Just beginning to become popular, the shell dwelling cichlids of Lake Tanganyika, Africa are a terrific choice for those who have limited tank space, but want the personality of any other cichlid! No, they're not snails or crustaceans, they're actual fish. Rare in the fish trade, they can demand a somewhat high price, but they are worth every dime! They are in the Neolamprologus and Lamprologus genus. You'll probably not find these little guys in any of your cichlid books, but if you search on the Internet, your chance of finding them are very good. Most of the time you'll have to special order them through breeders; some stores may not even know what they are.

A good set up for shell dwellers would be a minimum 5 gallons (for a pair) and anything larger than that is greatly appreciated! Four are very comfortable in a 10 gallon tank. Shell dwellers are advised to be kept alone, but can be kept just as comfortably in a Tanganyika community tank. As a rule of thumb, there should be about 2 shells per fish. This gives them a chance to chose which shell they want for their comfort level. If you do not have sand as the substrate for these fish, you'll be doing yourself and the fish a great inconvenience. Shell dwellers have a talent of moving their shells and sand to their liking. They can open their bottom jaws to an amazing 90 degree angle. They position themselves on the shell, and with a great deal of movement, they move the shell into their desired position. Then they plant themselves into the sand and with even more movement, they send a cloud of sand onto the shell, covering it completely. Any sand in the shell is removed. No substrate plants are needed, but floating plants are appreciated for shade. Filtration for shell dwellers should be adequate and provide plenty of biological, mechanical and chemical filtration. A heater of appropriate size and power should be used to keep the temperature at around 75-78 degrees F. A pH of 7.8-8.6 is ideal and a hardness of around 10 dGH. Water changes should be done about once or twice a month. Yes, this sounds cruel and like its not enough to keep any fish healthy, but shell dwellers are very sensitive to changes in their water quality. Many people, including myself, have their shell dwellers spawning healthy broods of fry with only a 40% water change once a month.

These cichlids are said to be the best beginner breeders' African Cichlids. All that is needed is a tank of appropriate size and proper water conditions, about 6 fish and healthy foods. They pair off on their own and are either loyal to each other, or breed in harems ( one male fish and several females ). When pairs are kept together in a separate tank, they stay as a pair and spawn. To trigger spawning, some people do a water change, some feed extra amounts of live foods, some fluctuate the water chemistry (only slightly of course) and some just leave the fish alone. Do not disturb your shell dwellers very often; this can upset them and stop any spawning activity. You can tell that the fish are pairing off if the female stays very close to her shell, and that the male is frequently going into the female's shell. Spawning is usually very secretive. The female seduces the male to her shell by quivering on her side. If she is successful, the male will follow her into her shell where the eggs are laid and fertilized. After the fry have hatched, they are kept in the shell for a while, under close supervision of the female. Many times if you look down into the water or into the shell, you can see the tiny fry peeking out into their new world. The female may keep her offspring in the safety of the shell for up to 5 days. After she lets the fry out, they are ignored. Not eaten nor guarded. I personally prefer to remove the fry into another tank so they can get full nutrition and growth. Typically, one spawning consists of about 25-30 fry. A maximum of about 60 is considered a large accomplishment on the fishes behalf! If the parents are kept healthy, they will breed like clock work. Every three to four weeks, I am greeted with tiny little eyes gazing out of the female's shell.

Males tend to mature at about 2-2.5 inches and females at around 3/4-1 inch. Common strains are: Lamprologus ocellatus, Neolamprologus brevis, Neolamp. multifasciatus, and Neolamp. meleagris. But, of course, the selection of shell dwellers depends on the location. Ask around at your local fish stores and see if there are any breeders with good stock to chose from.

In conclusion, the shell dwelling cichlids of Lake Tanganyika are truly fascinating fish and are well worth the extra mile.