Need help with neolamprologus ocellatus

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spottea

AC Members
Dec 16, 2007
69
0
6
California
So, I've had this female shellie in a 10 gallon tank for a couple of years now. Over time, I gave away or traded for store credit, the males and all the offspring, as there were just too many!
Today, the large ancistrus that was in the tank with her died, so now there is just her. She seems healthy enough, but doesn't care for fancy food like daphnia etc. Whenever I have offered this in the past, I have had to go in the next day and fish out all the wasted food. What a mess!
My question is, can I put any other fish with her eg. A rock dweller ( I have some holey rock). I read, on a shelldweller site, that I can put other fish eg. Loaches in with her. I find this surprising, as I can't imagine her putting up with any interlopers!
Also, I have a surge of tiny snails in the tank, due to my poor ancistrus not eating much lately, and my not noticing.
I haven't been very attentive lately, and truth be told, I'm a bit bored with this tank. But, I'm resolved to try harder, and want to revamp the tank a bit if I can. Thanks!
 

FishFanMan

AC Members
Jun 13, 2013
691
0
16
Naperville, IL
Maybe a 10G is too small to have other fish in it? I have 4 neolamprologus multifasciatus in my 34G community tank and I've observed that they get
territorial about their space around their shells. I'd say any fish that gets within 6 inches will get chased away if they linger around. Interestingly, the one
fish that they don't bother is my bolivian ram. He can get right next to them within an inch of their shells and my multies don't care one bit. Maybe because of the similar color/shape, they thinks it's their own kind? I never see my 4 multies fight amongst themselves but I think I have all females because they are very small and I've not seen any breeding behavior.
 

spottea

AC Members
Dec 16, 2007
69
0
6
California
That's what I thought too. I did put an assassin snail in the tank, so hopefully he will take care of the other snails. So far, so good!
 
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