- Care. Neolamprologus multifasciatus may be small, but what they lack in size, they more than make up for in personality!
- Feeding. Foods should be of an appropriately small size. Flake, micropellets, small frozen foods such as daphnia, baby brineshrimp, and cyclops.
- Breeding. It may not be obvious that your Neolamprologus multifasciatus have spawned until fry are seen at the entrance of their shell.
How do I know when my Neolamprologus multifasciatus will spawn?
It may not be obvious that your Neolamprologus multifasciatus have spawned until fry are seen at the entrance of their shell. Sometimes, an early indicator that a pair is getting ready to spawn is an increase in digging activity around the shell.
What is the difference between male and female Neolamprologus multifasciatus?
The males Neolamprologus multifasciatus are larger than females, but there is no other specific sexual difference; the species is. In the aquarium, the fish often remains above a shell and the male above any bran which may have several females.
What are the characteristics of Lamprologus multifasciatus?
Lamprologus multifasciatus : Distribution : Lake Tanganyika, Africa. Sexual Dimorphism : In an established breeding colony, males tend to be larger. Maximum Size : 4cm (1.6”) Water Parameters : Hard, alkaline conditions essential. pH: 8.0-9.0, dH: 15-25 degrees. Temperature : 24-26 deg C (75-79 deg F)

What do you feed Multifasciatus fry?
1:427:21Feeding Tiny Shelldweller Cichlids - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipI think two of those f2s all right well let's give them some baby brine shrimp prepared just forMoreI think two of those f2s all right well let's give them some baby brine shrimp prepared just for this feeding.
What do I feed my neolamprologus?
They will eat similar frozen foods, and will greedily accept frozen bloodworms, brine shrimp, daphnia and blackworms. Neolamprologus brevis can be difficult to sex when they are young, although the males will always be larger than the females.
What do shell dweller cichlids eat?
zooplanktonDiet. Shell dwellers are carnivores that primarily feed on zooplankton and other microscopic and near-microscopic foods. Cichlids' distinctive pharyngeal teeth, in the throat of the fish, are present in shell dwellers, though small.
Can shell dwellers live with other fish?
While they can't be kept with other bottom-dwelling species such as catfish or loaches, shell dwellers get along fine with species that stay at the surface far away from their precious shells. Small livebearers such as Endler guppies or platinum halfbeaks for example would make ideal companions.
How do you keep a Multifasciatus?
2:167:10How to Keep Neolamprologus multifasciatus - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipGround small pellets can work as long as they are small enough and they do have to be quite small I'MoreGround small pellets can work as long as they are small enough and they do have to be quite small I've noticed that one millimetre pellets are really too big for most of the multis.
What can I feed cichlids?
Most African cichlids are omnivores. Feed sinking pellets or flakes as a staple food. Give green food like grocery store spinach occasionally, as many cichlids like green foods. Provide the occasional treat of live or frozen animal food like brine shrimp and bloodworms.
Will shell dwellers eat plants?
9:2911:27How to Set Up a Shell Dweller Fish Tank: Six Different Species Featured!YouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipThey might just go ahead and dig them out so plants may not work we've had like I said some limitedMoreThey might just go ahead and dig them out so plants may not work we've had like I said some limited success with jungle valves on floating plants like horn would have worked.
Do shell dwellers need shells?
1:071:43How to Find Cheap Shells for Your Fish Tank! - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipIn our heart or water with a higher pH. So they last a long time shell dwellers love them we've hadMoreIn our heart or water with a higher pH. So they last a long time shell dwellers love them we've had really good success in breeding shell dwellers using these shells.
What do shell dwellers need?
Size: To just 4.5cm/1.8in. Temperature: 24–26°C/75–79°F. Water: Hard, alkaline: 7.8–9.0pH, hardness 15-25°H. Diet: Daphnia, Cyclops and flake foods work well.
What do you feed multi shell dwellers?
3:058:25Best Fish Food for Our Shell Dweller Cichlids and Other Tropical Fish?YouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipFood we have the yellow tanganyika nugget nugget. And this is actually a pellet. So like uh theMoreFood we have the yellow tanganyika nugget nugget. And this is actually a pellet. So like uh the neolamprolagus multi they're tiny one of the smallest.
Can you keep shrimp with shell dwellers?
Even dwarf sized cichlids like your shell dwellers will relish the shrimp. Keep in mind that crustaceans are their natural food items in the lake.
Are shell dwellers fresh water?
What are Shell Dwellers? In this article, we are focusing on shell dwellers that hail from Lake Tanganyika — the world's second largest freshwater lake that is located in the East African Rift Valley.
How many shell dwellers are in a gallon?
They are some of the smallest cichlids out there, so a 10-gallon tank will be enough for them. The number of shells each fish needs depends on the species, but it's best to keep 2-6 shells for every fish so they can choose what they want.
How do you get shell dwellers to breed?
2:194:26Shell Dweller Care and Breeding Guide - Neolamprologus ... - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipThey're really easy to breed they do it all themselves all you need to do is provide some cleanMoreThey're really easy to breed they do it all themselves all you need to do is provide some clean fresh water some nice high quality food. And they'll do the rest.
How do you breed a gold Ocellatus?
0:067:54Lamprologus ocellatus Breeding and Care - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSo we're going to take a look at them show you how we keep them talk about how we're going to beMoreSo we're going to take a look at them show you how we keep them talk about how we're going to be breeding them so stay tuned. Alright so here you have the gold ocellatus.
What fish live in Lake Tanganyika?
Lake Tanganyika sardineSleek latesTanganyika killifishLake Tanganyika spratBigeye latesTanganyika latesLake Tanganyika/FishThree fish species, Lake Tanganyika Sardine (Limnothrissa miodon), Sleek Lates (Lates stappersii), and Lake Tanganyika Sprat (Stolothrissa tanganicae), constitute the major commercial fisheries.
Origin
Endemic to Lake Tanganyika, where it lives in open sandy areas with large quantities of Neothuma snail shells. The cichlids use these snails are shelter
Sexing
Difficult, but mature males are larger than females. Females are less than 2.5 cm in total length.They are also noticeably more aggressive.
Tank compatibility
Will get along with most fish that are not bottom-dwellers and which will not eat them, unless the tank is the minimum 10 gallon tank. Do not expect them to get along with other shell dweller species unless the tank is very large.
Diet
Carnivores that will eat most food available. Feeding live and frozen foods is an extremely reliable way to get these fish to spawn.
Environment specifics
A harem of one male and three or four females will work well in a 10 gallon tank, but a much larger tank is needed if multiple males are to be kept. The tank should have at least 2 inches of sand and at least 2 shells for every cichlid: the shells should be fairly large, such as escargot shells.
Behaviour
Lives and breeds in snail shells. The fish will move these snail shells to their liking and will do a great deal of digging to accomplish this, so rooted plants may not be the best idea unless they are potted.
Identification
Very small cichlids which live in snail shells. They can easily be confused with neolamprologus similis, but can be distinguished by using their stripes - similis looks like it has light stripes on a dark body, while multifasciatus appears to have dark stripes on a light body.
Care
Neolamprologus multifasciatus may be small, but what they lack in size, they more than make up for in personality! In the wild, a harem of females is served by a single male. His colony will be made up of several small empty Neothauma tanganyicense snail shells, in which he entices females to come and take up residence.
Feeding
Foods should be of an appropriately small size. Flake, micropellets, small frozen foods such as daphnia, baby brineshrimp, and cyclops.
Breeding
It may not be obvious that your Neolamprologus multifasciatus have spawned until fry are seen at the entrance of their shell. Sometimes, an early indicator that a pair is getting ready to spawn is an increase in digging activity around the shell.
What is a shell dweller cichlid?
Shell Dweller Cichlid - Shellies. Shell Dweller Cichlid - Neolamprologus multifasciatus, or for short, Multies are a special type of cichlid for many reasons. The first reason is they are shell-dwellers, or Shellies, which means that they live and breed in shells. In the wild, Shell Dweller Cichlids live on the bottom of Lake Tanganyika in Africa.
How to tell if a fry spawns?
Males will spawn with multiple females. They are egg-layers, but typically you will only tell that a spawn has occurred by seeing the tiny fry. Fry typically do not pick on each other, and parents are protective unless the population gets too big. Feed fry foods, baby brine shrimp, or finely crushed flakes. There should be from 4- 30 fry per spawn.
How big is a multies?
The second special thing about Multies is that they are the smallest cichlid in the world, the male's maximum size is 1.5 to 2 inches, and the female's maximum size is only around .75 to 1 inch long! This means that they are easier to keep in smaller aquariums.
What color do cichlids need?
A popular cichlid that needs a larger aquarium. Really pretty shades of blue depending on the aquarium lighting they are under.
Where does the Afra Cichlid come from?
The Afra Cichlid is a brightly colored mbuna from Lake Malawi Africa.
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Where do cichlids live?
In the wild, Shell Dweller Cichlids live on the bottom of Lake Tanganyika in Africa. They colonize the thousands of Neothauma snail shells and form territories of their own shells and live, sleep, and breed inside these shells.

Habitat
Maintenance
Diet
- Live and frozen varieties should form the bulk of the diet, although dried foods are usually accepted.
Behaviour and Compatibilitytop ↑
- A territorial fish that will defend its shell and the small territory around it vigorously. It can be combined with other species that inhabit other areas within the tank. Good tankmate choices include small rockdwellers such as Neolamprologus brichardi or smaller species of Julidochromis and open water species such as Cyprichromis. If a number of fish are kept, it will form a colony. …
Sexual Dimorphism
- Not easy to sex when young but adult males are considerably larger than females. They also have slightly more intense colouration and a reddish tint to the upper part of the dorsal fin.
Reproduction
- Quite easy. Shell brooder. It may breed in the community tank but if you want to raise a full brood of these, a separate tank should be used. Set it up as suggested above. Provide plenty of snail shells, as the females will lay their eggs in these. Escargot shells are a good choice and can be obtained from most decent delicatessens. Water should be...
Notestop ↑
- This is probably the smallest known cichlid species and exhibits truly fascinating behaviour. The territories it establishes are very small, usually measuring no more than 6″ across, but they are defended vigorously. The tiny fish will even bite hands or fingers that invade their ‘personal space’! Highly recommended to anyone wishing to observe some unique behaviour on a small scale.