# New multi aquarium



## fishybuisness (Apr 3, 2020)

Hello all, I have recently started a 10g aquarium I plan on getting multifasciatus or brevis. I got the normal variety of sand so added crushed coral in a bad behind my filter. I'm working on getting it to the correct parameters for now. How many shellies should I get and does should I display the rocks on the back. Thanks as I'm new to Tanganyikans! Oh I should add I'm working on finding escargot shells.


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## fishybuisness (Apr 3, 2020)

I forgot to add an image,


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Get six unsexed juveniles...in a 10G brevis would likely work better than multifasciatus. Maybe a dozen shells for brevis.


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## sir_keith (Oct 30, 2018)

_N. brevis_ or _N. mutifasciatus_ should work equally well; your choice. You can get the escargot shells on Amazon. Have fun! :fish:


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## fishybuisness (Apr 3, 2020)

Thanks for the replies do rocks on one side work or should it be plain sand? If I were to get the multies would I have to put rocks in between, to stop fighting?


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

A rock or two to please the fishkeeper if you like. Multies like to form a colony so lots of shells in a pile...not all that likely to fight. Brevis like to form pairs and share a shell so trios of shells in clusters with sand between.


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## fishybuisness (Apr 3, 2020)

I think I will get more sand, are there any specific buffers or products I could use to keep the parameters good for the multis, what ph usually is the best for them. mine is 8.6, should I raise it more?


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

pH=8.6 is plenty high for shellies. Better not to adjust water parameters unless absolutely necessary. My tangs are fine with pH=7.8.


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## fishybuisness (Apr 3, 2020)

My water is usually 7.4 without adjustment, do you think that would be okay for them?


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## sir_keith (Oct 30, 2018)

fishybuisness said:


> My water is usually 7.4 without adjustment, do you think that would be okay for them?


Not if you want them to be at their unstressed best. The problem with near-neutral tap water is that it has very little buffering capacity, and any drop in the pH will make _any_ Tanganyikan _very_ unhappy. So if you are adding more gravel, by all means use Aragonite (a buffer that will help maintain a high pH), then gradually adjust the pH upwards using something like SeaChem Tanganyika buffer. I have been keeping Tanganyikans exclusively for ~20 years, and I maintain all my tanks at pH 8.8-9.0. Good luck! :thumb:


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

sir_keith, I have not found aragonite substrate to increase pH or KH over a period of 10 years. Sand and aragonite...same result. I am starting with pH=7.8 and KH=7.

Have you had a different experience with aragonite?


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## sir_keith (Oct 30, 2018)

DJRansome said:


> sir_keith, I have not found aragonite substrate to increase pH or KH over a period of 10 years. Sand and aragonite...same result. I am starting with pH=7.8 and KH=7.
> 
> Have you had a different experience with aragonite?


We've discussed this topic at length in several threads, the most recent of which is here- https://www.cichlid-forum.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=452285&p=3134623#p3134623.

To summarize- Aragonite is not a means to _increase_ the pH of an aqueous solution, it is a means to _buffer_ (_ i. e. stabilize_) an aqueous solution at an alkaline pH. This is particularly important in a small aquarium, in which pH fluctuations can be dramatic (less water = less buffering capacity). More information about the underlying chemistry can be obtained by searching for 'acid-base equilibria.'


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

So if you want a pH higher than 7.4 first you increase it by using an additive like baking soda and then you buffer it with a substrate like aragonite or crushed coral in the filters?


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## sir_keith (Oct 30, 2018)

DJRansome said:


> So if you want a pH higher than 7.4 first you increase it by using an additive like baking soda and then you buffer it with a substrate like aragonite or crushed coral in the filters?


Exactly. In such a tank, the pH will be much more stable over time, as wastes _etc._ accumulate, than in a tank without the aragonite buffer. This is particularly true if you want to maintain a high pH. For my tanks, which are maintained at pH8.8-9.0, I use aragonite as the substrate, rather than in the filters, because then I don't have to change it for many years. It's also pretty (IMO), and just the right consistency for both sandsifters and shellies.


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## fishybuisness (Apr 3, 2020)

I'm actually using crushed coral behind my sponge filter, my dad has exorbitant amounts of it from his old saltwater aquariums. I know argonite sand is better, but it seems to keep the ph stable. I'll try to get some argonite sand if that would help.


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## sir_keith (Oct 30, 2018)

fishybuisness said:


> ...I'll try to get some argonite sand if that would help...


The crushed coral should be fine for your purposes, especially if you already have a supply of it.


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## fishybuisness (Apr 3, 2020)

Hello, this is my set up. I added 20 shells today, they were a bit smaller than I thought but I'm pretty sure they will work, is it too many for the multies. The like to move sand around right, thanks


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## Deeda (Oct 12, 2012)

The shell size looks just fine to me. The sand depth is way too much IMO as it appears over 2" thick.


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## fishybuisness (Apr 3, 2020)

I lowered the sand level 2 or 3 centimetres, would that be okay for them now?


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## Deeda (Oct 12, 2012)

How deep is the sand bed?

I usually keep Multies in 1 inch to 1.5 inch deep substrate or 2.5 cm to 3.8 cm deep.


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## sir_keith (Oct 30, 2018)

This conversation about how much substrate one should have with Multi's is amusing, because the Multi's are going to rearrange the gravel to their liking no matter what you do, and your tank will most likely end up looking like the tanks on the bottom level, shown here-


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## Deeda (Oct 12, 2012)

I do understand that Multies will move a substantial amount of sand around and bury a lot of the shells which is entertaining in itself.

I also find that some Multie keepers complain that they don't like to see huge piles of sand burying shells and feel the need to level out the substrate frequently so they can enjoy seeing the interaction among the fish defending shells and raising fry.

My choice was to reduce the amount of sand and increase the amount of shells so that everyone was happy and could still move the substrate around to their liking without ending up with huge piles of sand obscuring my view.


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## sir_keith (Oct 30, 2018)

I like the pyramids! :lol:


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## fishybuisness (Apr 3, 2020)

The amount of sand I think will be okay, as sir Keith said I like the pyramids as well. Like tiny sand dunes. Thanks for your help


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Deeda said:


> I do understand that Multies will move a substantial amount of sand around and bury a lot of the shells which is entertaining in itself.
> 
> I also find that some Multie keepers complain that they don't like to see huge piles of sand burying shells and feel the need to level out the substrate frequently so they can enjoy seeing the interaction among the fish defending shells and raising fry.
> 
> My choice was to reduce the amount of sand and increase the amount of shells so that everyone was happy and could still move the substrate around to their liking without ending up with huge piles of sand obscuring my view.


Plus one. :thumb:


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## fishybuisness (Apr 3, 2020)

My sand is about 1.7 inches with two rocks in it


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## Deeda (Oct 12, 2012)

Sounds good, the beauty of landscaping tanks vary from person to person.


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## fishybuisness (Apr 3, 2020)

Hey again everyone, about 2 weeks ago I got four multies for the tank, we know that there was at least one pair. I seem to have one male? Almost double the size of everyone else. The tank has been completely rearranged with one fish making large walls around their shells. The big fish lives about 1" inch away from a smaller fish, he looks like he owns the tank. He comes up to the shells of other fish and pecks at them. My 3 small fish all are basically the same size? Can anyone guess their sexes by this post? Thanks for the help! Oh the big fish is at least 2x the size of everyone else.


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