Jkkgron2’s 20-40 gallon shell dweller build

Thanks for the pic. Does the glass reflect the light. I just installed an Eheim and the light reflection is terrible, I suppose "Ok" for a grow out tank but not for my "Main" display. Just received the
Hyggrr
recommended by coralbandit plan on installing by the weekend.

Good Luck!

 

Thanks for the pic. Does the glass reflect the light. I just installed an Eheim and the light reflection is terrible, I suppose "Ok" for a grow out tank but not for my "Main" display. Just received the
Hyggrr
recommended by coralbandit plan on installing by the weekend.

Good Luck!

It reflects the light a bit, but it was built to be reflective. I don’t mind it, and the light reflection isn’t that bad.

 

Thanks for the pic. Does the glass reflect the light. I just installed an Eheim and the light reflection is terrible, I suppose "Ok" for a grow out tank but not for my "Main" display. Just received the
Hyggrr
recommended by coralbandit plan on installing by the weekend.

Good Luck!

I leave the black plastic guard on my heaters. It makes them look a little less obtrusive.
Well, I have black backgrounds though, so maybe it just works for me.
The Eheim 300 is a long son of a gun though. Too long for the sump, which is irritating.

 

The shell dwellers are all doing great! At first I was freaking out cause I noticed they were fighting a lot, but turns out the little guy that kept hiding was just having a hard time being accepted into the colony/group, but thankfully he’s now fine and out and about! They’re all doing well, and I’ve noticed some have been digging and burying shells, so that’s interesting. No pics for today though, they’re too fast and are camera shy. The plants aren’t doing great, but I’m hoping it’s just the normal melt and they come back. Thankfully the fish don’t seem to care, so I guess it’s not a big issue. Does anyone know what age they’ll start to breed? I’m trying to figure out if I’m seeing breeding behavior, or not.

 

Well, kind of a bad update. I woke up today to a million hydra, and I have no clue how to fix it. They all just appeared overnight, although now that I think about it I might’ve seen one or two on the plants. What can I do to remove the hydra? I’d prefer not to use any chemicals, and it’s only on the glass. Can I just wipe it off really well, during a water change so it doesn’t spread?

 

Yes, they probably hitch-hiked on the plants. That's why I QT plants. I had an infestation in a shrimp tank years ago. I think I was overfeeding, anyway added a few Mystery snails and I stopped feeding the tank and they eventually went away.

Good Luck!

 

Yes, they probably hitch-hiked on the plants. That's why I QT plants. I had an infestation in a shrimp tank years ago. I think I was overfeeding, anyway added a few Mystery snails and I stopped feeding the tank and they eventually went away.

Good Luck!

I’ve recently been feeding bug bites, which are small enough the hydra might be able to eat them so I’ll switch back to a different food. I’ll also look into some mystery snails. Thanks!

 

BABY FISH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yes!!!! I woke up today and I noticed some weird Moving stuff on the bottom of the tank. After a closer look I realized their babies! Looks like there’s about 50 of them, and I don’t have a clue what to do. What food do I feed them? I have bug bites, which are tiny enough they should be able to eat them. I can also go out and get some hikari first bites!

 

I have a multitude of Red Zebra fry currently in my tank. I'm not doing anything special regarding feeding & they are flourishing. I guess they are eating food crumbs created by the adults.

 

I have a multitude of Red Zebra fry currently in my tank. I'm not doing anything special regarding feeding & they are flourishing. I guess they are eating food crumbs created by the adults.

Thanks! I might get the hikari first bites just in case, but I’ll continue feeding a mix of bug bites and omega one pellets!

 

Nice. That's cool that they are already breeding. Sorry if I missed it, but did the wounded one ever heal up? Also, what do you keep them in parameters wise (gh, kh, and ph)?

 

Nice. That's cool that they are already breeding. Sorry if I missed it, but did the wounded one ever heal up? Also, what do you keep them in parameters wise (gh, kh, and ph)?

The wounded one is doing great! I can’t even tell that it was ever hurt . No idea on gh and kh but pH is about 8.2

 

Nice tank! I’d love to do a setup for shell dwellers some day, they’re so cool! Congratulations on the fry!

 

Congrats on the fry!! Seems like shell dwellers breed like guppies so get ready!!

 

Congrats on the fry!! Seems like shell dwellers breed like guppies so get ready!!

Nice tank! I’d love to do a setup for shell dwellers some day, they’re so cool! Congratulations on the fry!

Thanks! Now I just have to figure out what to do with the fry, because I’m pretty sure that tank is going to get cramped really fast lol. At what size would I be able to sell Or give away the fry? Not really looking for money or anything, but I’m not sure how long they can stay in the tank.

 

Do they all hatch at the same time? It looks like I now have double the babies, and they’re now hanging out in a bigger area. Also, is it normal for there to be a lot of aggression? 3/4 pairs are doing fine and I’m seeing the amount of aggression I expected, but the 4th pair is being bullied and are hanging out at the top of the tank. They’ve always been a bit shy, but they’ve never been forced to hang out at the top of the tank before. If that is a issue, then is it best to rehome and mess up the hierarchy of the tank, or let them sort it out?

 

I’ve never kept these fish but I’ve heard they are aggressive. Most will over stock their tanks to spread out the aggression and over filter to make up the difference. With fry I’m guessing the parents are now moving fish out of there way. I think A201 keeps these fish as does jmaldo and a few other members. Hopefully they’ll stop by with more info.

 

I’ve never kept these fish but I’ve heard they are aggressive. Most will over stock their tanks to spread out the aggression and over filter to make up the difference. With fry I’m guessing the parents are now moving fish out of there way. I think A201 keeps these fish as does jmaldo and a few other members. Hopefully they’ll stop by with more info.

I’d say with 8 in a 20 gallon it’s at a good stocking level for that species, maybe a little overstocked, but I plan on upgrading to a 40g in a few months. The parents are being pretty ruthless to any fish that come near. One pair has territory right next to the breeding pair, so they’re getting a lot of the aggression but they seem to be holding their own pretty well. The 3rd pair has taken over an area at the other end of the tank, so I haven’t seen any issues there. But the 4th pair was living right behind the parents/1st pair, so they’ve been kicked out and are now living at the top of the tank.

 

I'm no expert, but I'd say as long as no real damage is being done then it'll be fine.

 

If you remove the fourth pair, the aggressive parents would likely focus their attention on pair #3.
I don't keep Shellies, but like most African Cichlids, at some point the parents will abandon the fry, then it will be open season. Most will be lunch.

 

If you remove the fourth pair, the aggressive parents would likely focus their attention on pair #3.
I don't keep Shellies, but like most African Cichlids, at some point the parents will abandon the fry, then it will be open season. Most will be lunch.

I’ll keep the 4th pair in there then. I’m hoping to raise up a few of the fry. Any recommendations on how to keep them alive and any idea how long it’ll be before the fry are abandoned?

 

As long as there is plenty of hardscape a few might survive.
Regarding parenting, It depends on the species.
My male Red Zebra defended the nest for about two weeks. 99% of the fry ended up lunch. There is still at least a dozen fry growing & living well in the hardscape.

 

As long as there is plenty of hardscape a few might survive.
Regarding parenting, It depends on the species.
My male Red Zebra defended the nest for about two weeks. 99% of the fry ended up lunch. There is still at least a dozen fry growing & living well in the hardscape.

Are the red zebra fry as tiny as these guys? Unless these guys grow extremely fast, it’s hard to imagine any of them making it at only two weeks old. Maybe I’ll get a breeder box for a short term solution. Eventually I’ll have to get a grow out tank.

 

Here's pics of a couple of fry. The larger one is probably 5 or 6 weeks. The tiny one in the dark hole is 2 weeks.
Don't be in a big hurry to buy a breeder box. Once African Cichlids get in a breeding rhythm they are like breeding Convict Cichlids. Very prolific.

 

Here's pics of a couple of fry. The larger one is probably 5 or 6 weeks. The tiny one in the dark hole is 2 weeks.
Don't be in a big hurry to buy a breeder box. Once African Cichlids get in a breeding rhythm they are like breeding Convict Cichlids. Very prolific.View attachment 754819View attachment 754820

It’s bigger than I thought! I know there’s a size difference between the two species, but I thought they’d be smaller at 2 weeks. Not sure if them being a prolific breeder is a good or bad thing lol. I want them to breed but if they’re anything like convicts I’ll be overrun with baby fish. At least these guys are less common, so there’s more demand.

 

Shellies aren't very common in my area & when available are relatively expensive.
Red Zebras are very common & cheap.
I rehomed my male Red Zebra, Kenyis & Socolofi. Just got tired of the heightened aggression and non stop nest digging.

 

Shellies aren't very common in my area & when available are relatively expensive.
Red Zebras are very common & cheap.
I rehomed my male Red Zebra, Kenyis & Socolofi. Just got tired of the heightened aggression and non stop nest digging.

In my area an adult usually sells for $15 and juveniles are usually sold for $10. I just fed the fry for the 3rd time today because I read you need to feed them 3-4 times a day for the first few days. Does that sound good as long as I do water changes every 4 days? I feel bad for the poor parents. It’s such a big spawn and the fry are very eager when I feed them lol.

 

Congrats, on the fry!
Never kept "Shellies" so no help, but sounds like you've gotten some good info.
I am learning right along with you.

Good Luck!

 

The fry are so tiny, it doesn't take much to fulfill their daily nutritional requirements. There is so much varying feeding info out there.
All I can say is my fish are usually fed once daily. That's adults & fry. No special attempt is made to feed the fry, and no attempt is made to save them either. They dart out from the caves & crevices picking off crumbs & pellets. Fun to watch.
Looks like In a few months I'll be trying to rehome quite a few Red Zebra mutts.

 

Now I know why that 4th pair was kicked out. There’s not one spawn, but TWO!!!! I found pair #3 guarding some newly hatched fry!!! They’re barely moving, so I think they just hatched. WOW!! Did not expect this much fry....!

 

Because of the 2nd spawn ive decided to convert my 6.5g quarantine/fry grow out tank to a shell dwellers grow out tank. It definitely won’t be permanent, but should work for a short term solution.

I’m still worried a couple of the baby endlers in there have camallanus worms, so after treating them again and moving them I’ll be restarting the 6.5g , using a new filter, using new seeded media, new water, etc. It won’t be setup for about a week, because I want to do one last treatment on the fish in there before restarting the tank. After that though I’ll start setting up the tank so it’s ready for use when the fry are abandoned by the parents. Should I add shells? I’ll be using hard scape, and a couple moss balls for the tank, but I’m not sure if the young shell dwellers need shells?

 

In the wild Shellie fry probably seek the closest shelter available. Makes no difference, rocks or shells, as long as predators don't get them.

 

In the wild Shellie fry probably seek the closest shelter available. Makes no difference, rocks or shells, as long as predators don't get them.

I have some extra rocks I can use to make shelters. Thanks!

 

Looks like I lost the female from the 4th pair. I was looking at the tank and I only counted 7, so I’m guessing she jumped? I have a dog so if that’s the case I doubt I’ll find her before he gets to her. I kind of expected it, since she’d been hiding behind the filter for a couple days.

Thankfully the hierarchy doesn’t seem to be changed or messed up, but I’ll continue to monitor. The other pairs all have their own territories, so I think that the 4th pair just didn’t have enough space, but now the other pairs hopefully will just stick to their territories.

The good news is all the fry are doing well, and I have all the supplies ready to setup the 6.5g, so once I finish up treating the endlers in there I can move the fry in there right away.

 

Just finished up a water change. All the babies are doing well, and today I’m planning on moving the male from the 4th pair into the 6.5, because he’s gotten to the point where he has to hide behind the filter to escape aggression. Before I move him I do need to know if he would eat all the babies? I’ll be including lots of hides, to help prevent any fighting, but I’m not sure if he’ll eat the babies. If he will then moving him will only be temporary, until I figure out a better plan.

I’ve been feeding twice a day, and it looks like I haven’t lost any fry! Today I’m going to start feeding once a day. The fry are becoming more and more independent, and I doubt the parents will take care of them much longer. Although, I do see the female from pair #1 sleeping with the fry, which is pretty adorable lol.

The male from the 3rd pair looks to have been fighting a bit, because one of his scales is sticking out with a bit of fungus on it. Doesn’t seem to be getting worse, just not better. Hopefully it’ll heal up in a few days.


Here’s a couple (blurry) pics of the babies!

 

Ugh, I lost the male from the 4th pair . I wasn’t able to net him out without removing all the decor, so I ended up leaving him in. At one point he was getting better and braver, but apparently the other fish attacked him overnight and he didn’t make it.

Seems like it really was just a space issue. The three pairs in the tank are all doing well now, and I’m not seeing any major or unexpected aggression. I think the first pair has been stealing (not killing) the fry from the third pair. Weird.. but as long as the fry are still being cared for by a pair it’s fine with me.

The fry have started to get a bit of coloring!! Not much, but I’m seeing a bit of black starting to appear! I set up the grow out tank, but until the fry have been abandoned I’ll be using an endler to keep the cycle going. After they’ve been abandoned I’ll move them to the grow out tank.

Are there any fish that could be in the grow out tank? Specifically other shellie species, and guppies? A aquarium group I’m in is selling some nice ocellatus shellies and some very nice dumbo guppies. Im guessing neither of those fish would work with the babies? If either could, please let me know!

Pic of some babies with the first pair

 

I was going to do a water change before I posted this, but my siphon broke so I can’t really do a water change. I’ve been using a turkey baster to suck up any uneaten food and/or waste. The two breeding pairs seem to be alternating care of the fry? At first I thought I had lost some, but then I realized that the fry from the 3rd pair had just gone over by the 1st pair, and vice versa. What’s weird is the 1st pair and 3rd pair still fight, even though the fry are allowed on both territories?

More of the fry have been getting some darker coloring, but most are still all white/tan. I’m still just feeding them bug bites, but I decided to keep feeding twice a day, since I had noticed a few fry had disappeared once I started feeding once a day.

 

So far so good!!!

These babies are growing FAST! I think the largest is maybe double the size of the ones in the picture from Sunday?

Still no water change yet, but I’m going to do one today. It’ll be a small 30% one, since I’ll have to remove all the water using a container instead of a siphon. I do have a siphon that’s working, but it’s been in my garage for 2 months and it looks really dirty, so I don’t want to use it on the 20 gallon until I’ve tried it out in a tank with hardier fish.

I decided to use the 6.5g as a quarantine for some guppies I’m getting, since the parents are still caring for the babies. I’m thinking of keeping the guppies with the babies, since the guppies prefer the top of the tank, and I’ll be adding in two cups of Java moss to add cover for the babies.

 

Here’s a pic of the grow out/quarantine tank. My LFS will be taking most of the fry next week, so the rest will be moved into the 6.5 until I can rehome them.

 

Urgh. I am so tempted to rehome all the fish currently in my 40 breeder and use it as a grow out tank. The 40B is moderately planted though, and I don’t have another tank to relocate all the plants

Any suggestions on how to catch the fry, I could maybe use a net, but it might damage their tiny fins?


THIS IS INSANE. I found MORE babies!!!! The Second pair is guarding a spawn of fry too... So now I have more babies, and all three pairs are guarding fry!!!