# Shelldwellers: Brevis or Multies?



## 679x (Jul 25, 2016)

I'm planning a new shelldwelling cichlid aquarium but I'm having a hard time deciding between sunspot brevis or Neolamprologus multifasciatus. They'll probably be in a 20 gallon long, but I'm trying to come up with an innovative way to divide it to house non-shelldweller fry in a separate 'chamber' within the same tank. To pull this off I might need a bit bigger of a tank.. not sure yet.

Anyway, the main purpose of this thread is to figure out whether I'll be more successful with sunspot brevis or multies. I'm looking for the most peaceful, easiest-to-breed fish of these two, and the one that has the smallest average territory size so that I can try to divide the tank. (I'm thinking of dividing it in a way that the footprint for the shelldwellers is still as big as possible.) From what I understand, multies are smaller, but in my other thread someone told me that brevis take up less space. If anyone has kept both of these species, or knows enough about the two, some help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.


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## 679x (Jul 25, 2016)

I'm going to have to add Similis to this too... been reading up on them and they seem to be similar to multies (yes I know that's why they're called similis) in terms of behaviour and whatnot, and since they're at my LFS whereas multifasciatus weren't whenever I was there, it makes me believe that there is more demand for similis than there is for multies. Gonna ask my LFS tomorrow which shelldwellers there is demand for, so that I could sell some fish once the colony grows.

The only fish nursery thing I could find was too small and was low quality, which is why I want to make my own. I think what I'll do is I'll get some plastic mesh (like a mini egg crate which I used for under the rocks in my main tank), cut it to the correct size, and use aquarium-safe silicone or glue to attach them to make a 90 degree angle, which I can put in and take out of the tank at any time. Gonna have to work on how to attach it to the tank without actually siliconing it to the glass. I can just get some of those little cichlid stones with the holes in 'em which would allow fry to hide.

I don't want to just use a tank for just shelldwellers and have to get another tank for fry, because I don't have that much space for tanks and I don't want to have more than two tanks, but with a divided tank or one with a nursery it's still one tank which makes it easier.


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## Fogelhund (Dec 3, 2002)

Mixing success is most likely to happen with multifasciatus. Maybe caudopunctatus at the other end?


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## awanderingmoose (Aug 11, 2016)

A 20 long is 30", which should be fine for Brevis + another species. Caudos, Julidochromis Ornatus, or even a pair of altolamps should work.


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## WiTangMan (Aug 2, 2016)

I've successfully spawned Similis and blue isanga occies in the same 40B. One big plant in the middle and shells on the outside. Not recommended maybe but I'm home all day and carefully observe my fish room most of the day. I've also spawned brevis "kitumba" orange belly in every size tank you could image from a 10-125 gal. In my experiences the brevis are the most tolerant of any situation. Super hardy... When I finally parted ways with the group that started as a couple pair, ended up selling more pairs then I could count . I actually still have one of the original pairs in a 125 with a colony of inkfin calvus and a group of Callochromis Kigoma. I've always like the classic mug of the brevis with the neat purple half moon under the eyes. 
Either way all nice fish and given the right aqua scaping will thrive.
Enjoy and happy fishing !


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## 679x (Jul 25, 2016)

This thread is outdated, I've already decided I'm going to get a species-only tank of Multies and fit a DIY breeder box inside to keep fry of other fish, which I mentioned already in this thread. If I knew how to delete a post or prevent further replies, I'd use it here to save everyone a bit of time. Thanks for your responses, though. They're still appreciated


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## Deeda (Oct 12, 2012)

I can close it for you if you would like me to?


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