# Multis Not Spawning



## illingworth56 (Dec 4, 2017)

Hello All

My first post here, so please be gentle. I have a 20 Gallon Long, mature tank with 1 male & 3 female Neolamprologus multifasciatus. I have had them now for about a month, I feed them a mixed diet of flake food, pellets & frozen foods. They have the entire tank to themselves. When I first got them & the tank, they had about 10 shells, they would not come out of their shells. I added a further 24 Empty Escargot shells and they have taken some of them over. But I have yet to see any spawning behavior nor any fry. The Male has a shell all of his own and the three females have shells of their own. One of the females stays around the male while the other two females keep their distance.

Their water is crystal clear, I change about 10-20% twice a week. Only issue is brown algae growing on the glass and it does have some Malaysian Trumpet Snails but not a large population. I have a AquaClear 70 on the lowest flow rate.

I trying to figure out what I am doing wrong as far as the fish are concerned, Not enough space? to many shells? not enough fish? I'm missing something here.


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## Cyphound (Oct 20, 2014)

It might just be that they are not comfortable yet.I've breed all kinds of Shellie in a 20 long so space is not an issue, nor the number of shells What are your water perameters. Saying your water is crystal clear doesn't help us help you.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

I would not think you are doing anything wrong until a year had elapsed with no spawning. Are they already mature enough to spawn?


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## jamesbong (Oct 3, 2017)

A month is not long enough to say that something is wrong. My multis took 4 months before their first spawn. Just continue to give them clean water and lots of food.


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## TimothyHD (Jan 29, 2017)

It took nearly 4 months before my already mature Multies spawned, and then only after I started feeding baby brine due to my caudopunks spawning


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## illingworth56 (Dec 4, 2017)

Thank you for the re-assurance, my water params are 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite and trace nitrates, water changes 20% twice a week. Ph is 7.8 I have hard water out the tap. I'm not sure how to tell if I have mature females but I have a mature male for sure. The previous owner had sold me them as a breeding trio. But I found a 4th. He told me he had spawns before.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Did you know your water will be cleaner with a single 40% weekly water change than 2 20% changes in a week?


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## Cyphound (Oct 20, 2014)

DJRansome said:


> Did you know your water will be cleaner with a single 40% weekly water change than 2 20% changes in a week?


 Agreed.


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## illingworth56 (Dec 4, 2017)

Well looks like I did not have enough patience, I found babies on friday. I also added 4 more multies yesterday & almost have their new tank ready to go


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## Evan566 (Dec 25, 2013)

I've had my multies for about 9 months and no spawning. I *think* a pair might have spawned this week but I have yet to see fry.


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