Shell dwellers

[DMD123]

I watched the large male attack fish and kill one of the smallest in front of me already.

Of the two new fish I was able to see, I can tell by the stress color on the one it will be taken out. The other one I saw with color had found a shell to retreat to and looked pretty perky. The aggression Im seeing is beyond what Ive dealt with in Central Americans and their pecking order. These little guys are biting and killing the smaller weaker fish.

 

[sir_keith]

I watched the large male attack fish and kill one of the smallest in front of me already.

Of the two new fish I was able to see, I can tell by the stress color on the one it will be taken out. The other one I saw with color had found a shell to retreat to and looked pretty perky. The aggression Im seeing is beyond what Ive dealt with in Central Americans and their pecking order. These little guys are biting and killing the smaller weaker fish.

I'm really surprised that you're seeing this level of aggression in a 36" x 12" tank. It is true that L. ocellatus tend to be more aggressive than the Neolamprologine shell dwellers (N. multifasciatus, N. brevis, etc.), but even so, this level of aggression is unusual. In retrospect, I probably should have tried to talk you out of L. oellatus at the outset, but you seemed set on a shellie that was 'more active' and didn't 'hide all the time.' Both of those traits come at the price of increased intraspecific aggression.

My best guess is the problem stems from trying to add smaller fishes to a tank in which a larger male has already established his territory, which seems to include the entire tank. I wouldn't be surprised if he's just picking off the males, so perhaps you will end up with a small harem. Not a bad result, but this is not a pleasant way to get to that end.

 

[DMD123]

For sure I believe I have the dominant male and one other. The secondary male defends his area and stands up to the big guy. The other two might be female, but not 100% sure. Of the 5 new survivors, Ive only seen one today…

The dominant male is an absolute beast. Saw him kill off one of the small ones and he had bit down on a larger one too. Not just chasing but hard core biting. I didn’t realize they would be so aggressive but I do love how outgoing they are and not as common as some others like the multis.

 

[sir_keith]

You could keep a few of the smaller/less aggressive Neolamprologus (such as N. caudopunctatus) or Julidichromis (such as J. transcriptus Gombe) with 2-3 pairs of shell dwellers. For a tank like this, I'd go with a shell dweller that forms long-term pair bonds, and my favourite among these is Neolamprologus brevis. The Wet Spot has all of these in stock at the moment. I'd totally skip the Synodontis; there's just not enough bottom space to go around. Good luck!

Neolamprologus caudopunctatus-

View attachment 9741

Julidichromis transcriptus Gombe-

View attachment 9742

Neolamprologus brevis-

View attachment 9743

There's always wisdom in hindsight, but I do think my original recommendation of N. brevis was spot-on. Cute, active pairs, with the males about twice as large as the females; even so, they insist on sharing a single shell. Maybe next time...

​

 

[DMD123]

I love the outgoing nature of the Occelatus and even though the big male is a jerk, he also has a ton of personality in that little body, lol. Im happy with the fish but wish I could get a few more in there to get a pair to form.

 

[sir_keith]

I love the outgoing nature of the Occelatus and even though the big male is a jerk, he also has a ton of personality in that little body, lol. Im happy with the fish but wish I could get a few more in there to get a pair to form.

I'm glad you like the L. ocellatus, and hopefully some kind of stable hierarchy will develop in your tank so you can enjoy them without losing fish to aggression.

This wasn't the easiest place to start with Tanganyikans. Sure, some shellies are easy, N. mulitfasciatus being the prime example, but others can be a challenge, as you've discovered. My first Tanganyikans years ago were N. brevis and J. ornatus, and I've been hooked ever since. Tanganyikans as a group are the most diverse of the African cichlids, and in my opinion, the most interesting.

Good luck!

 

[DMD123]

Thanks for all the help along the way @sir_keith. I know the L. ocellatus was not the easiest of fish to start with but I still am amazed at how interactive these little tiny fish are. I am happy with the choice and hopefully will see a nice end result of some fry being produced.

 

[DMD123]

Three survivors in the tank! They look like the biggest of the bunch and now appear to be out and eating so likely will survive. A little chase by the big guy but nothing too aggressive at the moment. Im happy I bought the NLS grow for these smaller fish. Its a .5mm and the smaller fish can eat them easily. I have been using NLS Cichlid 1mm for the bigger fishes and thats worked well.

 

[DMD123]

Fed the shellie group well today with pellets early on the then Hikari frozen spirulina mysis shrimp. The three new additions seem like they are doing well and not getting bullied. Yay!

 

[DMD123]

Im seeing this one getting very interested in this shell

 

[DMD123]

As I was cleaning the filter in the shellies tank I see an itty-bitty head poke out a shell… so their is a fourth survivor but it is just so small… hoping for the best.

 

[DMD123]

Got a pic of the tiny survivor

 

[fishguy1978]

Got a pic of the tiny survivor
View attachment 10497

That one is tiny

 

[DMD123]

That one is tiny

The other two that the dominant male killed where that size. They honestly dont seem 1/2” as advertised more like 3/8” but Im hopeful this one will make it, its smart and hides

 

[sir_keith]

The other two that the dominant male killed where that size. They honestly dont seem 1/2” as advertised more like 3/8” but Im hopeful this one will make it, its smart and hides

I can't believe people sell fishes that small...

 

[Betty]

DMD123, I wonder if adding more of a variety of shell sizes would help those little bitty ones find something better to escape to? That shell has such a large opening.

 

[DMD123]

DMD123, I wonder if adding more of a variety of shell sizes would help those little bitty ones find something better to escape to? That shell has such a large opening.

Great idea Betty! I hadn't thought of that. A great way for the future little ones to find shelter too. I bought Escargot (36) and a Japanese land snail (12) shells and that was it for the moment. I should see if I can find a few smaller shells somewhere.

 

[Betty]

I've never ordered from these sites so can't recommend them, but they carry the shell that I researched when I first started keeping shellies. I see they are still pricey!! It gives you an idea of size and shape of what's in the lake though.

Neothauma Shell group of 6

cichlidsandherps.net

Neothauma tanganyicense Shells

The shell-dwelling cichlids of Lake Tanganyika are some of the most endearing, fascinating fishes in the aquarium hobby. As their name implies, many species of Neolamprologus and Lamprologus dwell in the numerous abandoned shells of the snail, Neothauma tanganyicense which populate the...

tanninaquatics.com

 

[DMD123]

Ive seen the authentic shells for sale and yikes they are expensive! Likely just find some turbo snail type shell that’s smaller and it should work. A bit heavier and bulkier but very affordable in comparison.

 

[lloyd378]

Aquarium paradise has a bucket of shells back by where they keep the used substrate…. I bought a small bag for a few bucks ( I hand picked the shells). I was able to get small, extra small, and medium sized . I bought them for my fry.