# How best to set up a 20 gal long for multies?



## tlapin (Sep 29, 2003)

We're just setting up a 20 gal long tank (brand new) to house 7 multies, most if not all of which we think are males. Some are still young. Would it be good to use regular pool sand, or something more specific? How many shells should we use and of what type- and where can we buy those? Any suggestions for rocks and plants? This will be a fairly low-light fluorescent setup. Thanks.


----------



## Hyperion (Dec 2, 2007)

I ended up using pool filter sand for my substrate in my 20 tall and the fish seemed to like diggin/moving it around and it was heavy enough to not get sucked into my filters and such.

Shells: http://cichlidbreeding.com/products.php?cat=10

I use these guys to buy shells from. They shells show up clean and they give you a fair assortment of sizes. I was buying the Gold and Silver Mouth Turbo shells for my multies and well lets just say I started with 6 in Jan 2007 and 3 weeks ago I pulled out 32 not including the 10-15 i sold earlier in the year. The Silver Mouth Turbo shells tend to be a little larger and you will need the bigger shells for the larger males as they barely fit into the smaller ones and cant turn around inside the shell once they dive in head first.

As far as number of shells go, I would at least have one shell per fish to start with, but as the number of fish grew i kept adding shells. I dont really remember how many shells i had in my tank. I would say that a safe rule of thumb is at least one to two shells per fish and if you want the colony to blow up, just start adding in more shells. I ended up with almost a single layer of shells over the entire bottom of the tank.

I didnt really have any rocks in my aquarium, but honestly if they can dig under it and or around it, they will make a home out of it and probably make some babies while they're at it. I had a few plants in mine, but they werent anything fancy. I honestly just went to Pets Mart and got some rather large leafed plants that were already pretty big. I think they were Amazon somethin or other. I tried to add some smaller plants later, but some of my juvie males didnt like the plants killin their view so they kept diggin them up. I think adding med to large live plants helps the appearance of the tank and it gives them something natural to snack on if they get sick of waiting for you to feed them.

Also a :thumb: on the low light idea. I had my lights beaming in full blast for a while and noticed my fish tended to now show their stripes really well. After a while i just tilted my lights so only 50% or so was going into the water and the fish seemed to like it a lot more and they began to show more color.

Hope my huge paragraphs helped and you enjoy your fish.


----------



## tlapin (Sep 29, 2003)

Thanks, Hyperion! This information will be very helpful. We also live in the Raleigh area, and would be interested in any extra multies (assuming yours keep breeding as they have). We have some Aulonocara Jacobfreibergi fry growing out, if you are interested in Peacocks. Thanks again.


----------



## triscuit (May 6, 2005)

Yep: sand and shells. :thumb: I use play sand in several tanks, and more expensive colored sand: it's more about your preference than that of the fish.

I also use the same shell seller, and after not ordering enough shells the first time, I ordered many more than I needed the second. :lol: Seriously, multifaciatus will fill the shells you put in there. For 7 fish, I'd get a minimum of 30 shells to start with. They will bury some, and unbury others as they see fit.


----------



## tlapin (Sep 29, 2003)

This is so helpful- thanks guys. We definitely need so get more shells (we only have one per fish now). Will try the play sand since it's cheap and easy to get. I assume we'll wash it first. It doesn't seem that multies need rocks but we'll probably put a few in (more for the baby peacocks who will be in there).


----------



## exasperatus2002 (Jul 5, 2003)

Great info! :thumb:


----------



## Hyperion (Dec 2, 2007)

tlapin said:


> Thanks, Hyperion! This information will be very helpful. We also live in the Raleigh area, and would be interested in any extra multies (assuming yours keep breeding as they have). We have some Aulonocara Jacobfreibergi fry growing out, if you are interested in Peacocks. Thanks again.


Good to hear that you're in the Raleigh area. If you have a chance, you should stop by the Raleigh Aquarium Society Meeting tomorrow evening @ 7:30 pm on the NCSU Vet School Campus. Here is the link to the web page:

http://www.raleighaquariumsociety.org/links.html

Also my multy colony no longer exists. The least on my apt ended at the beginning of May and I had to move and move again July 1 so I broke down my aquarium and gave all my fish to Tropical Fish World. When i broke down my 20 Gallon i had 6-10 adults and juveniles and somewhere around 25 fry of all different sizes in there happily swimming around. They may still have some up at the shop, i wouldnt know b/c i havent been by to check. Im still mad that i had to break it down.


----------



## tlapin (Sep 29, 2003)

We bought our multies a few weeks ago from Tropical Fish World (they had a tank full). I'll bet they are the ones you brought in. So maybe you can get some from us when you start up again (if we get them breeding).

Our tank is fully set up and we are cycling it now. Hope to have fish in it this weekend.

Maybe we'll come to the meeting tonight.


----------



## Hyperion (Dec 2, 2007)

tlapin said:


> We bought our multies a few weeks ago from Tropical Fish World (they had a tank full). I'll bet they are the ones you brought in. So maybe you can get some from us when you start up again (if we get them breeding).
> 
> Our tank is fully set up and we are cycling it now. Hope to have fish in it this weekend.
> 
> Maybe we'll come to the meeting tonight.


Hahahaha, wow. When i brought them in the guy didnt know what they were and was very hesitant to take them. From what I saw he was very unfamiliar with their popularity in community tanks as well as species tanks. Im glad they found a home though, I miss my tank and I didnt want ot just throw them away.

How many did you buy? If your tank parameters are right and enough shells you shouldnt have any trouble getting them to breed. Soon you might be trying to figure out how to make them stop, lol.

You should go back up there and ask them for some shells. I gave them at least 10-15 shells b/c i thought there might still be fish in them.


----------



## tlapin (Sep 29, 2003)

We actually asked to buy two fish and they gave us two turbo shells (which ended up having seven fish in them). So I guess we got a pretty good deal! We've ordered more shells and the tank is almost ready for the fish. Hopefully they'll breed and you can get some.


----------



## fiupntballr (Jul 7, 2004)

Go to Michaels crafts

you can find assorted baags of shells in which they include everything from turbos to pomacea (apple snails)

You can get a very nice sized bag for 5 to 7 dollars


----------



## fiupntballr (Jul 7, 2004)

Welcome to the raleigh group post!!!
LOL

Im sorry i missed teh meeting i havent been able to make one for several months.. work keeps me going and i had a work function tonight


----------



## tlapin (Sep 29, 2003)

Thanks! My son and I think it's absolutely weird that we bought Hyperion's multies and then connected with him on this board. They'll be in their new home this weekend, and I think they'll be a lot happier with a sand bottom (the other tank has crushed coral). We also missed the fish meeting- maybe next month.


----------



## Hyperion (Dec 2, 2007)

Yea, i missed the meeting on Thursday night too. I got back from work around 645 and still had to eat and shower (I work at a swimming pool and it was eleventy billion degrees outside that day).

If you dont mind me asking, how much are they charging per fish at Tropical Fish World?

My name is Marcus by the way in case we run into one another at a meeting.


----------



## tlapin (Sep 29, 2003)

Hi Marcus. My name is Todd.

I think they were charging $6 per fish. When Monte went to get the two fish we wanted, they all dove into the shells in around a half second (that was funny as ****- we did not expect that). So he let us pick two shells, which had seven fish in them alltogether! I think we'll put them in their new tank today.


----------



## Hyperion (Dec 2, 2007)

Yea, it def took me over an hour and a half to get all those little buggers out. I was trying to catch them out of the shells so that I could show the guys at the shop just what I had and not just a few bags of shells, lol.

They def know what shells are and its crazy how fast they seem to find their way into them when they want to. How are they doing?


----------



## tlapin (Sep 29, 2003)

They seem to be doing very well. We have the peacock fry in with them and the multies have set up a clear DMZ, which no peacock shall cross! Spunky little buggers they are.


----------

