Need advice for a shell dweller's tank

[sarah5775]

Well, I have a bunch of guppies and a few mollies in a 29 gallon tank, and I've been meaning to move them into my three new ten gallon tanks and two five gallons once I finish cycling.

I was wondering what to do with the empty 29 gallon. I want to do something completely different from the tetras and livebearers I've had in the past.

After reading quite a bit, and rejecting many possibilities, I think I've decided on the fish I want. I want to set up a colony of Neolamprologus Multifasciatus- shell dwellers.

I have been googling these fish online for the past 3 hours, but I still have some questions.

1. So I know I need to change over to sand in my main tank. I assume that if I go into the lfs and ask for sand they can give me the right kind? and how deep should the sand be? (I can put the gravel from the big tank into the smaller tanks- I bet that will help the cycles in there go even faster, right?)

2. Do I need to recycle the 29 gallon when I change to sand?

3. I don't know anything about cichilds at all. I'm assuming I need to keep track of hardness and pH which I never did before. How do I adjust the pH of my tank and keep it steady with water changes, and do I need to buffer?

4. Exactly how many shells do I need per fish?

5. How many should I start with? I want to leave plenty of room in case (as I hope) they start to breed. I'm thinking maybe starting with five or six? Or would you recommend more or less than that?

6. When/if they do have fry, is culturing brine shrimp an absolute neccessity or can I get away with special powdered food or frozen bbs?

7. Is there anything else I need to know?

I'm planning on ordering shells online from a cichlid breeding site, so I know they will be suitable.

Also, if anyone has experience with these fish, or any idea why this might not work, let me know- oh yeah, for filtration on the 29 gal I have a Aqua Clear 50. Is that ok?

Thanks!

 

[JustOneMore20]

Sorry its so long!!

After reading quite a bit, and rejecting many possibilities, I think I've decided on the fish I want. I want to set up a colony of Neolamprologus Multifasciatus- shell dwellers.

Great choice! They are awesome fish to keep.

I have been googling these fish online for the past 3 hours, but I still have some questions.

1. So I know I need to change over to sand in my main tank. I assume that if I go into the lfs and ask for sand they can give me the right kind? and how deep should the sand be? (I can put the gravel from the big tank into the smaller tanks- I bet that will help the cycles in there go even faster, right?)

Yes. I like Tahition Moon Sand (its black). It didn't make a big cloudy mess in the tank when I put it in (I rinsed it a couple times). Any sand should work though. Some sands cloud the water more than others, but it would clear in a day or 2. I would only have about a inch at most for the sand bed. They like alot of shells and not as much substrate. Some will even dig to the glass. Luckily, mine don't dig alot.

2. Do I need to recycle the 29 gallon when I change to sand?

No, you shouldn't have to. Just keep the filter media wet when you empty the tank. If you can run the filter on another tank while you switch to sand, that would be ideal. There is alot of bacteria in the filter, especially if its been on the tank for awhile.

3. I don't know anything about cichilds at all. I'm assuming I need to keep track of hardness and pH which I never did before. How do I adjust the pH of my tank and keep it steady with water changes, and do I need to buffer?

Not really. Test the pH and hardness now and see where you stand. Shell dwellers live in a high pH and hard water in the wild, but if you can find tank raised Multies, they would adapt easier. If you end up with wild caught ones, then pH and hardness would be more important. I keep my Multies in a pH of around 7.4-7.6 and medium hardness and they breed, so they must be happy.

4. Exactly how many shells do I need per fish?

I would start out with 2-3 per fish. Later you'll need more. I just piled a bunch of shells in my tank so I wouldn't have to worry about adding more later. I think I have around 6 dozen or more. I used whale's eye and shark's eye shells and they seem to be the perfect size.

5. How many should I start with? I want to leave plenty of room in case (as I hope) they start to breed. I'm thinking maybe starting with five or six? Or would you recommend more or less than that?

I would start with 6-7. I started with 6 in a 10g tank and as mine made babies, I moved them to a 29g. Starting with 6-7 in a 29g, you'd have plenty of room for when they breed.

6. When/if they do have fry, is culturing brine shrimp an absolute neccessity or can I get away with special powdered food or frozen bbs?

No, you can use crushed up adult food or if you want, the powder fry food. I have never fed my Multi fry brine shrimp....maybe occasionally frozen bbs, but their staple is crushed up adult food (NLS cichlid pellets, and grow pellets from kensfish.com).

7. Is there anything else I need to know?

I'm planning on ordering shells online from a cichlid breeding site, so I know they will be suitable.

Also, if anyone has experience with these fish, or any idea why this might not work, let me know- oh yeah, for filtration on the 29 gal I have a Aqua Clear 50. Is that ok?

Thanks!

An aquaclear 50 is perfect. They aren't terribly picky about filtration....just put a sponge over the intake if you don't have one already so the fry won't get sucked up. They tend to breed more when the water is fresher, so sometiimes I go 2 weeks between water changes and change about 30%. They aren't messy, so I could probably go longer.

I have a Multi colony in a 29g, like I said above and they have plenty of room and seem to be happy in that size tank. Mine make alot of fry too. If they ever seem crowded I just plan on selling juveniles.