# shellies new home



## pcrawford1044 (Apr 19, 2008)

im moving my 6 multis from a 10 to 29 GALLON HOWMUCH SAND SHOULD I HAVE on the bottom ? and will i disturb them if they have paired up during the process of moving them to other tank ?


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## Multies (Mar 9, 2007)

multies do not pair up and about an inch of sand will do plenty


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## pcrawford1044 (Apr 19, 2008)

please explain they dont pair up? im new to shellies thanks multi


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## gunnerx (Apr 14, 2008)

http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/n ... ciatus.php


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## Rick_Lindsey (Aug 26, 2002)

pcrawford1044 said:


> im moving my 6 multis from a 10 to 29 GALLON HOWMUCH SAND SHOULD I HAVE on the bottom ? and will i disturb them if they have paired up during the process of moving them to other tank ?


Ooh, happy multis! I'm hoping to set up a 29gallon multi tank soon as well. The amount of sand is really personal preference -- how big a pit do you want? . As the article gunner so kindly linked to states, they will dig a pit around/under their shells, clear to the glass! I wouldn't worry about breaking up pairs, since they form colonies rather than bonded pairs. Just be careful of any babies in the move! My babies tended to swim under/between the shells rather than in them, which made cleaning or moving the shellbed a rater interesting affair.

-Rick (the armchair aquarist, who's 29gallon multi tank isn't going to have any sand at all, but that's a different topic  )


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## Rick_Lindsey (Aug 26, 2002)

pcrawford1044 said:


> im moving my 6 multis from a 10 to 29 GALLON HOWMUCH SAND SHOULD I HAVE on the bottom ? and will i disturb them if they have paired up during the process of moving them to other tank ?


Ooh, happy multis! I'm hoping to set up a 29gallon multi tank soon as well. The amount of sand is really personal preference -- how big a pit do you want? . As the article gunner so kindly linked to states, they will dig a pit around/under their shells, clear to the glass! I wouldn't worry about breaking up pairs, since they form colonies rather than bonded pairs. Just be careful of any babies in the move! My babies tended to swim under/between the shells rather than in them, which made cleaning or moving the shellbed a rater interesting affair.

-Rick (the armchair aquarist, who's 29gallon multi tank isn't going to have any sand at all, but that's a different topic  )


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## pcrawford1044 (Apr 19, 2008)

thanks all yea right now in there 10 gallon trhey have amountain of sand that goes half way up the side


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## funkycat (Oct 12, 2007)

Yea i would say about an inch, if you decide on a nice thick layer, just make sure you stir the sand every now and then, because anarobic (i dunno if thats spelt right) bacteria can build up, and produce nitrate gas which forms bubbles under the sand, then sometimes one big nitrate-y bubble comes out and i'm not sure if thats good for the fish


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## webgeek (Jan 12, 2004)

One other sand comment - if you add too much and use a hang-on-back filter, the fish will occasionally dump sand in the intake. I had this problem for a while before I started removing the tops of their little sand mountains every cleaning until it went away. Ended up with about an inch, like others are suggesting.


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## Multies (Mar 9, 2007)

the reason why they dont pair up is because multies create colonies, and males will have harems. the male will breed with more then 1 female in the group.


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