All Barnacle Decoration For Shell Dwellers?

[didz04]

Hi would an all barnacle decoration be suitable for the shell dweller families? I am looking to mix it with some plants. Will they still breed in these or is a shell decoration a must? 
 
Thanks

 

[didz04]

Hi does anyone know if this would be a good idea? Do they need shells to breed? Thanks

 

[bullit]

Id go for shells. The banacle clusters look a bit fake tbh.

 

[KevM]

They can also be dangerous to fish - I've heard of fish getting stuck in them before. Shells are the way to go. Which type/size and what amount per fish essentially depends on which species you intend to keep. Good choice in plumping for shellies, by the way.

 

[didz04]

Thanks, yeah at the moment I have been reading about them for a while and I thought while I have a shallow 20 gallon running I should give them a shot. In general I am not to keen on keeping just shells but I will definitely add plenty of them in. I was thinking of going for the brevis as a beginner they seem to be the hardiest of the species. 

 

[KevM]

You need to decide if you want pairs or a colony. Here's a snippet from another post I made on here:

Once you know which shelly you like, you can stock around their requirements. For instance, some of them (like Multies) exhibit alloparental traits and will breed in a colony, whereas others are strict pair breeders, and must be maintained as such. Some, such as Telmatochromis temporalis, are extremely aggressive and would likely dominate anything you could reasonably fit in your tank (many Mbuna included). On the other hand, some are either extremely shy (N. brevis) and/or do not maintain large territories (Multies, N. similis, etc).

If you go for a colony (Multies, for example), make sure there's at least three shells per fish (the more the better). If you're just going for a pair then a couple of shells per fish is plenty. For the smaller shellies (like Brevis and Multies, etc) it's hard to beat escargot shells. They're a great size, cheap and do the job perfectly.

 

[lalo99]

I have both in with my shellies. The adults prefer shells. Only juvies and fry seem to occupy the barnacles.

 

[didz04]

Interesting. Its probably because their making up territories for breeding time. I was hoping for fish to be swimming in and out the barnacles as they look good swimming in and out their holes. I know its different, but I built a live rock structure with big swimming holes using acrylic rod and I was hoping for fish to explore it. I got a clownfish at first and he just used to swim around the whole structure but when I got my sixline wrasse to be honest it was more interesting to watch swimming in and out of the crevices but overall they both had their interesting habits. I prefer fish with personalities than to a fish that just shows its colours. Thats why I haven;t gone for a discus setup although I have heard its a challenge. 
Escargot shells are exactly what I was going for and they are nice to look at, of course more interesting with fish around them. lol
 
Thanks for all the detailed info. 

 

[bullit]

tonna shells are worth a look too.

 

[didz04]

Thanks