# Setting up a Shell-Dweller Tank



## clhinds78 (Jul 27, 2012)

I, like many of us, have many extra pieces of aquarium supplies lying around. I've always wanted a shell-dweller tank so i decided it was time to make use of the extra equipment and set one up.

What I Have

100W Aqueon heater
pool filer sand
rocks
escargo shells
plenty of filter media

What I've Ordered
15G all-glass tank and lid off of amazon

What I Need
Filter - still haven't decided what I want to go with here. My initial thought was a HOB, but since I'm going with PFS and I know sand is murder on HOB impellers I'm reconsidering this. I might go with a small canister instead. Any suggestions here would be welcome. I'm thinking of either a small Ehiem classic or a Cascade. 
Lighting - Planning on going with LED. Right now I'm trying to decide weather or not I want to go with the cheaper beamswork fixtures or step up to a Current Sat+. 
Hardscape - Probably just add a couple more large rocks and call it good. 
Plants - Might add in a couple anubias or java fern, but that will be later on down the road. 
Fish - Most likely going with multies. Since I don't have a decent LFS nearby I will probably order these from davesfish.com.

Right now I am waiting on the fish tank to arrive before I can really get anything started. In this thread I will chronicle this build. Stay tuned for updates, pics and maybe even some videos.


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## anthraxx4200 (Aug 16, 2012)

sounds like you have a great idea so far. definitely on the right track with sand and shells. first off id start by getting the plants going first, a little super glue on dry rocks works well for me to really get it on there (just let it cure properly of course) multies LOVE to dig so make sure its a good 1.5-2'' deep of substrate. *** always used cascades and really like the fact that they can eat a little bit of sand without getting plugged up, alas id reccomend a sponge covering for the intake as multie fry will go everywhere. as for the shells id make sure you have like 3-4 minimum per shelly when you first start out. they really seem to prefer small piles of shells where males can take a top shell and intice females into the lower ones. they are a colony breeder so once they settle in and stop trying to steal territory you can expect fry shortly after. i have not seen them do this but many say they have seen older broods helping the newcomers get a leg up. id definitely get at least 8 to start, that way you have a higher chance at more females. just noticed your lighting thing, def get the current sat+. *** had beamswork for a long time and just made the upgrade on a shellie tank i setup, its 10x better and worth every penny. petco should have them discounted online still GOOD LUCK to you, ill definitely be following this thread once you get it all going


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## clhinds78 (Jul 27, 2012)

anthraxx4200 said:


> sounds like you have a great idea so far. definitely on the right track with sand and shells. first off id start by getting the plants going first, a little super glue on dry rocks works well for me to really get it on there (just let it cure properly of course) multies LOVE to dig so make sure its a good 1.5-2'' deep of substrate. I've always used cascades and really like the fact that they can eat a little bit of sand without getting plugged up, alas id reccomend a sponge covering for the intake as multie fry will go everywhere. as for the shells id make sure you have like 3-4 minimum per shelly when you first start out. they really seem to prefer small piles of shells where males can take a top shell and intice females into the lower ones. they are a colony breeder so once they settle in and stop trying to steal territory you can expect fry shortly after. i have not seen them do this but many say they have seen older broods helping the newcomers get a leg up. id definitely get at least 8 to start, that way you have a higher chance at more females. just noticed your lighting thing, def get the current sat+. I've had beamswork for a long time and just made the upgrade on a shellie tank i setup, its 10x better and worth every penny. petco should have them discounted online still GOOD LUCK to you, ill definitely be following this thread once you get it all going


I use super glue a lot to attach plants to rocks. It does work quite well. I'm not 100 percent on plants yet. I would like some, but it's not essential.

An intake spong is a good idea. Think I will go with a cascade canister.

I have about ten shells right now so hopefully that is enough. I'd like colony of 1m/3f.

I've had a few beamsworks too and they are good for the money. The only thing I don't like is that the light seems to be tinted too green on the 6500k. That's why I was thinking of going with the 10k version. I saw a shellie tank with a 10k LED fixture on here and it looked pretty cool. I'll look into the sat+ a little more tho. If I could get a good deal on it I might go for it.


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## anthraxx4200 (Aug 16, 2012)

w/ multies its a colony thing, you MIGHT get one or two fish early on that arent accepted within the group but its honestly unusual. id start with like 8 and then whittle down a cpl extra males as they grow up.


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## clhinds78 (Jul 27, 2012)

Well, I have bad news, the tank arrived with a broken pain of glass. Bummer! Amazon is issuing me a refund. They can't replace the tank because they are out of stock now. Looks like the search for a suitable shell-dwller tank continues!


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## anthraxx4200 (Aug 16, 2012)

oh well, GL searching locally. *** found its all the sweeter the longer it takes you to setup a tank. helps you keep track of what you need/want out of it and have everything 100% ready. GL in whatever you choose. feel free to continue sharing


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## clhinds78 (Jul 27, 2012)

Ya, I'm looking into ordering one from a local pet store right now. She was supposed to call me with a quote tonight and I didn't hear from here, hopefully I do soon.


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## clhinds78 (Jul 27, 2012)

Heard back from the local pet store. She quoted me $50 for a 20L. For the sake of convenience I just went ahead and ordered it. I figured $50 was reasonable for a brand new tank and one that I can walk three blocks and pick up myself!

Tank will be in next week. I will post an update when it arrives and I start setting things up.

Next question is what to get for filtration? I'm thinking an AC50 right now.


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## anthraxx4200 (Aug 16, 2012)

id consider something along the lines of sponge filters. tangs like really clean water that is well oxygenated so maybe even do a sponge w/ the ac50. should be easy enough to setup a small rockpile to cover up the sponge filter.


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## clhinds78 (Jul 27, 2012)

anthraxx4200 said:


> id consider something along the lines of sponge filters. tangs like really clean water that is well oxygenated so maybe even do a sponge w/ the ac50. should be easy enough to setup a small rockpile to cover up the sponge filter.


That's a good thought. I will look into that. The main thing I don't like about sponges is the tubing that goes down to them in the tank. Think I'm going to paint the background black so maybe if i get black tubing it won't look too bad.


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## clhinds78 (Jul 27, 2012)

Well, I know what filter I'm going to usefor sure now. I actually won an AC50 in a contest on youtube! I'll probably pair that with a small sponge as well for added filtration and oxygenation as anthraxx said.


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## clhinds78 (Jul 27, 2012)

PIcked up the tank today!









Tomorrow I will work on cleaning the tank and substrate. The rocks and shells have already been cleaned. I may wait till i get the filter to fill the tank. This will be a somewhat slow build. It will probably be a couple of months before I'm all setup.


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## clhinds78 (Jul 27, 2012)

Fill test time. Going to let this sit overnight and make sure there are no leak before i start putting 30lbs of sand, rock and expensive fish in it!


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## Pinaki_Pal (Aug 22, 2014)

Shell dwellers are my favourite ...... will be looking forward to see more updates on this thread


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## clhinds78 (Jul 27, 2012)

Pinaki_Pal said:


> Shell dwellers are my favourite ...... will be looking forward to see more updates on this thread


I can't wait to have some! Looking for species suggestions. What are some of your favorite shellies and why?


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## Iggy Newcastle (May 15, 2012)

Nice start! Couple months?


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## clhinds78 (Jul 27, 2012)

Iggy Newcastle said:


> Nice start! Couple months?


Ya, just setting it up as I can afford it. Think I may be ready by the ned of september since all I need now is the light and fish. Also, my LFS said he'd have shellies in by then too.


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## clhinds78 (Jul 27, 2012)

Filled the tank and started the cycle today! I put some old media in the filter and through in some rocks and a handful form my old tank.

Right now the tank is sitting on the bar between my kitchen and dining room. Think I'm going to set it up as a room divider and make it viewable from three sides. 









Threw the light from my 75G tank on it just to see how it would look. Can't wait to get this tank its own LED!


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## Iggy Newcastle (May 15, 2012)

I think it looks great. Well done.


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## clhinds78 (Jul 27, 2012)

Iggy Newcastle said:


> I think it looks great. Well done.


And I'm not even done. Plan to add a lot more sand, few more rocks and maybe even a couple live plants.


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## clhinds78 (Jul 27, 2012)

First video of the shell-dweller tank!

http://youtu.be/O0yv58k_rlw?list=UUTd-H ... zaYLWm6-cQ


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## clhinds78 (Jul 27, 2012)

Second video!


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## Als49 (Jul 11, 2014)

Nice! I'm also hooked on shellies and keep a colony of Multies.

Plants work with them. Tie anubias, bucephalandra or java fern to rocks or woods, and they're safe from any diggings.


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## clhinds78 (Jul 27, 2012)

Als49 said:


> Plants work with them. Tie anubias, bucephalandra or java fern to rocks or woods, and they're safe from any diggings.


That was the plan!

Do you keep any other fish with your multies? Looking for some good dither options. Plus I need something to keep the tank cycle until my LFS gets the multies in at the end of september.


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## Deeda (Oct 12, 2012)

I watched both videos, nice job on describing your plans.

I wouldn't add any more sand, especially if you are going with Multies. They just love their shells and you could do lots of shells in that tank along with the rocks you have. They really push the sand around and can make hills 3 or 4 inches high while leaving bare glass visible in sections.


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## clhinds78 (Jul 27, 2012)

Deeda said:


> I watched both videos, nice job on describing your plans.
> 
> I wouldn't add any more sand, especially if you are going with Multies. They just love their shells and you could do lots of shells in that tank along with the rocks you have. They really push the sand around and can make hills 3 or 4 inches high while leaving bare glass visible in sections.


Thanks!

Oops, already added more sand. I think it will be fun to watch them dig and make piles.


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## clhinds78 (Jul 27, 2012)

I've done some work in the tank the last few days. Tuesday I added in some PFS from Menards and man, it really clouded my tank! I rinsed it thoroughly, but it still made a huge mess. As you can see in this pic the tank is still pretty cloudy two days later.









I tied some filter floss to the intake of the AC20 and that has helped quite a bit. Today I added a Maxi-Jet powerhead with some filter floss tied to its intake. Hoping things will be cleared up by saturday.

I also purchased a piece of glass for the top today, but it's just a hair too wide. It still sits on top, it just doesn't lay flat. Hopefully be able to to get that trimmed up soon.

In the above pic the light is an old 10G fixture with two 13W 6500k CFL bulbs in it. As you can see, it's plenty bright. I would just use that fixture, but it's falling apart and it's not symmetrical so it doesn't work well with the room-separator-tank motif.  I plan to purchase a beamswork LED next month for this tank.


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## clhinds78 (Jul 27, 2012)

Third video of the tank:


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## stayfrosty (Mar 31, 2011)

looks awesome I am going to subscribe to this thread, as I am also on a shell dweller tank build. I received 15 free multis from a local breeder and they are in my daughter 10 gallon bow front at the moment. That is their temp home. They will be going into my new 12 gallon long mr aqua. I want to see how yours turns up and maybe you can check mine out as well. Anyway good luck


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## clhinds78 (Jul 27, 2012)

stayfrosty said:


> looks awesome I am going to subscribe to this thread, as I am also on a shell dweller tank build. I received 15 free multis from a local breeder and they are in my daughter 10 gallon bow front at the moment. That is their temp home. They will be going into my new 12 gallon long mr aqua. I want to see how yours turns up and maybe you can check mine out as well. Anyway good luck


Do you have a youtube channel?


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## clhinds78 (Jul 27, 2012)

Added some more rocks to the tank today. Hopefully get some holder fish tomorrow to keep the cycle going until the LFS gets in some shellies.

Here's a view from all three sides of the tank. The water was a little cloudy because I stirred up some sand adding the rocks.

This is the side that faces my living/dining room:









This side faces the walkway between my kitchen and living/dining room:









And this side faces my kitchen/entryway:


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## stayfrosty (Mar 31, 2011)

Tank looks great can you post a pic of where you have the tank set up


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## clhinds78 (Jul 27, 2012)

stayfrosty said:


> Tank looks great can you post a pic of where you have the tank set up


I can try. Better yet, I may post a movie!


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## clhinds78 (Jul 27, 2012)

Added three white skirt tetras to the tank today. This is the best pic I could get of two of them:









Also added a BN pleco but I'll probably never see him again.


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## clhinds78 (Jul 27, 2012)

Latest update of the tank. In this video I show why I set the tank up the way it is and where it's positioned in my apartment.


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## stayfrosty (Mar 31, 2011)

Tank looks great. It's funny im the opposite. I have the fish but not all the pieces to set up the tank


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## clhinds78 (Jul 27, 2012)

stayfrosty said:


> Tank looks great. It's funny im the opposite. I have the fish but not all the pieces to set up the tank


Well, this is my first shellie tank so I don't have any fish yet.


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## clhinds78 (Jul 27, 2012)

Should be getting my shell-dwellers this week! Guy at the LFS is supposed to be picking them up at an auction this week.


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## clhinds78 (Jul 27, 2012)

Well, i have bad news. The guy at my LFS wasn't able to get the shellies. He said the auction went to high. Now I am looking to purchase some online. Any suggestions?


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## Iggy Newcastle (May 15, 2012)

That sucks... PM sent


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## clhinds78 (Jul 27, 2012)

Iggy Newcastle said:
 

> That sucks... PM sent


I know! Now I'll have to pay shipping!

The crazy thing is that he said the shellies went for $20 for a bag of four. That doesn't seem that bad to me. I guess the other bidder really wanted them and was willing to go up so he figured they would probably go pretty high if he kept bidding.


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## clhinds78 (Jul 27, 2012)

Ordered the fish today!

I purchased six brevis sunspot shellies and 6 regani orange julies from Dave's Rare Aquarium Fish. They should be here wednesday! I will post pics then!


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## Iggy Newcastle (May 15, 2012)

I don't think Regani is a good choice in a 20 long. They get fairly large, and are aggressive. From his list I'd definitley go with a Marlieri instead.


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## clhinds78 (Jul 27, 2012)

Iggy Newcastle said:


> I don't think Regani is a good choice in a 20 long. They get fairly large, and are aggressive. From his list I'd definitley go with a Marlieri instead.


Well, I've already made the order and it shipped. If they don't work out hopefully my LFS will take them and maybe give me some credit. My goal is to have a harem of 3-4 brevis and a pair of julies. It would be cramped but I think the regani could work.

I've now set my tank up with a rock pile on the right and a shell bed on the left separated by a large artificial plant. Hoping this will aid in culling aggression.


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## clhinds78 (Jul 27, 2012)

Pics of the new fish!

Lamprologus Brevis Ikola


















Julidochromis regani Kipili ''Yellow''


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