My Shell Dweller Journey

[gregswimm]

I don't really like giving 4 back, so will hope that two of the three will pair up. Or maybe get four and hope for the best. Don't know

I was thinking weleupi could go in addition to julis, but I think the harassment level will be too heigh for the shellies. It's just a shame that the whole top will basically be empty, but I'd rather have happy fish.

I didn't like the idea either when I first started, but it's really the only reliable way of getting a pair. Picking a random 2 or 3 from the LFS generally doesn't work one or 2 of them will end up hiding in the corner of the tank.

 

[Lufbramatt]

or just set up another tank to house them

 

[Malawi MaD]

Awesome tank, the juli males usually have a slight bump on their head (obviously if your buying Juvis) It will be hard to tell, i agree with greg, buying 6 would be a good way to let the fish do their thing and pair off. Then set-up another tank for the others. Just think another great looking tank for more fish

 

[Salam]

He he, I'd love to have another tank, but we are now on number 7 and the tanks are taking over. Plus, I am dreaming about going marine after summer and I need to keep the potential space available.

I suppose I could get 6 then and sell them on, I am on a local fish-keeper's forum and livestock usually goes fast.

Do I also need to get extra occelatus or will they definitely pair up?

So, no suggestions for peaceful top dwellers?

 

[kiriyama]

Paracyprichromis nigripinnis or exLamprologus caudopunctatus look good in a 3'





Cheers, Sean

 

[Salam]

I like the looks of both of them. Would they leave the occelatus and julis alone? How many could I get?

 

[Lufbramatt]

I think I would get the occies and julies and let them settle in for a bit and then see if you need any top dwellers. In my tank (350 litres) I have 7 brevis, 4 julies, a comp and a small group of syno lucpinnis, so no top dwellers at all, but I don't think the tank looks bare or lacks interest. Most of the time the fish are all in the bottom half of the tank. I'd like to eventually get a school of cyps but they're so expensive and don't travel well so getting them posted is a no-go - cheapest I've found them locally is £16.50 each and if you need 10+ of them it's a big chunk of cash to spend. Paracyps seem to be even more rare and hard to find- only seen them once round here are they were £22 each! Did look lovely though .. .

 

[Salam]

Wharf aquatics has both, the para and caudo, so not too rare in my neck of woods.

Will make up my mind before picking up the others.

If anyone is interested in the cycling bit: 4ppm ammonia goes down to 0 within 12 hours, but I still got nitrite (2ppm last check). I hope it will be done in about two weeks time, the filter I put in had been 3 weeks previously in the other tank, so it had a kick-start, but not fully cycled yet.

 

[gregswimm]

I would keep the occies in a group, no less than 5

 

[Salam]

*update*

Looks I am cycled! Ammonia and Nitrite 0, Nitrate 100. Will keep an eye on the stats for a few more days to make sure it isn't a blip, do a huge water change and then I shall go and pick up my occies and julies

Matt, I have decided not to go to Wharf Aquatics. Following advice from here I am going to pick up groups of each (six julies, six occies) and see who pairs up with who and in fact what sex they are as they will be juvenile. I have spoken to my LFS and they can order me those in. They said it's ok to return the 'unwanted' ones for store credit there which is better for me. I don't have the hassle trying to sell them on and at least someone else could give them a home after. It's just around the corner and store credit is always good, as I often buy things there.

So, will order them tomorrow and they should be with me by next week which gives me enough time to make sure all is ok. Can't wait to have them! Once they are settled I will think again about top dwellers, but maybe I will just leave it as it is.

Thanks again for all the advice given here. It has been very helpful and I really look forward to my shellies tank

 

[Lufbramatt]

Sounds like a good plan!

Keep a close eye on the julies, they are pretty chilled out to other cichlids but can be raelly mean to each other. I started with 5, one was dispatched pretty early on, but in the last few days a pair seems to have formed and oddly the biggest one of the remaining 4 has been forced up into a tank corner (when the lights are on, they seem ok if i leave the lights off). Witnessed two of them having a sparring session on saturday that went on for ages. Luckily have just got another tank set up so can split two of them out and have a pair in each tank. Weird though, they all got on just fine for 4 months and suddenly they have had a huge fallout.

 

[Salam]

Will keep an eye on them. I won't set up another shellies tank, I got so many already it would be too much so I'd have to return them.

We will still go to Wharf Aquatics sometime, but to look at their marine section. We got a huge tank which will be a marine, but we won't start until autumn so will do a lot of research before and see what they have. It's a day out, but I didn't want to get the fish for the shellies tank there due to return reasons.

Just a thought (maybe a really stupid one) - would a pair of kribensis be ok in that tank as top dwellers or is it a no no?

 

[Lufbramatt]

Not sure- they're african riverine cichlids arn't they? might be best off sticking to a non-ciclid, rainbow fish are meant to work well as they are happy in the same hard water conditions as the shellies.

Looking forward to seeing pics of the fishies in their new home In a couple of weeks time (ie after payday lol) I'm going to get some more shellies (lamprologus ornatipinnis) for my 29gal tank to go with the pair of julies, you've inspired me with your tank setup! hehe

 

[Salam]

Ha ha, don't we all wait for the next payday to get more fishy supplies At the moment I am not even working at all and live of my husband's wages (yeah, I'm a kept woman ), but will hopefully start a good job in September hence the marine project is on hold til then.

Sounds like you some nice plans you have there. Would be great to see some pictures too.

I only know that kribensis are african cichlids, don't ask me about details, lol Rainbow fish sounds interesting, will have a look into it. But as I said before, I'll let the julies and occies settle in first and then think about top dwellers.

 

[Lufbramatt]

Only thing stopping me with the extra tank is I need to swap one of the filters over as the new one I bought is too big to go in the cabinet under the 29, oops. So need to use the new filter on my big tank and one of the externals from there on the 29- which means trying to change the fittings over on the pipework without spilling gallons of water everywhere!

Been thinking about marines for ages, but don't think I'd be able to cope with the stress of leving hundreds of pounds worth of corals alone at the mercy of powercuts etc. Think if I get another tank it will be full of tanganyikan featherfins and sand sifters. They have some opthalmotilapia ventralis featherfins at my LFS and they are gorgeous, they're a wonderful iridescent blue colour with huge eyes and long flowy fins . . . want them so much!