Shell-dwellers

OK, I think my first priorities will be to locate some female N. brevis, get proper Tanganyikan buffer for the water, and get some African water fern.

If I really can't find female N. brevis then I'll get some blue-eyes or halfbeaks. I'm not sure that I want to fill the tank with 6+ blue eyes or halfbeaks and a pair or trio of N. brevis. I'll think about it though!

I've had no luck finding african water fern locally. Settled for some hornwort and from frogbit from my other tank.

The filter is so high flow that the hornwort has formed some kind of gyre. At 100gph the thing really moves the water in the 10 gallon.

I got my hands on some Seachem Malawi-Victoria buffer, and I've begun raising the KH from the tap (3 deg) to 20+ deg. Right now it's about 8 deg. Every water change I'll raise it some. The pH is going up as well due to the added carbonate.

My local fish stores have Tiburon limia (seem pretty rare!) and furcata blue eyes. Would either of these work in the tank? Seriously fish and aqadvisor seem to think the furcatas are too large. There is little information on the tiburon limias. What do you guys think?

Also, one of the local fish store owners thinks he has a N. brevis female or two at home. Hopefully he does and I'll have a female brevis in the tank within the week.

I'm half tempted to upgrade this tank to a 20 gallon long. The filter could take it I think. Perhaps for the next dollar per gallon sale?

Heres a bit of an update.

I found Pseudomugil getrudae at my LFS and I got six. I still haven't been able to find any N. brevis females, and I'm gradually raising the carbonate hardness and pH of the water.

I've been having trouble with the N. brevis spitting the pellets I have for him (NLS 1mm and Xtreme aquatic foods 1.5mm), but he does take flake and micro wafers. I'd like to get him on a nice pellet though and I think he's not eating them because they're too large. I may try to locate some 0.5 mm pellet in the hopes that he'll eat it.

I've added some XL escargot shells as well. I think the fairy land snail shells were too small! The brevis is much less shy now that I've added the escargot shells.

I also think I'm getting better at photographing the tank and fish.