Shell Dwellers- Multies

[AdAndrews]

Hi, i want to try and create a biotope for neolamprologus multifasciatus, i have a 60litre 60cm tank, i was wondering if anyone had kept them, and got any pics of their set up and a little info on what they need, i know hard alkaline water, so will be using coral sand with my already 7.8 ph. is the maintenance the same as other fish, or is there additional things i need to do?

also i want to get a pair or a couple of pairs and try to breed them to create a colony, is it possible to either have a bristlenose plec, or sulawesi snail, or will they hamper the breeding project?


thanks

 

[dthoffsett]

Well, you'll want your sand at least 2-3" deep so they can bury their shells, and you'll want at least 3 times as many shells as you have fish (escargot shells sold online or at specialty food stores work well). You can have plants as well if you want, but you'll want something that can handle the high PH and should be attached to rocks so they don't get dug up.

Multies are harem breeders, so you'll need a couple of females for each male, they are also prolific breeders so for your tank I'd suggest starting with 1m/2-3 females. Juveniles will be allowed to stay and help raise future broods. Although they are small they are very tenacious at defending their territory, so it would be best to not have any other bottom dwellers.

Here's a great article on them: [URL="http/www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/n_multifasciatus.php"]http/www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/n_multifasciatus.php[/URL]

For pics of shellie tanks, try searching shelldweller on here, I think there are a couple in the tank pic section as well.

 

[AdAndrews]

Well, you'll want your sand at least 2-3" deep so they can bury their shells, and you'll want at least 3 times as many shells as you have fish (escargot shells sold online or at specialty food stores work well). You can have plants as well if you want, but you'll want something that can handle the high PH and should be attached to rocks so they don't get dug up.

Multies are harem breeders, so you'll need a couple of females for each male, they are also prolific breeders so for your tank I'd suggest starting with 1m/2-3 females. Juveniles will be allowed to stay and help raise future broods. Although they are small they are very tenacious at defending their territory, so it would be best to not have any other bottom dwellers.

Here's a great article on them: <a href="http/www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/n_multifasciatus.php" target="_blank">http/www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/n_multifasciatus.php</a>

For pics of shellie tanks, try searching shelldweller on here, I think there are a couple in the tank pic section as well.

thanks, i have already decided no plants, i promised myself to have atleast 1 plant free tank

 

[dthoffsett]

thanks, i have already decided no plants, i promised myself to have atleast 1 plant free tank

Sorry, not laughing at you, just kind of ironic that most people want at least one successful planted tank and you want the opposite.

I tried googling shell dweller tank in images and came up with a bunch you might find interesting.
[URL="http/images.google.com/images?hl=en&um=1&ei=3qQ5SqimCoWWlAefspDjDQ&sa=X&oi=spell&resnum=0&ct=result&cd=1&q=shell+dweller+tank&spell=1"]http/images.google.com/images?hl=en&...ank&spell=1[/URL]

 

[AdAndrews]

thanks, i have already decided no plants, i promised myself to have atleast 1 plant free tank

Sorry, not laughing at you, just kind of ironic that most people want at least one successful planted tank and you want the opposite.

I tried googling shell dweller tank in images and came up with a bunch you might find interesting.
<a href="http/images.google.com/images?hl=en&um=1&ei=3qQ5SqimCoWWlAefspDjDQ&sa=X&oi=spell&resnum=0&ct=result&cd=1&q=shell+dweller+tank&spell=1" target="_blank">http/images.google.com/images?hl=en&...ank&spell=1</a>

lol, i have been talking to jenny bugs about this, and i mentioned i want to make it as identical to their natural habitat as poss, but then she showed me the pics of lake tanganyika, horrible algae covered shells littering the floor of the lake.

there is some nice pics there, can you tell me if coral sand is as fine as normal sand, or if not, is it still suitable for the digging shellies?

thanks

 

[dthoffsett]

lol, i have been talking to jenny bugs about this, and i mentioned i want to make it as identical to their natural habitat as poss, but then she showed me the pics of lake tanganyika, horrible algae covered shells littering the floor of the lake.

there is some nice pics there, can you tell me if coral sand is as fine as normal sand, or if not, is it still suitable for the digging shellies?

thanks

If it's aragonite sand, it's finer than play sand. I've never used anything called coral sand, I have used crushed coral which is really rough.

 

[Sporen]

Hiya, I haven't kept this variety of shellie but I have kept ocellatus and meleagris. I use a really fine sand as they are always moving it around with their mouths or their fins and get quite energetic in their attempts to re-arrange the shells in the way they want . I would avoid any course sand. I also find rocks usefull for breaking up the line of site as my male ocellatus at one stage took over the entire 100L tank! I have a few plants in there just to help keep the algae in check and 2 bristlenoses. At first the shellies were miffed at the bristlenoses presence but now they completely ignore them and they have bred with them in the tank as have my other tangs. If you like I could post a photo of my set-up but it will probably be different to what you have in mind as I have used a few hardy plants. Most of the decor is ocean rock and lots of shells! If you haven't got your shells yet I have about 15 spare that you are welcome to if you pay for the postage?

 

[nbaker]

Not got any decent full setup shots but here is a pic of one of my Multi's guarding his shells:

 

[AdAndrews]

Not got any decent full setup shots but here is a pic of one of my Multi's guarding his shells:

ok, thanks guys and nice pic mate

nbaker.. have you got any more pics of your set-up and specs please

 

[nbaker]

ok, thanks guys and nice pic mate

nbaker.. have you got any more pics of your set-up and specs please

My setup is a mixed Tanganyikan community not just shell dwellers.

I have a 240 litre tank with coral gravel (fine) substrate & 75kg of ocean rock and many
empty snail shells.

The tank is currently filtered by a Fluval 305 external filter with carbon removed & replaced with Seachem Matrix bio media, I will be adding a Tetratec EX1200 external filter next week to increase filtration & water movement.

Current stock is 15 Tropheus Bemba, 6 Neolamprologus leleupi and 6 Lamprologus multifasciatus (shell dwellers)

I am using tap water which is hard with a ph of 7.6 but buffer this to 8.4, I also use Seachem Cichlid salts & Cichlid trace.

I am also cycling a 65 litre tank at the moment that will be home to a group of Lamprologus ocellatus (Gold) which I hope to breed.

This tank also has Coral gravel substrate and ocean rock and about 2 dozen snail shells, it is filtered by a Interpet PF2 internal filter with carbon removed and replaced with poly filter and bio media replaced with Matrix.

Regards
Nige.

 

[nbaker]

 

[AdAndrews]

thanks for the pics mate. the gold shellies that you mentioned cant be kept in a colony can they? i prefer the colour but basically just want something i can stick about 4 in the tank and then they breed, i thought the gold can only be kept in small groups...?

thanks again

 

[nbaker]

thanks for the pics mate. the gold shellies that you mentioned cant be kept in a colony can they? i prefer the colour but basically just want something i can stick about 4 in the tank and then they breed, i thought the gold can only be kept in small groups...?

thanks again

Yes you are right the Gold shellies can only be kept in a pair or group of three (2 females & 1 male I believe), so rethink time on this one, may setup a tank just for Multies.

Anyway I have some good news my Multies have spawned and I have babies, so I am a proud daddy

 

[AdAndrews]

thanks for the pics mate. the gold shellies that you mentioned cant be kept in a colony can they? i prefer the colour but basically just want something i can stick about 4 in the tank and then they breed, i thought the gold can only be kept in small groups...?

thanks again

Yes you are right the Gold shellies can only be kept in a pair or group of three (2 females & 1 male I believe), so rethink time on this one, may setup a tank just for Multies.

Anyway I have some good news my Multies have spawned and I have babies, so I am a proud daddy

will you be able to sell on the babies in a few months? i need a pair

 

[nbaker]

will you be able to sell on the babies in a few months? i need a pair

I'll have to see if any survive yet, they are really tiny at the moment and they are kept with my Tropheus & leleupi with 75kg of ocean rock so catching them wont be easy.

I have about 4 free swimming and more still in shells and I think may have more fry in another group of shells from my 2nd trio.