Shell-Dweller advice needed!

[sinibotia]

Yeah, if your water is fairly soft, aragonite sand is the best choice; I use playsand for literally everything else.

As far the rocks.... I've heard opinions from quite a few people. Some people say you should have nothing but sand and shells. Some people say it makes no difference, and some people say they actually like it and prefer it. A few people on the Shelldweller Forum suggested that they prefer having rocks, so I put stacked some lava rocks in my multi tank as sort of a backdrop.


My results? I think they were kinda right that it's good to have- at least in a 20 high. Here's the thing with my multies- they always stay very close to their shells, which is normal, but in a 20 high this means that the upper half of the tank is almost never occupied. Generally the only time my multies go anywhere near the upper reaches of the tank is if I'm feeding them, or if they're sticking very close to the rocks. So I think they like it; it seems to give them additional security so that they're a little more likely to move around.

I wouldn't set them up as a centerpiece though. Stack them in the back as a backdrop.

 

[Freakgecko91]

The thing is, most shellie species are very prolific. Therefore, most species available are generations removed from the wild...ph and gh aren't as important as it would be with WC tangs...I mean, it's your choice, I'm just saying


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[Fishperson]

Hmmm. Ok. I would feel better with aragonite sand but I think I'll skip on the gH kit.

As far as the rocks, I'm still shopping around but I would make sure they aren't too intrusive. Lace rock is thin, that's why I like it.

I'd like to make some sort of barrier with it so the fish have something substantial to hide behind and not just in their shells.