keeping neolamprologus multifasciatus

[dorvex]

Picking up 8 shellies tomorrow, first time having them so really excited to give it a go.

Cleaned the tank tonight, was previously stocked with fish and plants, now it's pretty bare. Just letting the filter do its thing after messing with the substrate. Plan on adding some rocks and plants tomorrow, along with the shells for them.

Would love to hear from anyone with experience keeping these guys, done my research but always good to get some extra tips.

[fluxon4]

dorvex, what's the tank size and what plants are you planning on adding? Those multi's love digging in the sand, so be prepared for them to get dug up. They're great fun to keep, and they breed readily too. One thing to note, they do prefer hard water - what's your water hardness like?

[dorvex]

I'm thinking java fern will be the main plant, so hopefully they won't get dug up. The tank's 2.5ft for now, but this isn't their forever home - they'll be moving to a 3.5ft tank eventually.

I haven't tested the water yet, but I've had other hard water fish with no major issues. The substrate's got shell grit mixed in to make it a bit harder.

[zenrow]

I'd advise against going overboard with the sand, if you want to see these fun little fish thrive. They're not too fond of it, preferring to shift it away from their shells to rest on a firmer base.

In terms of tank layout, you've got plenty of options. I found covering the entire tank floor with 3-4 layers of shells and no sand worked a treat - lots of fry and hiding places. That being said, if you place the shells at either end of the tank, you might end up with two small colonies, which is also a blast to watch.

[dorvex]

There's a decent layer of sand and grit in the tank, so I'm expecting some bulldozing action. I'm sure the shellies will rearrange things to their liking soon enough.

The tank's all set up now, just waiting for the new inhabitants to arrive. It's got a mix of sand, rocks, wood and java fern, with plenty of shells for them to dig into.

[dorvex]

Still a bit murky, but that'll clear up soon enough.

Not the best photo, daylight and sun reflecting off the glass doesn't help.

[fluxon4]

dorvex, I think that tank's coming along nicely, personally I've got to disagree with zenrow about no sand, got to have some for these guys to dig in, by the way, are you getting any tannins leaching out from that wood in there?

[dorvex]

I'm with you on the sand, can't imagine them not digging to get comfy, just seems like natural behaviour to me.

The wood's been treated so it's not leaching any tannins now - I've got a pond where I age all my new wood, then presoak it before adding it to a tank.

The multis are in and they're already sorting out their shells, what a lovely little fish they are, I'm hooked already. I can see myself setting up more shelldweller tanks in the future.

[fluxon4]

Know the feeling about another shellie tank, been trying to talk myself out of setting up a 2ft gold occies tank but it's not going well, can't imagine the shellies without the sand to dig in all day. Looking forward to seeing some pics when your fish have settled, I'm sure they'll be a handful.

[flarix]

I've had a bit of a rethink with my multis, they really don't get on with the sand, it's a nightmare as they end up burying half the shells. I'm starting to think a couple of layers of shells only would be the way to go, no sand in sight. But, gotta be honest, can't be bothered taking it all out now.