Shell Breeders

[mattbond]

i havew heard that there are some small cichlids that breed in empty sea shells,

could anyone give me some info on some species that are available and whats needed for them? please

 

[rossyboy]

i havew heard that there are some small cichlids that breed in empty sea shells,

could anyone give me some info on some species that are available and whats needed for them? please

Yer, i've kept Shellies for a few years now.

I've had most success with:

Neolamprologus Brevis

But i've also kept Lamprologus Ocellatus, shortly with be getting 2 pairs of Lamprologus Signatus




They're dead easy to look after, i've found 'escargot' shells are what they prefer, you can buy a tub of about 25 off Ebay for £5 or so.

Make sure whatever you put in with them isn't big enough to eat them, as they can be very small... especially as Juveniles.

I was told by a shelldweller breeder when i first started out that 3 shells per fish is a good amount, this gives them choice. Through personal experience, i've found it's best to have '2 clumps' of shells in your tank, as each will claim a shell as territory. Also, once they pair off you'll find (especially with Brevis) that they will begin to share a shell, the female is huddled into the shell whilst the male sits in the entrance and guards it.

If you google the names above, you'll find lots and lots about each species!

What size tank do you have?

Here's a pic of my tank, with the shells in-

 

[stang1]

They are Tanganikyan shell-dwellers and the most commonly available are Neolamprologus Brevis, Multifasciatus and Ocellatus.
They prefer sand as a substrate as they like to sift through it. It is also worth adding a bit of ocean/tufa rock to help buffer the PH as they prefer a PH of about 8. You can add plants but most get dug up, so you could try tying Anubias or Java Fern to rock to prevent this from happening.
Plenty of shells are needed so that they can create their own territories, most people use escargot or apple snail shells.
What other info do you need?

 

[mattbond]

i've heard they can be kept in quite small tanks, is this true?

(when i say small, i mean 35-70 litres)

 

[stang1]

35 litres would be fine for a pair.

 

[mattbond]

say i have a 45 litre? and what else could go in there? like clean up crew lol

 

[stang1]

In a 45 litre, ther's not much else you could add. It may seem a bit boring only having one pair of shell-dwellers but trust me, they'll keep you amused for hours!

 

[mattbond]

what about a 60 litre, with perhaps Bristlenose/ ancistrus?

 

[stang1]

I personally don't agree with keeping Plecs in a Tang/Malawi tank because of the difference in PH. Most Plecs prefer a PH of 7.2 or lower whereas the Cichlids prefer a PH of around 8.
I know other people have done it with no problems but it's not something I would do myself.

 

[mattbond]

is there anything that would do the same as a BN? i always feel i have to have some cleaners in a tank?

 

[rossyboy]

I personally don't agree with keeping Plecs in a Tang/Malawi tank because of the difference in PH. Most Plecs prefer a PH of 7.2 or lower whereas the Cichlids prefer a PH of around 8.
I know other people have done it with no problems but it's not something I would do myself.

You can however, get a Bristlenose which is a 'true' hardwater species. I forget the name, but the plec section on here will help you!