Starting Shell Dwelling Tank

[koinukun]

Hello everyone!

My boyfriend recently bought a 10g tank and wanted some fun little fish to put in it. He wanted a Betta but after some "persuasions" of mine he is keen on getting some Dwarf Shell-Dwellers from Lake Tanganyika.
We have a few questions about the little cuties first though before we start setting it all up.

First of all how many would fit comfortably in a 10g?

We both like Neolamprologus brevis and Lamprologus similis. Are these two compatible with each other or would it be best to just stick to 1 species?

Since they all seem to live on the bottom my boyfriend really wants to get some fish to go in the top/middle of the tank? I know the pH is quite specialised and the tank is quite small but can this be done?

Thanks for any advice you can share!

~Koinukun

 

[susankat]

I'm interested in this subject also as I am getting some shellies and have had no experience with them.

 

[Pleccy]

I'm currentely keeping a colony of Neolamprolus multifasciatus in a similar tank (six to be exact). Two species can't be mixed except in larger tanks. Also there aren't many other fish that you could have in the tank, so you are pretty much stuck with one species, if the tank was a bit bigger I would have suggested a pair of Neolamprologus leleupi or a pair or Julidochromis. The species you have already mentioned are slightly bigger than N. multifasciatus so you will be able to have around three, one male and two females.

The pH is quite easy to manage, I use coral sand mixed with standard aquarium sand at a ratio of 40:60, you can also buy special additives that raise the mineral content and pH of the water.

 

[koinukun]

Thanks for your help Pleccy!

I quite like Neolamprolus multifasciatus and if I can have about 6 in the tank as opposed to only 3 of the others I mentioned I think that looks like the better option.

I'm not too disappointed about not being able to have any other fish in with them. From what I've seen on YouTube and read about them they seem very busy little bees.

As far as the sand goes, my tap water is notoriously soft so I'm worried about pH crashes. In my 40g South American Cichlid tank I recently experienced a massive pH crash which thankfully is under control now. Would it be safer to make the substrate all coral and aragonite sand just to be on the safe side or would the 40:60 ration be fine?

Also with the coral sand it said in "The Mbuna Aquarium, Learning the basics" sticky thread that certain coral sand should be avoided as it may contain sharp particles that can irritate the gills. Are there any brands you know of that are like this or sand under a certain price tag that I should avoid?

Thanks again!

~koinukun

 

[Pleccy]

The sand I use is a fine aragonite sand, which is very similar to standard coral sand in terms of it's pH altering properties, but it is also very fine. If you have very soft water you can buy additives, try Seachem.

 

[koinukun]

Fantastic! I'm quite looking forward to setting up this tank.

Thanks ever so much for your help!

~koinukun

 

[rossyboy]

Fantastic! I'm quite looking forward to setting up this tank.

Thanks ever so much for your help!

~koinukun

If you need any more help give me a shout, i've kept Brevis, Multis and Osc Gold in species only tanks and community!