shell dwellers

[abomb]

Hello,
Well im lucky enough to live in a city with lots of awesome fish stores. ONe in particular sells african shell dwellers. The guy said i could have 2-3 pairs of them in a 10 gall. What do you think. He is a really nice and helpful guy. The thing is 3 cost 30 bux are these fish worth that amount of money? are they hard to keep? any ideas would be awesome. i would really like these guys they seem very interesting.

I just found a web site that listed a posible 10 gal set up please critique as i would be very excited if this would work and still be a healthy enviorment.

10 gal tank with slate rock caves///plants///sand or gravel//shells
2-4 shell dwelling Neolamprologus
2-4 Julidochromis

thanks
Adam

[Billsgate]

Adam,

I would suggest you get 1 pair of them for your 10gal and keep it a species tank.
Once they get to breeding, you don't want another pair in there, because they will chase eachother around and beat eachother up to protect the fry.
And with 1 pair if you succesfully breed, you could always give it a go and keep some of the fry and get the rest to your lfs for store credit.

Personnaly i love the minimalistic sight of a sand tank with shells in it. Can be very pretty.

HTH

[abomb]

thanks for you input. What are the best shell dwellers?? i mean that can be placed in a 10 gal (what exact species type) IM going for looks and personality.

I was thinking going sand even though i would be a newbie with sand. I know i should place something over my filter intake. What exactly should i place over it??

going with only one pair would this landscape be ideal???
Sand
2 shells?? (or more shells?)
slate rock landscaping
some small plants

[FawnN]

I would add more shells for them. Other then that, it sounds great.

[Toirtis]

Go Neolamprologus multifasciatus, Neolamprologus brevis, or Neolamprologus pulcher 'daffodil'.

[Menagerie]

I keep multis and ocellatus golds--in different tanks. The multies are the smallest shellie and I started with 4 fry in a 10 gal. Now there are 6 shellies in there. They have great behaviors and are a joy to watch. You will want to provide many shells. I go to a LFS and buy unoccupied snail shells. I boil them and put them in the tank. The O golds are in my gallery. I have a male and three females in a 20 gal, but the submissive female was being picked on, so she lives in another tank.
For the filter intake, I have Aqua Clear sponges on them with an X cut into them. You can see one in my 29 gal BW tank in my gallery. Now that there are lights on the multi tank, I will try to get some pics of them up soon.

[Meredith]

I have also been thinking about setting up a shellie tank. I think those guys are so cute!! And I think I read some of them prefer hard alkaline water?? Any Idea which of those that would be??

[Menagerie]

And I think I read some of them prefer hard alkaline water?? Any Idea which of those that would be??

All from Lake Tang or Malawi. However, most are locally bred, since it is so easy. Therefore, they are used to local water sources.

[Menagerie]

Here is my Multi shellie tank. I could not get a full tank shot--too much reflection. The rock is Texas Holey rock.

[Menagerie]

Here is an O gold.

[peterp]

I think the ocellatus are great. Supposedly they need about 6 sq.in. of sand space each but I don't think the fish knows that. Very territoral.

They have great antics as they move huge amounts of sand, burry shells and even try to steal each others shells.

[Menagerie]

I think the ocellatus are great. Supposedly they need about 6 sq.in. of sand space each but I don't think the fish knows that. Very territoral.

Very, the male I have has basically taken up the entire 20 gal. In the wild, I'm sure they have a ton more room than that.

[FishLover14]

Yeah shelllies are really neat i am goingto buy a 29 for christmas and put a pair in it,

Dan

[Meredith]

I feel a new obsession coming on...