry didn't survive either.

[duskyfish]

I've definitely learned a valuable lesson about not buying fish on impulse to fix tank issues. And as for getting a male Krib, I think I'll have to pass - I'm not exactly eager to breed them or deal with the potential aggression that comes with it, plus the thought of all those baby kribs is a bit overwhelming.

[dutzu]

I made a bit of an impulsive decision and added a female krib to my 200l tank - I'm not proud of it, but I took the advice of the woman at the fish store. She assured me that a single female would be fine in a community tank and wouldn't be aggressive without a mate. I was aware that kribs might pick on long-finned or slow fish, so I rearranged the tank to give her some space.

However, this morning I found that two of my platy's fins had been nipped. I'm not saying she's definitely the culprit, but it's pretty obvious who might be responsible. I've done some research and thought that kribs and platies would get along, given that they occupy different swimming levels.

Is it possible that this is just a settling-in period, or do I have an aggressive fish on my hands? Should I consider moving her to a separate tank? If so, are there any small fish that I could keep with her safely, or would she be okay on her own? We're planning to set up a planted tank, but we haven't finalized our stocking plans yet.

I bought the Krib because I wanted to get rid of snails in my community tank. I was told by the woman at the fish store that she would be fine on her own and not aggressive, which I now regret believing.

[duskyfish]

The fish shop lady told me kribs are great for snail control - they had one in each tank and it seemed like a more elegant solution than getting assassins. We'd seen kribs before and initially wanted a pair for our tank, but knowing they could be territorial put us off. Still, I let the shop lady's assurance that a solo female would be fine cloud my judgment - I guess I just wanted to believe it. She's still a beautiful fish, even if she does have a bit of a mean streak.

[duskyfish]

It's official, she's getting the boot. We turned the lights off and she completely lost it, going after everyone in the tank. That's it, I've had enough - she's being rehomed.

[swiftfinch7]

Kribs can be quite feisty when the mood strikes them, I'm finding out the hard way.

[ridera]

I'm curious what other tankmates you've got with the female Krib, aside from the Platies.

If you're looking for a dwarf cichlid that'll take care of snails, I'd recommend Steatocranus casuarius - they've got a real taste for them. I found this out the hard way when I saw one of mine going after a Rabbit Snail's fins.

I've got my own experience with a feisty dwarf African cichlid at the moment - a young Steatocranus tinanti male I've had for about two weeks. I had to move him and his tankmate away from some newborn goodeids after I caught him treating one like a snack in my 48x12x15 tank. Now they're in the Rio240 with a few other fish, but this little guy's being a real pest, sneaking up on my four Hoplos and nipping at their fins. He's spent the last 24 hours in time-out, stuck in the hang-on breeding net.

[riverrun4]

If you're looking for something to tackle the snail problem, I'd recommend assassin snails - they're meat-eaters, so your plants are safe, and they look great, like little mint humbugs. As for kribensis, I've found they don't actually eat snails. I'm not sure what's behind duskyfish's krib being so aggressive, maybe it's just her nature - all fish have different personalities, after all. I've never had any aggression issues with my pelvicachromis, whether I'm keeping or breeding them.

[duskyfish]

She's now got her own pad, and I'm wondering if there's anyone I can safely introduce to her. I'm guessing tetras might be alright, but I'm not sure - are they too small for her to bother with, or would she still have a go?