Multies from Aron & Lori

[Ron Sower]

At the last GSAS meeting Aron (and Lori by proxy) brought me a group of very young multi shell dwellers.  (Thank you both for them!)

Well, I put them in a Fluval Edge with some calcium type substrate, and since I didn't have any snail shells, I took Aron's advice and dumped in a dozen 1/2'' plastice plumbing pipe elbows.  I poured in some more water from a pitcher and notice that I'd made a large divit in the sand.  I told myself I'd smooth it out in the morning. 

Morning came and went and I didn't get it smoothed out.  That evening there were mounds of sand and crater-divits all around the tank!!!  These little guys are true excavators!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I've had more fun watching the tiny guys do their thing that I did when I had my Malawis in the 100 gallon.  those guys were adults, but these guys are just babies!!!!

Thanks, Aron, for ''forcing' me into a new species!

[PaulineMi]

Awesome.    Shell dwellers are soooo cute. Definitely entertaining.

[Mugwump]

Aquarium's answer to the beaver....LOL...they sound neat..

[P4Angels2]

What's really funny is I could not figure out for the life of me why Aron wanted these little creatures..and once we got them it was love at first landscape project and now I want to go thru clean up their shells and flatten everything again just to see them change it again

[PaulineMi]

Here's an example of why those of us who have shell dwellers find them entertaining.  These are my spunky little Neolamprologus brevis fry trying to eat live blackworms:

[Mugwump]

Cool...... ....like a tug o war.....

[P4Angels2]

could be like the movie Lady and The Tramp with the spaghetti noodle???

[Mugwump]

could be like the movie Lady and The Tramp with the spaghetti noodle???

[Mugwump]

How long do the 'Multi's' live....what's the best size for a grouping??..best substrate??...foods??

[P4Angels2]

Not sure of the life span of them as when they are ready they seem to jump out of the tank at us.... our substrate now is crushed coral we used to use sand but found that we didn't care for it as well...the really like live baby brine as well as flake foods..fun to use the baby brine and see all of the "newborns" come out of the shells to eat as well.... we started with about 25 of the little critters but seems as though they are breeding a lot worse than rabbits seem to because everyday we see more and more new kids coming out of their shells. When Aron took some to Ron and to the auction the next day it sure didn't seem like we had taken any out. For us they are not just bottom dwelling fish they are in a 55 gal and come up to the top quite a bit to swim around even with the endlers that are in there....

[PaulineMi]

Mine are N. Brevis...similar to multis but they claim a smaller territory. The life span of both is in the five year range. My female is about that age and is looking like she's in her golden years. Her swim bladder is apparently non functional. She is goby-like...hanging out on the bottom but up and about to eat. Bless her little heart.

Being of the cichlid territorial mind set the ones that end up on the floor usually are there due to a charge attack by a dominant male. I've had it happen when the only opening was a spot next to the filter.  Julidochromis marlieri do this also.

A soft substrate allows the shell dwellers to arrange their housing and landscaping to their liking. The parents spawn in their shells and protect their fry. They are very prolific but easy to catch. Stick your hand in the tank and whoosh....they retreat to their shells in a flash.

When population control became necessary I put a pair in a gravel bottom African cichlid tank. When I sold off the Africans I put them back in a sand bottom tank with my inkfin calvus and the two julies who managed to escape a sell off of their parents and siblings.

[Mugwump]

Interesting little creatures....our grandkids would like watching them...

[P4Angels2]

Grandkids would really love watching and seeing the changes that happen all of the time...my dad was amazed at these little critters!!

[Ron Sower]

Guess what!!!!!  LInda was watching the shellies the other day and said there's a baby!  I looked and all I saw was one of the smaller ones I got from the Jemisons.  Then today I was watching them and out pops a teeny one!!! I swear I think this group is too young to breed.....but I guess not!

I have mine in Fluval Edge with small grains of calcium type substrate and plumbing elbows...(did I already say that here?).  They change the tank so much that I've decided to level the substrate, place the elbows evenly throughout, take a photo, and then take a photo about the same time every day for awhile.  It should be fun.  There are 3 bigger fellows (about 3/4'' long) that definitely have claimed the majority of the real estate in there.  I want to see how it all plays out with a landscape change.

Anyone remember their Roman and Greek mythology from jr. high days?  Remember how the mortals used to say the gods just set up situations to ''play'' with them and watch what happens from on high Mt. Olympus??    That's kinda what we do isn't it!!!!

[Mugwump]

cool...time lapse chaos.....I like it...