Shell Dweller pair in 20G

[FishNiX]

Hey all-
I'm finishing up a cycle on a 20G tank which will soon be my African tank.... It will have one pair of shell dwllers and one pair of leleupi (lemon cichlids). Do any of you have suggestions on which shell dwellers i should get? I know that at my LFS, they have some for 15 bucks each and then they have a different kind for $90/pair... i do want a pair, so unless i can figure out how to sex them, i will probably go with the pricey ones...

any help on sexing or suggestions on how the species are different would be awesome!
thanks!

 

[thecichlidaddict]

Sexing shelldwellers is easiest by size. Males are usually considerably larger then the females.

IF that pair is so expensive then there is a chance that they are wildcaught, so find out first. Wildcaught fish have benefits and drawbacks. The benefits are that you know there strain is 100% pure with no inbreeding, and they often show more vivid markings then aquarium bred fish. The downside is that you need to be more particular about the water that you put them in then you would aquarium fish.

Most shelldwellers that you will find will be fine, but did you catch the names of the ones your lfs carries?

 

[FishNiX]

hey- thanks for the info, i didnt even think about the possibility that they are wild caught... they are very attractive fish, even though they arent that colorful.

i didnt catch the names unfortunately, (i did at the time, but i can remember now) -- i know that they were definately two different species. After reading some more about the fish, I was thinking it might be nice to have two pairs of shell dwellers and one pair of leleupi. This may be too many fish in a 20 Gallon tho. Opinions? I really want to have very healthy fish and if that means i can only house 4 in the tank...that's fine by me.

I will most likely add the shell dwellers all at once (if i go with 4-6) and then add the leleupi later, or add all 4 fish at once if i go with just a pair of each. Or would it be better to add the leleupi first? (i think they are actually cheaper... -- 19.99 each or something for juveniles and VERY colorful). I have a rocky cave setup at one end of the tank with a bunch of slate and then shells scattered about on the other end... it is seperated by one annubias barteri and a lava rock in the middle to create a bit of a border...

i will look at the different types that they stock next time i am there... in the meantime, does anyone have suggestions?

thanks and cheers!

 

[FishNiX]

actually, the expensive ones may be a pair of Lamprologus brevis -- but i just might be thinking that b/c i see that name all over the web when i seach for shell dweller info

 

[wgb113]

I've been told by many people not to mix Leleupi with shell dwellers as the Leleupi will severly harass them.

Anyone else hear this?

Bill

 

[FishNiX]

hey-
actually that combination was recommended to me by some people here and the guy at the LFS (which is quite reputable...not your normal petsmart/petco)...i hope its okay to mix them

cheers!

 

[F 1]

Can anyone quickly point me in the direction of some good information on shell dwellers. I've heard the name many times but know nothing about them.

F1

 

[crimsontsavo]

Search Link

Hope This Helps! It is a search link with loads of websites.

 

[Tragic Avenue]

I keep a pair of leleupi and brevis in a 29 gal along with a pair of
regani and all is well.

lots of rock for the regani and leleupi and lots of shells for the brevis.

All 3 pair of fish have fry right now and everyone minds their own buisness
but when one gets out of bounds look out!

Ive read that the leleupi will go into the shells and eat fry but Ive never
seen this in person.

I would only have one species of shelldwellers in that small of a tank tho.

Good luck,they are really cool fish!

 

[FishNiX]

i had already decided to be sure that the shelldwellers were all one species so that i dont end up with hybrids...but do you think i could have more than 1 pair?

if so, should i add them all at once, or can i add a pair at a time....

i guess right now im still not sure which species of shelldweller i actually want.

thanks!

 

[FishNiX]

Here is a good list of fish profiles...

After looking at that and some of the Quick Recipes, I think that i am trying to decide between N. Brevis, N. Multifasciatus, and L. Meleagris

Any comments or opinions? Cheers!

 

[modernhamlet]

No question! The Lamprologus meleagris. Those are cool looking fish!

 

[thecichlidaddict]

Leleupi Will likely get a few shellie treats along the way, but they should leave the parents alone for the most part. IMO it's worth just trying it as a shell dweller species tank anyway.

If you go with Brevis you can get a couple of pairs into the tank. With Meleagris a small harem will do fine, and with Multifasciatus a little colony would work nicely. The choice is yours to make, and they are all intriguing fish, but IMO Multies are best for small tanks because of their size, and you can keep more of them too.

It might depend on how you want to decorate the tank as well. Brevis only need a couple of larger shells. They come from areas of the lake that are very sparse with shells, and a pair will often share one. Multifasciatus on the other hand like lots of shells, coming from very dense shellbeds, and they like them clustered together - you can't have too many

Good luck, I'm sure you'll be happy with your decision whatever you decide.