Kribensis pair are fighting each other

[Bella123]

Hi!

I bought a pair of Kribensis about a month ago, one is more confident and the other one is quite shy. The confident one chases the shy one away whenever it is in sight. I am unsure whether they are male or female, as the confident one is bigger yet more colourful than the shy one, who is smaller and less colourful.

The confident one also appears to have built a little home in one of the caves in the tank, however the shy one spends all its time in the plants hiding and only comes out every once in a while, as well as looking quite stressed.

I was just wondering why they are acting this way, as I thought pairs were generally meant to be okay with each other?

 

[CaptainBarnicles]

Pictures can help us sex them for you

 

[Bella123]

Pictures can help us sex them for

 

[Ichthys]

The one that’s hiding is too young to breed. The other one, a female, is old enough and doesn’t want the other one there.
If you can get a picture of the whole fish we can sex that one aswell. I’d remove it and replace it with an adult male.

 

[Bella123]

The one that’s hiding is too young to breed. The other one, a female, is old enough and doesn’t want the other one there.
If you can get a picture of the whole fish we can sex that one aswell. I’d remove it and replace it with an adult male.

I thought it looked quite young, I managed to get some better photos of it.

 

[Ichthys]

It is male, it’s just too young. A female that’s ready to breed will want any that aren’t ready to disappear, so she can claim a territory and wait for a ready male to show up. That stress will probably prevent this one from becoming that male.

 

[Bella123]

It is male, it’s just too young. A female that’s ready to breed will want any that aren’t ready to disappear, so she can claim a territory and wait for a ready male to show up. That stress will probably prevent this one from becoming that male.

Shall I move it into a different tank until it has matured enough?

 

[CaptainBarnicles]

Yes, I would...he's very pale and likely stressed out

 

[Bella123]

Yes, I would...he's very pale and likely stressed out

I will do that today, thanks for your help !