I'm Gonna Get A Few Shell Dweling Cichlids.

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sic0198

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I need some help on deciding what kinda stuff I need for them. I have a 10 gallon and want to get 2 of them, a male and a female. First off, are they hardy good for a beginner fish? I've decided on this one, Neolamprologus multifasciatus.

Heres what I think that I'll need

Substrate (sand or something, maybe you can give me a hand here)
a FEW ROCKS
Shells
And a little piece of drift wood

Other than that it will be bare, like the biotope of Lake Tanganyika.

Are all shell dwellers from there? How does my list sound? Do I need to add anything to it?

Is PH very important to these fish, will they die if the ph isn't exactly right?

Lastly, is there anything I should know about before I buy these fish?
 
Hi mate.

I can help you as i have a tank with Multies as they are affectionately known.

You will most definately need sand, as these guys love digging and burying their shells. I would recommend loads of shells, and at least 4 Multies as they are a social cichlid.

I have never had any problem with aggression.

They require hard water, luckily if you live in the south, your tap water will be hard.

I think all shelldwellers are from Lake Tang
 
Thankss, Is there a ratio of males and females to get or should I get 5 randomly from the LFS and put 'em in the tank? A 10 gallon wll be suitable for 5 won't it?
 
Males get to be larger than females, so to increase your chances of getting some of both, you might want to get the 2 biggest and 3 smaller ones. I would also have lots of shells for them. I've heard that multies can be very shy at first, and lots of shells help make them feel more secure. I think they'll also be braver once they start building up the colony.
 

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