Woo, Thanks Pfk!

[soybean]

Ok MBOU you've sort of convinced me to keep it... I think the chances of me not keeping it were slim anyway...!

It purely is the access thing that bothers me about them, I just can't see how you're supposed to clean them properly.

But yes I was thinking about sparkling gouramis and a few tiny things in a shoal. Or maybe peacock gobies? Certainly don't want a heavily stocked tank. I may even go for a purely shrimp tank yet. We shall see. I'll probably be waiting weeks for it anyway.

 

[MBOU]

I found the trick was to keep the gravel thin (sand is naff in these tanks as the HOB is powerful enough to shift the sand) but i used micro river gravel:

Nordic 2-4mm
http/www.unipacpet.com/

And not having too much 'touching' the ground, so i used sort of twisted roots vertical in the tank rather than stuff laying accross the base of the tank.

Sumatra or redmoor wood like:

http/www.google.co.uk/imgres?q=sumatra+driftwood&um=1&hl=en&sa=N&biw=1059&bih=607&tbm=isch&tbnid=eIJZ4KwY1VFZKM:&imgrefurl=http/www.planetcatfish.com/forum/viewtopic.php%3Ff%3D2%26t%3D31447&docid=7SfDqbysxXpWWM&imgurl=http/www.asia.ru/images/target/img/product/11/03/89/11038996.jpg&w=1288&h=1507&ei=jTs9T5jmNY34sgbW9vTKBA&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=417&vpy=95&dur=1050&hovh=243&hovw=208&tx=134&ty=105&sig=103349512573384008980&page=2&tbnh=130&tbnw=111&start=15&ndsp=22&ved=0CKgBEK0DMBc

Is nice... in fact.. im sure PFK had a picture of the tank set up on the front of one of their magazines that looked good...

But with wood like that, you can make sure only a few points are on the base of the tank and it still looks good, can always add a mossball or two as well

 

[zuulan]

Congrats!

 

[soybean]

Now here's a little thought. At 46 litres that makes it about 12 US gallons. Would that make it large enough for a few shell dwellers like multifasciatus? Been having a quick read online and folk seem to keep them in a 10 gallon or so quite often. But the design of the ruddy tank worries me again.

I think the base is 40 x 35cm ish, so it's not huge... Wishful thinking probably...

 

[MBOU]

I would for the smaller species of shellies!! Would look epic, though for the sake of keeping tank clean... have you seen the barnacle things knocking about for sale?

http/www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&gs_nf=1&cp=21&gs_id=2l&xhr=t&q=purple+barnacle+shell+cluster&gs_upl=&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&biw=1059&bih=607&wrapid=tljp1329429661068042&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&ei=pnw9T_eAJoWC8gPrzbCrCA

I have one in my marine tank for my sailfin blenny as they kinda live in little gaps like Shellies do! (check my marine journal to see it in photos!).

You could put a couple of those in their and build tank around them, means loads of different houses for them = happier fish

I think maybe 1 male and 3 females would work nicely I have three brevis in a 2cm cube tank atm, not intentional but in a bigger tank they keep trying to kill each other (shop not mine personally). My favourite is Neolamprologus hecquii but they are one of the largest species and too big

 

[Cazgar]

Congrats on winning the tank, but even bigger congrats on getting the all clear from the cancer.
I have an edge with sand substrate & have no problem with the filter swishing it round or sucking it up

 

[soybean]

Ooh I'm getting giddy! I've wanted shellies for ages and it never even occurred to me they might be an option. I LOVE the look of that barnacle thing.

I wouldn't want to get overrun with young too rapidly though, are any shellies better/worse in that respect? I don't really mind which ones I have, I like the look of most of them, just want something very different from my community tank for a change.

 

[MBOU]

Neolamprologus multifasciatus would probably be best for you! 1.5-2" each max.

Dont know about breeding or sexing them too much, obv the males are the better looking but id not want more than one male. They are so territorial.

 

[soybean]

I was thinking multis purely because of the size, but by the sound of it they're multi by name, multi by nature. I would ideally like one male and all females, it's the behavious that fascinates me more than their appearance.

Might check with lfs that I can a) get some from them and b) they'll take any I get overrun with.

Well, that's food for thought anyway, just got to wait for it to arrive now!

 

[soybean]

It arrived about 8am today. It's shiny and black and pretty, but, it looks a ruddy nightmare to maintain, I have no idea what to put in it, and most of all I have nowhere to put it either. Im facing a bit of a moral dilemma. Should I store it for another day, or should I flog it and put it towards a more practical tank in the future (or hey, the rent). I feel bad selling it as it was a prize, like Im depriving someone else of it, but really, who enters these things expecting to win?!