# 75 galllon set up/ equipment ?



## Gordo33 (Oct 15, 2018)

Currently I have an Aqueon 75 HOB modified with sponges and polyfil, a 4" sponge filter and Phosban 150 sand fluidized that has crushed coral . Is this adequate filtration for 6 Mulies , 6 Julidochromis, 6 Altocomps, and 10 Cyprichromis. Julios and comps to be kept each as a pair once established .
How deep should the sand be for the multis? Is there a minimum and maximum depth?
Set up plan is 12-14 inch length for shells.....8-10 inch sand only buffer zone and 24 inch length for holy rock
Thanks


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

I would do more open sand for the cyps. I would not do more than one inch of sand.

What is the total GPH of all your devices? Shoot for 8X to 10X.


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## Gordo33 (Oct 15, 2018)

DJRansome said:


> I would do more open sand for the cyps. I would not do more than one inch of sand.
> 
> What is the total GPH of all your devices? Shoot for 8X to 10X.


What is the minimum length of sand for the shellies ? How much open sand do the cyps need ? Does open sand mean from the edge of the shells to the edge of the rocks ? If there is open sand from the front of the tank to rocks along the back of the tank (6")does that count towards open space for the cyps. Or is it only open space if there is nothing along the sand from front to back.? 
The HOB and fluidized filter produce 7x turnover . Not sure how to rate the sponge filter.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

The occupants of the rocks and the shell bed may feel they own the six inches between their "furniture" and the glass.

What about 16" for each of the 3 habitats...rocks, sand, shells. You have twice as many cyps as any of the other species groups, and they can be delicate.


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## Gordo33 (Oct 15, 2018)

DJRansome said:


> The occupants of the rocks and the shell bed may feel they own the six inches between their "furniture" and the glass.
> ok that makes sense
> 
> What about 16" for each of the 3 habitats...rocks, sand, shells. You have twice as many cyps as any of the other species groups, and they can be delicate
> ...


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Do you want a different shellie...like maybe brevis? They don't need as many shells and two are sufficient.


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## Gordo33 (Oct 15, 2018)

DJRansome said:


> Do you want a different shellie...like maybe brevis? They don't need as many shells and two are sufficient.


I decided on Multies because I like how active they are moving sand , shells and that they form a colony. IS there a shellie that is similar in personality/ behavior that has a smaller foot print?


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

I think 16 inches would be perfect for multifaciatus.


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## Gordo33 (Oct 15, 2018)

DJRansome said:


> I think 16 inches would be perfect for multifaciatus.


Is there a shellie that has similar personality and behavior but requires less space ? From what I read about Brevis is the male and female pair will share a shell therefor needing less shells and space. Are the Brevis as active and fun to watch as the multis?

I just received escargot shells. The package says pre washed and ready for use . Do I need to boil or rinse before adding them to the tank?


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Because there are only 2 the colony behavior is one ring circus instead of three ring circus. They may not be as successful at raising fry in the tank since there are fewer of them to produce large numbers of fry.


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## Deeda (Oct 12, 2012)

Just rinse out the new shells in tap water to make sure there is no gunk stuck deep in the shells, no need to boil.


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## Gordo33 (Oct 15, 2018)

Deeda said:


> Just rinse out the new shells in tap water to make sure there is no gunk stuck deep in the shells, no need to boil.


 :thumb: 
Question shell size. I've read 1 - 1.5 inches . Is that for the shell opening or the entire shell. The escargot shells I purchased are labeled large . I measured the opening and they vary from 0.75 - 1 inch . How many do you recommend for 6 Multies?


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## Deeda (Oct 12, 2012)

Not sure on the size measurement, I've always gotten the large and they work great.

I tend to use 4 -6 shells per fish to give them a choice. They tend to bury unwanted shells but you can always unbury them and move them to other locations.

In the lake, the shells are piled feet deep, some buried, others not.


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## sir_keith (Oct 30, 2018)

You can't have too many shells with Multis, as many of them will get buried, so use as many as you think look good in your tank. There are places in Tanganyika where the entire bottom is confluent with shells.

I have a Multi community in a 40L (48" x 12" footprint) with about 4" of Aragonite substrate and two bags (72 shells) of Roland brand Extra Large escargot shells from Amazon. The Multis have excavated to the bottom of the tank in several places, where the shells accumulate, and they've piled the Aragonite up into 4-5 'pyramids' that are 6-7" tall. The result is that about half of the shells are visible (in the depressions), but the other half are buried (under the pyramids). I think it looks very cool.


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