Shell Dwellers

[theamazingmaise]

These little cichlids have always fasinated me, and when i got my hands on 10 gallon tank (u.s.) i decided to get some. The three that im looking at are 'Lamprologus' similis, 'Lamprologus' multifasciatus, or 'Lamprologus' ocellatus (Gold) Which one should i get?

 

[AmberC]

I believe the ocellatus are the smallest ones so that would probably be your best bet with a 10 gallon. I have Lamprologus Meleagris/stappersi which is the Pearly Ocellatus. Very fun little guys. Can be aggressive tho. Make sure you have a shell for each fish. I'd try to get a male and two fems for that tank. I had two males in a 20 for a temp home and they fought all the time, the omega basically living up behind the filter.

HTH
Amber

 

[theamazingmaise]

I believe the ocellatus are the smallest ones so that would probably be your best bet with a 10 gallon. I have Lamprologus Meleagris/stappersi which is the Pearly Ocellatus. Very fun little guys. Can be aggressive tho. Make sure you have a shell for each fish. I'd try to get a male and two fems for that tank. I had two males in a 20 for a temp home and they fought all the time, the omega basically living up behind the filter.

HTH
Amber

Yeah, I really like the color on the ocellatus. Sorry to hear about your ocellatus

 

[furryrabbit]

quote pfk " N. ocellatus can be a bit boisterous in a very small tank so are best left out " . in said article they were discussing tanks of roughly 9 gallons. im sure that 1 gallon extra will not change much. however the pfk quote for minimum tank size for n. multifasciatus is 18". im sure your 10 gal is more than this and so i would think that n . multi. would be your best choice. what are you going to use for shells? i know some people use those edible shells but in an lfs here ( on my hols ) in spain they have the actual calcite shells for sale , and i must say these look quite lovely - and have the benefit of helping to create the right water parameters.

 

[theamazingmaise]

I would like to use neothauma shells which are the shells they live in in the wild or something like them, but those calcite shells sound cool.

 

[furryrabbit]

I would like to use neothauma shells which are the shells they live in in the wild or something like them, but those calcite shells sound cool.

im quite sure you are referring to the same thing . in the wild the shells are preserved by calcification - hence the name calcite shells

 

[theamazingmaise]

im quite sure you are referring to the same thing . in the wild the shells are preserved by calcification - hence the name calcite shells
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Oh wow my bad. I heard that limestone rocks make the water harder is this true? if so i going to get some.

 

[furryrabbit]

im quite sure you are referring to the same thing . in the wild the shells are preserved by calcification - hence the name calcite shells

Oh wow my bad. I heard that limestone rocks make the water harder is this true? if so i going to get some.
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yep indeed it does - however , you wont need too many (or any) considering the neothauma shells do the same thing

 

[Griz]

I would definitely go with multifasciatus in a 10 gal. They are the smallest of the shellies and tend to tolerate each other much better than any of the ocellatus . Second choice would be similis.

Limestone rocks will tend to raise hardness and pH but don't expect too much of a change.

Escargots are a great alternative to neothauma shells. They are very similar in size and shape to the native neothauma which can be VERY expensive. The escargots are also delicious! For similis or multifasciatus you will want lots of shells; several per fish. Shells will also tend to reaise hardness and pH but again, don't expect too much.

I encourage you to get into shellies, they are a fascinating little fish.

 

[furryrabbit]

Escargots are a great alternative to neothauma shells. They are very similar in size and shape to the native neothauma which can be VERY expensive. The escargots are also delicious! For similis or multifasciatus you will want lots of shells; several per fish. Shells will also tend to reaise hardness and pH but again, don't expect too much.

where i am < in spain > they are E20 for 8 shells

 

[Snowie]

I keep similis and they love escargot shells, at least they have produced a lot of fry.

I agree with Griz go with multis, ocellatus can be super agressive towards each other. And in small tank the weaker one won't be able to flee.

 

[theamazingmaise]

Alright i think i'll go with ethier the multies or the similis. Do you know of any good websites that might have them incase my lfs doesn't carry them?

 

[theamazingmaise]

Today i got some Texas holey rock (which is limestone) and it is sweet I also bought some shells that look like neothauma shells from my lfs. Do you think 8 shells will be enough?

 

[Griz]

For multis and similis you can't have too many shells. If you start out with a pair or 1m/2f, then 8 will be fine. As you get fry and they begin to mature you will ned to add more but that will take several months. I have 50 in my 15 gal and will continue to add them every so often. (I love escargots! Gives me an excuse to treat myself) The natural environment for these fish is huge shell beds which are very deep. I'll probably stop when the tank is 1/4 full. [Seriously] I have one authentic neothauma and the escargots are nearly identical in size and shape. The real thing is thicker and heavier than escargots and lacks the nice colouration of escargots. Holey rock is a nice touch, it will add some interest to the tank and will also help to buffer the water.

 

[theamazingmaise]

Well the tank is set up!!! . I add the sand and the shells and now all i have to do is wait. How long does it usaully take for the water to clear up from the sand?