I wonder if I could....

[destined_love7]

I'll soon be setting up a bigger tank for my puffer/BBGs and I'm already thinking about what I can do with the 10 that they are currently in. I'm thinking shell dwellers, but I'd like more info on them first. Just a few basics like how many I could house in a 10 gallon. Are there any special needs for them? Are there many different species? Do they readily breed? Any info would be greatly appreciated. I'm Googling them as well, but I wanted to get some of your opinions, too.

Thanks
Brandi

[destined_love7]

Anybody? Starting the 9th all the fish at my LFS are going to be half off!

[destined_love7]

Please? lol

[Natosha24]

Well, not a whole lot of help, but I recently decided that I wanted some shellies in my 10 gallon tank. I researched for a couple of weeks and found that many people recommend Multis. They're supposedly the smallest known cichlid. I just got mine yesterday and I've totally fallen in love with them already. I've had people tell me that they will quickly over-populate a 10 gallon tank and I've had others (and also read) say that a 10 will be fine and not get over-populated for a couple of years. I've started with seven. You can see mine Multis and tank setup here: http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=133010.

[destined_love7]

Thanks! Where did you get your shells from?

[jpappy789]

Really any shells should work as long as they can fit in them.

I absoulutley LOVE the look of my escargot shells. You should be able to find them at a grocery store.

Shellies are amazing fish. I second the recommendation for multies ;)

[destined_love7]

Thank you. I'm going to keep doing research before I make up my mind, but i'm really leaning toward the multis.

[Natosha24]

I don't know if you caught it on my thread or not, but I got my Whale's Eye shells from a fellow forum member, JRH. He still has some for sale. Here's his thread: http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=132392.

I'm still toying with the idea of putting a few endlers in the tank to serve as dither fish with my multis. They also seem to be quite compatible with red cherry shrimp and apple snails.

[destined_love7]

They also seem to be quite compatible with red cherry shrimp and apple snails.

Really? They won't eat the shrimp? Cool!

[jrh]

I'd hesitate to recommend shrimp with multis. Let yours get a little older and more territorial and see how it works out. The way you have your shells piled up with plants on the other side, it may end up being ok, but the shrimps may need something a little denser to hide in, like moss or guppy grass.

[Natosha24]

My Multis don't even seem to notice the shrimp. I put 8 shrimp in with them just to see what would happen and all 8 are still in there. I've even noticed a few times that there will be a shrimp and a fish in the shell together paying no mind to each other. However, my Multis are just juveniles so that could be why. Even if that's the case, I'm hoping that from "growing up" with the shrimp they will realize once they're bigger that the shrimp are no harm. We shall see. Here's a picture of my Multis with a RCS: http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee193/xlxCrimsonAngelxlx/Neolamprologus%20Multifasciatus%20Tank/12-03-07_NeolamprologusMultifasc-2.jpg

[destined_love7]

Oh, I don't have it set up for multis yet. Still have to move what I have in there and we don't have any kind of shelldwellers around here so I'll have to order online. I'm just in the planning stage right now. Thanks, though.

[destined_love7]

Great shot, Natosha!