# 100g Shellie tank



## fishguy1978 (Aug 10, 2018)

Greetings, I am new to the forum but not to fish. I started 14ish years ago with 2 red eared slider turtles and then started reading aquarium books. I was instantly hooked on the idea of planted aquaria which I have done for most of my aquarium keeping. I spent 2 years profesionally in New York city installing and maintaining mostly salt water aquariums for NY Aquarium Maintenance, now Manhatten Aquarium.
Jump to the present. I now reside in the Fircrest, Washington state. I scored a free 100g acrylic off CL and spent several hours buffing scratches. My oldest daughter wanted me to set up an African cichlid tank leaning towards peacocks and malawi cichlids. As Cl would have it, I found someone rehoming 4 N. Multi for free and the tank direction was decided. After reading up on Multie tank mates I began looking for C. Leptosoma with no variant specific needed. I was calling every aquarium store from Portland thru Kirkland looking for these fish. I finally hit the jackpot when I found a local breeder 2hrs away with both Multies and Cyps needing rehoming due to their needed to move. I purchased 12 Cyp and 15 multies, both breeding colonies being a mixed adults and juveniles. Within a week I had a female Cyp holding eggs.


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## The Morning (Nov 22, 2017)

The tank looks great. Any chance of getting some close ups?


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## Deeda (Oct 12, 2012)

Congrats on the tank setup, looks very nice! Also on getting additional Multies and some Cyprichromis.


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## fishguy1978 (Aug 10, 2018)

Dominant Cyp male hasn't stopped doing his shake dance and some of the juve males have started to dance as well.


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## fishguy1978 (Aug 10, 2018)

I HAVE MULTIE FRY!!!!


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## Deeda (Oct 12, 2012)

Congratulations!!!


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## fishguy1978 (Aug 10, 2018)

I thought there were just a couple but they are everywhere. I am more amazed because they have only been in the aquarium for 2 weeks.


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## noddy (Nov 20, 2006)

Very nice. Looks like you might have Cyp. Utinta there. A beautiful non-jumbo cyp.


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## fishguy1978 (Aug 10, 2018)

noddy said:


> Very nice. Looks like you might have Cyp. Utinta there. A beautiful non-jumbo cyp.


From what I have seen online the "Utinta" and the "Kerengi is."look fairly similar. The breeder said I could have some blue tails as well.


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## noddy (Nov 20, 2006)

fishguy1978 said:


> noddy said:
> 
> 
> > Very nice. Looks like you might have Cyp. Utinta there. A beautiful non-jumbo cyp.
> ...


They were sold as "Kerenge"? No need to think they aren't then. Kerenge and Utinta are very similar. I noticed the spot at the rear of the dorsal which I always associate with Utinta. A little research tells me that they both have the dorsal spot. You learn something new every day. :wink: 
My Utinta would spit out blue/yellow and orange tail males.


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## fishguy1978 (Aug 10, 2018)

Comparing pics of "Utinta" and "Kerengi Is." looks like "U" doesn't have the vertical bars that the "K" have?


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

If they were not sold to you with a collection point, I don't think you can ID from appearance.


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## fishguy1978 (Aug 10, 2018)

DJRansome said:


> If they were not sold to you with a collection point, I don't think you can ID from appearance.


They were sold as "Kerengi Is." Being new to Lake T and Cyp's especially I'm just curious and trying to learn the difference between the collection areas.


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## noddy (Nov 20, 2006)

fishguy1978 said:


> Comparing pics of "Utinta" and "Kerengi Is." looks like "U" doesn't have the vertical bars that the "K" have?


Utinta will show bars as well depending on the mood.


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## fishguy1978 (Aug 10, 2018)

The Morning said:


> The tank looks great. Any chance of getting some close ups?


Been a bit since I posted. I just added a video to youtube so I could share more about the tank.


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## fishguy1978 (Aug 10, 2018)

I finally was able to change the sand and get everyone back into the 100g.


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## fishguy1978 (Aug 10, 2018)

I know everyone has been wanting me to post another video so here it is.


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## fishguy1978 (Aug 10, 2018)

Recently moved the Shellie tank into the new fish room.


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## sir_keith (Oct 30, 2018)

I have had several spawns from the Cyps I got from you a few months ago, even though they are not nearly full-grown. Very precocious! =D>

BTW, where are you posting your pics so you can link to them on this forum? There doesn't seem to be a way to just upload images. TIA.


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## Deeda (Oct 12, 2012)

fishguy1978, I don't know how I missed your Dec. video update but watched it today and looking good. Also nice to see your fish room and the Shellies move there!

sir_keith, you need to open Full Editor, scroll down to Upload Attachment, Browse your files and choose what pic on your device you want to add to your post.


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## sir_keith (Oct 30, 2018)

Deeda said:


> ... sir_keith, you need to open Full Editor, scroll down to Upload Attachment, Browse your files and choose what pic on your device you want to add to your post.


Thanks!


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## fishguy1978 (Aug 10, 2018)

Not much to report. Tank continues to run and the shellies continue to multiply.


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## fishguy1978 (Aug 10, 2018)

I have a 55g that I set up to house a Syn. Angelicus into which I introduced a few multies as dithers. I thought that the syn cat would eat the fry and keep the numbers down. Well, she is not doing her job and the numbers are increasing. Could I add a L. Malawi Dimidiochromis Compressiceps? My LFS has some that are 2-3in knowing that they can attain 12in and buffering my tank for L. T. is the upper end of the ph tollerance.


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## sir_keith (Oct 30, 2018)

Many larger fishes don't view tiny Multi fry as worth the bother, but there are quite a few Tanganyikans that will fulfill the fry control function effectively without turning into 12" monsters. Some of these will also coexist with Multi adults in a 55, if that matters to you.

That _S. angelicus_ female has always been very mellow; glad to hear that she is doing well! :thumb:


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## fishguy1978 (Aug 10, 2018)

Well, on Friday I scored a Sumbu dwarf. It's still tiny, about 1/2in. Got to watch it slurp down some frozen blood worms. Gonna be a long haul to get some size on it.


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## fishguy1978 (Aug 10, 2018)

Grabbed a shell with some new multie fry to teach the Sumbu to hunt


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## sir_keith (Oct 30, 2018)

fishguy1978 said:


> Well, on Friday I scored a Sumbu dwarf. It's still tiny, about 1/2in. Got to watch it slurp down some frozen blood worms. Gonna be a long haul to get some size on it.


_Really_ long haul. _Altolamprologus_ grow painfully slowly... :fish:


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## fishguy1978 (Aug 10, 2018)

Added 3 more little Dwarves


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## fishguy1978 (Aug 10, 2018)

sir_keith said:


> fishguy1978 said:
> 
> 
> > Well, on Friday I scored a Sumbu dwarf. It's still tiny, about 1/2in. Got to watch it slurp down some frozen blood worms. Gonna be a long haul to get some size on it.
> ...


I'm having trouble finding any info on growth rate other than "slow." Do you know how long they take to put on size?


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## Deeda (Oct 12, 2012)

Good question and no perfect answer! I found This article where the aquarist bought 1 inch juvies and it was a good year before he saw any breeding activity. No mention on how long it took the resulting fry to reach adulthood.

He mentioned males get around 2 inches and females 1 inch but I've also seen reports these fish can get up to 3 inches for males and 2 inches for female.


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## sir_keith (Oct 30, 2018)

fishguy1978 said:


> ...I'm having trouble finding any info on growth rate other than "slow." Do you know how long they take to put on size?...


Figure a year minimum; from fry more like a year-and-a-half. :fish:


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## fishguy1978 (Aug 10, 2018)

sir_keith said:


> fishguy1978 said:
> 
> 
> > ...I'm having trouble finding any info on growth rate other than "slow." Do you know how long they take to put on size?...
> ...


Thanks, I'll hold you to it and start making tally marks on the calendar .


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## fishguy1978 (Aug 10, 2018)

Sumbu pictures


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## Deeda (Oct 12, 2012)

They are looking good and seem to have settled in well.


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## fishguy1978 (Aug 10, 2018)

Deeda said:


> They are looking good and seem to have settled in well.


I was surprised yesterday when feeding that a couple of them were willing to adventure up to the surface to snag some of the floating pellets. I have one that looks like it would benefit from a term in a sanctuary away from the others.


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