# Opinion on Shellie setup



## Notorious (Jun 6, 2013)

Hey guys I just set up a brand new fish tank(smaller one). Now that I am in school I cannot do the big 125 so I bought a little 29 and I am hoping to stock it with ocellatus gold. I think I have everything I need but I just want to run a couple questions by you guys before I get the fish next week. I have included a picture of the setup as well so tell me what you think.

-29 gallon fish tank
-pool filter sand(about 2-2.5 inches)
-rocks
-whale eye shells(12)
-Ac110
-titanium 300w heater
-nitrate(5ppm)
-ammonia(.25ppm)
-nitrite(0ppm)
-pH(7.4)

So I have an rena filstar xp2 coming tomorrow to put on the tank. I also have a 200w Hydor inline heater coming tomorrow as well so the titanium and ac110 will soon be gone. I still have a lot of bio media from my old fx5 that I had on my 125 sitting in a 10 gallon with a sponge filter. I am going to put that in the rena so hopefully that solves my ammonia problem. I am also concerned about the pH. I have kept lake Malawi cichlids in the past and they did fine but I have read that Tangs are more sensitive to water parameters and come from a higher pH. Should I bother buffering the water or will the fish be fine in my pH? Also is a dozen shells enough? I know occies don't use a lot like multies. I plan on buying 6 fish and letting them sort out the ratios. Hoping for 2 pairs but I realize I will most likely get a trio which is fine. i chose gold occeis for their color, unique behavior, fast growth(relative to say strappersi(sp?)) and their personality and vigor. I am hoping all goes well. I also have java fern coming tomorrow as well to help break up the territories a bit and reduce nitrate of corse.

Oh yea.. and there are a quad of mollies in there as well as a single convict and java moss to make sure things are good. The mollies I am hoping to keep long term with the occies and the convict will be given away in time.

Sorry for the long winded post  . Comments, suggestions?


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## TheImperator (Apr 17, 2013)

You can keep your Ocellatus in that pH, but it is preferable for it to be higher, around 8.2, although I believe that Convicts prefer lower pH, and don't know about the mollies. Also, with sand that thick, you will need to vacuum the sand regularly. Otherwise, I can't comment, due to my lack of shell dweller experience, but very nice setup


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## lorax84 (Feb 19, 2013)

I have kept tank bred multies, brevis and stappersi at that ph. Personally I think you are better off leaving the ph than trying to change it and worrying about drops and swings. As far as the setup, it looks good, pool filter sand is easily vacuumed and there should be enough shells for everyone. The mollies should be fine but watch them when you start out. I used to have mollies as dithers in a multi tank and once they spawned my male beat the heck out of them.


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## Notorious (Jun 6, 2013)

Thanks for the quick responses guys. Pool filter sand as mentioned is super easy to clean since any debris sits on top of it. I never vacuum my sand because I usually don't have too. Debris is kicked into the water column by the cichlids or the current and sucked into the filter. As far as pH I have always believed that stability is better than accuracy but I have never kept tangs before so I wanted to double check. I think I will leave it as is. Convicts and mollies both live in fairly high pH in the wild but are adaptable and like mentioned the convict is not a permanent resident so I am not too concerned about him. The mollies are an experiment. How big was your tank that you had the multi colony in? I am hoping the height of the 29 will give the golds and mollies enough room to co-mingle.


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## lorax84 (Feb 19, 2013)

I think you missing TheImperator's point about the sand. With sand that thick you either have to either vacuum regularly, or stir it once a month to prevent it from becoming anaerobic and giving off toxic gases. I also use pool filter sand and I personally find that it acts more like gravel than sand, I rarely if ever vacuumed with play sand but with the pool filter sand I find it is necessary. Maybe it is just me.

As far as my multi tank, it was a 20H with 1m and 3F. The male was extremely aggressive to any non-multi I tried in the tank after he killed the mollies and a small bristlenose pleco I gave up and it was a species tank.


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## TheImperator (Apr 17, 2013)

> With sand that thick you either have to either vacuum regularly, or stir it once a month to prevent it from becoming anaerobic and giving off toxic gases.


Exactly


> pH I have always believed that stability is better than accuracy


That is also true


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## Notorious (Jun 6, 2013)

I guess that is a good point but stirring the sand really isn't much of a chore and really any sand needs to be stirred occasionally. I was thinking the cichlids would move sand enough to help that process but I have no problem doing it myself. Or I have thought about buying some Malaysian trumpet snails to do the job. IDk maybe we have different pool filter sands? I have never actively vacuumed the stuff like you would gravel. Just kind of skimmed the top. But sand maintenance really does not present much of a problem I have been using it for a couple years now so I know how to keep it clean.

I have no problem giving the tank to the gold's if it comes to that. If all other things look to be in order I am going to order the gold's for delivery early next week.


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## Notorious (Jun 6, 2013)

The new filter and heater came today as well as the java fern. Everything seems to be working smoothly.


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## 24Tropheus (Jun 21, 2006)

Should be great. Me I would be tempted to add Paracyps too.


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## Notorious (Jun 6, 2013)

Really? I was thinking the tank was too small for paracyps. What species would you recommend and how many?


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## ratbones86 (Jun 29, 2012)

I have paracyps in my tank the "blue neon" nigrippings (isnt spelled right) I would push the shells together and group them up in two sections. That way you can hope to get them to pair off or heriam them. Shells from what *** seen like allot of shells for their own and they want them in a big pile. Might help you out a bit dunno to each their own though.


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## 24Tropheus (Jun 21, 2006)

Notorious said:


> Really? I was thinking the tank was too small for paracyps. What species would you recommend and how many?


Its kind of bourderline long term but while young yep I would try it.
You can always take em out if does not work well for you long term.
They would like a high up overhang to gather under but that could be easily added.

Cyps yep they require room, Paracyps just need to feel secure.
I would a group of 8 juveniles. May get one or two territory holding males and a bunch of females long term.
Caurse if you want young from em you need to strip or use brooding tanks. Any spat in the main tank will get eaten by shellys.
Oh I would try P.nigripinnis as they are by far the cheapest and easiest Paracyp.

All the best James


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## Notorious (Jun 6, 2013)

ratbones86 said:


> I have paracyps in my tank the "blue neon" nigrippings (isnt spelled right) I would push the shells together and group them up in two sections. That way you can hope to get them to pair off or heriam them. Shells from what I've seen like allot of shells for their own and they want them in a big pile. Might help you out a bit dunno to each their own though.


I just kind of thew them in there I figured they would just move them where they like them. I can't really group them into two sections because there are like 4 separate territories in the tank lol. But I guess I could move them closer together.


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## Notorious (Jun 6, 2013)

24Tropheus said:


> Notorious said:
> 
> 
> > Really? I was thinking the tank was too small for paracyps. What species would you recommend and how many?
> ...


I am probably going to upgrade to a 3ft tank anyway a couple years down the road so that would give the paracyps more room. I will defiantly look into them They seem like pretty cool fish.

Update:I just contacted a breeder of golds I should be getting them by Tuesday. I am picking them up from my local UPS store so they will not sit in a truck all day. Very excited :dancing: !


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