# Can Someone Introduce Me to Shellies?



## jbacker7 (Jul 16, 2008)

Well, I've been wanting to do a shell dwellers tank for a quite a while now but I know absolutely nothing about keeping them or the species. I have a 20 gallon long. Can someone tell me about the care and some species suggestions for my first shell dweller tank? I love the way they look!


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Here is a good article on the most often recommended shellie both for beginners and lots of experienced shellie keepers like these best as well.
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/n ... ciatus.php

The only thing I would add is that multies like more shells than what is shown in this article...a dozen shells for each fish is not too much...they like them so deep there are 2 or more layers of shells.

There are lots of other shellie articles in the same section of the Library as well.


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## 24Tropheus (Jun 21, 2006)

A slight inaccuracy in the article I think is it says multies raise their young in the shells. They lay their eggs in shells but as the young get older they raise them under them or if available a small cave dug under a rock. Or at least mine did.

Can I ask why you recommend giving em so many shells? I like to see a pile but a choice of about two or 3 per fish seems fine to me.


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## jbacker7 (Jul 16, 2008)

Are these fish pretty hard to come by and expensive? It kind of looks that way to me?


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## 24Tropheus (Jun 21, 2006)

Multies are one of the most common tang hobby fish, breeders love em because they are so easy.
Tang keepers love em because their habbits is interesting.
A few even say they are too common to bother with.
Shops can be reluctant to stock em because the price should be so low.
Best to look in hobby circles I think unless you want to go WC (Always a bonus for the hobby to get undiluted lake blood into the hobby population). But if you can find someone who has em locally they are often happy to give (or practically give) away young.

If you could collect I have a few you could have for free. :wink:


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## jbacker7 (Jul 16, 2008)

Haha, thanks for the offer! I've been thinking if I need to I COULD order them online....but I don't know about shipping fish...it kind of worries me....also I think I would like to do multies but I was wondering if I could keep a pair of Julies with them?


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## brian93 (Sep 20, 2007)

it depends on the type of julies.


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## jbacker7 (Jul 16, 2008)

marlieri


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## madzarembski (Jul 3, 2008)

I would say they get to big and for Multi's, although I have not kept them. J Transcriptus may work, though in a 20 long you will probably have a constant border war between them.


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## jbacker7 (Jul 16, 2008)

Ahhh I have the whole territory thing going on right now with my kribs and some other fish that are just getting the snot beat outta them. I'm trying to get away from it and have an aquarium that isn't so violent. I like territorial disputes as its interesting to see the fishs' behavior but this has got to stop..and now im mad about it again..haha.


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## eklikewhoa (Jul 11, 2006)

You know 24T....

I had my colony of multis in a 20L which was a complete shell bed consisting of all Neothaumas and like you they would lay the eggs in the shells but most fry lived at the base of the shell between the shell and substrate.


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## jbacker7 (Jul 16, 2008)

I'm thinking I'd like to have shell dwellers at the bottom...and I'd kinda of like a fish to fill the mid portions of the tank to. I really like the julidochromis are there any I could work with multi's?


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## EmagdniM (Nov 29, 2007)

http://www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/s ... hp?id=1537

Those guys will work just fine with Multies.

I just PM'd you with a good place to get em from, I recently bought 5, got 6 and each one arrived happy and healthy.


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## chapman76 (Jun 30, 2004)

Multies by far are the best. I have 200+ shells in half of a 55g with a group of multies. The fry live under the shells, in the shells, in the rocks on the right of the tank. When you have multiple layers of shells, typically the females and babies live in the bottom while the males patrol the top. At least thats been my experience.


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## jbacker7 (Jul 16, 2008)

So for shell dweller species I have in mind.....

Neolamprologus multifasciatus
Lamprologus stappersi (meleagris)
Telmatochromis brichardi

and I'd still really like to have some Julidochromis in there, specifically regani...

What do you guys think?


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Here is a thread where Fogelhund tells someone that if he wants Regani and a shellie then Telmatochromis would work. *However, the tank was a 90G.* I don't think I would try it in a 20G.
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/phpBB/view ... p?t=182188


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## jtranscriptus (Apr 20, 2004)

I think your tank is to small for more than one species. Multies tend to breed in excess and expand their territory. More than likely you would be okay to add a few dither fish but the Julies are pretty aggressive once they pair up.

FYI J. Regani are the most aggressive, then marleri, then dickfeldi, then transcriptus, then ornatus. There is a direct correlation between size and aggression with these buggers.


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## Multies (Mar 9, 2007)

i find marleiris more aggressive then regani's.
julies arent that aggressive compared to other rockdwellers.


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## patokeefe (Feb 8, 2008)

chapman76 said:


> I have 200+ shells in half of a 55g with a group of multies.


This seems amazing to me. I can't find good shells anywhere. May I ask where you acquired so many shells?


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## bobberly1 (Dec 2, 2006)

Ask at your LFS, mine has 5 gallon buckets full of them that they give away cheap or free.


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