'discussing shell dwellers'

[Lunoxe]

Hey everyone,

So I finally took the plunge and got three Tang Similis. I'm pretty sure I've got a pair, but the third one's still up in the air.

I've been looking to get into shelldwellers for a while now, but I don't know much about this particular species. I've got some experience with Mbuna, but that's about it.

I've set up a 2ft tank with deep sand, some marine tubo shells, and ocean rock. I know they prefer Escargot shells, but I haven't been able to find them in bulk at a decent price yet.

I'm just letting them settle in for now.

A few questions: What's their favorite food? I've got some frozen cubes with daphnia and New Life Spectrum.

How often do you guys feed them, and how do you do it? I've found it's a bit tricky since they don't really follow the food around.

What's the ideal water flow for them? I've got an internal filter with an adjustable valve.

Can you keep them with other fish or tangs in a 2ft tank?

Also, where did you guys find Escargot shells in bulk?

Thanks for the help. I've been keeping Mbuna for about two years, but I got a bit bored with the same old thing, so I wanted to mix things up with this small tank.

[zenrow]

Congrats on the new additions, Lunoxe.

I've not had the pleasure of keeping Sims, but from what I've gathered, they seem to differ from Multies in their spawning habits - they don't form colonies like Multies do, instead, they'll spawn and then, after a while, 'kick the juvies out'.

For feeding, I'd recommend a good quality flake as a staple, supplemented with the occasional frozen food - just a small amount, considering you've only got three fish. Maybe throw in some spirulina flake once a week; it's supposed to be good for digestion and roughage. Cyclops always seems to be a hit with these guys.

As for flow, I'd turn that filter down a notch - Tangs and shell dwellers aren't too fond of strong currents.

Regarding tank mates, I think the tank might be a bit cramped. I've heard some folks have had success with WCMM, danios, or barbs as dithers, but I'm not sure if that's the best idea. I had a similar-sized tank with six Multies, a Punctatus, and a Julidochromis Dickfeldi; if I were you, I'd look into some of the smaller Julies, but I'm not sure if the tank's big enough for them. You'd need to add a rock section for them, and they might just eat the Sim fry...

[Lunoxe]

Thanks for the advice Sean.

Good to know that they don't colony spawn, I've got a buyer lined up for the babies so that's one less thing to worry about.

I've heard of people using a turkey baster to feed their shellies, have you tried this or know anyone who has?

For a good quality flake, I'm open to suggestions - I've got New Life Spectrum at the moment but I'm always looking for other options.

I've already got spirulina for my other tank, so that's a good tip, thanks.

I've temporarily got some baby bristlenose in with them and I've been feeding them a wafer pellet at night, seems to be working okay.

Has anyone managed to get Escargot shells from Fish and Fits - http://www.fishandfits.co.uk/services/escargot-shells?

[zenrow]

I'm quite fond of Tropical brand - Tanganyika Flake, but it can be a bit tricky to get hold of, when that's the case I usually grab whatever decent flake food I can find at the LFS.

[mizonix]

My experience with my shellies is they love Tetra Prima - it's a sinking food that gives them ample time to spot it in the tank. Initially, they were quite shy, but once they settled in and got familiar with me, they'd swim up to the surface, eager for food whenever I approached the tank.

For frozen foods, I've had great success with brine shrimp and daphnia. I also give them cooked, mushed-up peas. One thing to avoid is those 'hard' wafer-type foods - while they can chomp down on them, they struggle to nibble at smaller bits of food like fish with smaller mouths can. In the wild, they feed on tiny insects and larvae, so they need small, whole foods that are easy to swallow.

I sourced my Escargot shells from eBay - just search for 'Escargot shells for cichlids' and you can get a pack of 15 for a fiver. Although, I've since replaced most of them with some beautiful marine turbo shells I picked up from a quaint little shop in Cardigan Bay, Wales. Not entirely biotypical, but they were just too stunning to resist. Interestingly, I just checked out the 'fish and fits' link, and it's actually the same retailer I bought from on eBay - no issues with them whatsoever.

[dawnride]

I used marine turbo snail shells, specifically the gold-mouthed ones, for my multies a while back. Those shells are way thicker and heavier than the escargots, so they'll definitely last longer in the tank. I'd advise against mixing other species with them in a small tank like yours, especially if you're planning to raise any fry. I've had good results with NLS pellets, feeding my fish either the .5mm Grow or 1mm Cichlid ones once a day.