Some Questions On Multies

Hello to everyone!

Last June I got 3 multies (Neolamprologus multifasciatus), a male and 2 females.
They became the first population of a used 10 gallon that friends had presented me with at Christmas 2017.
I had chosen them because they were the most affordable (6 euros/6.80 USD each), the smallest, happy in our local tap water (pH 8,5) and most of all because they form colonies, in which all the larger fish care for the newborn.

Now, almost nine months later, the situation is disappointing.
At their arrival the male was about 1.4" and the females some 0.8". Only the male has visibly grown, the females have remained pretty much the same size.
I moved them to my 20 gallon (19 gallons of water). Their only tank mate is a harlequin who is made to dwell in higher waters.
They have the free use of 33 escargot shells and apparently each fish sticks to the same shell all the time.
The male does not seem very interested in the females. These try to lure him into their shells but he does not much more than occasionally chase them away.

It is still too cold for tropical fish to travel - they are 2-3 days underway.
But I am thinking of getting another, hopefully more breeding-happy male, and another 4 females.
- The ground surface of the tank is about 32" x 12": is that enough for 6 females and 2 males? (Perhaps I'd add only 1 male and 2 females, to avoid sudden overpopulation.)
- Are 33 shells sufficient?
Apart from 1 Vallisneria gigantea and two moss balls, it is a moon-like landscape.

Many thanks in avance for any reaction!

 

Try another trio. if the old male starts beating up the new male, remove the old male. This is a very easy fish to breed.When I bought my group I had free swimming fry within 10 days of putting them in they're new tank. 33 shells is plenty.

 

Maybe they are all male/female? I have 1 female 3 males in a 10G.
The female can freely move around the tank, only the males chase each other a bit.
One male and female paired up and have their own group of shells at the front of the tank.
I got 1 baby after the first 2 months and now about 2 months later I'm still waiting to see any more.
I've been slowly removing snails from the tank but I'm not sure if that's the issue.

 

They have the rep of taking care of the group, but I think they're real cannibals.

 

Many thanks for your replies!

View attachment 532250 Try another trio. if the old male starts beating up the new male, remove the old male. This is a very easy fish to breed.When I bought my group I had free swimming fry within 10 days of putting them in they're new tank. 33 shells is plenty.

Beautiful fish. How big are they?

Maybe they are all male/female? I have 1 female 3 males in a 10G.
The female can freely move around the tank, only the males chase each other a bit.
One male and female paired up and have their own group of shells at the front of the tank.
I got 1 baby after the first 2 months and now about 2 months later I'm still waiting to see any more.
I've been slowly removing snails from the tank but I'm not sure if that's the issue.

- I do think they are 1 male and 2 females, as I had ordered online: due to the difference in size and above all the behavior: the two little ones catering to the large one.
- Three males to one female? Does she survive?

They have the rep of taking care of the group, but I think they're real cannibals.

Do you think that they would have eaten their offspring without me noticing it?
But the book (Seriously Fish) says - no copyright infringement intended - that after fertilisation the male plays no further part in care and is no longer welcome in the female’s . The female sits on the shell, covering the entrance and the eggs with her fins. These hatch in around 24 hours, becoming free swimming at around the 6-7 day stage.
I haven't seen any of that and I observe my "kids" for hours every day.

 

In the 10 gallon they would stay in their shells all the time. I hardly ever got to see them and thought they might be ill.

Then I moved them to the 20 gallon and in a couple of hours they had shown more of themselves than in the weeks/months before.
They continue to staying mainly close to the shells, though.

The tank is 16" high. They never came higher than 8" above ground level, until the harlequin arrived in the tank.
Now the male makes sure that the latter remains close to the water surface and in so doing ventures into higher regions.

The pH of 8.5 makes local tap water suitable to few fish, among others black mollies of which I have fond childhood memories.
Would they be good company for my multies, or would you advise against adding them to the 20 gallon tank?

 

Many thanks for your replies!



- I do think they are 1 male and 2 females, as I had ordered online: due to the difference in size and above all the behavior: the two little ones catering to the large one.
- Three males to one female? Does she survive?


.

Yes, she even goes by the other males if food is there.
I think they try to win her over but no luck.
The baby is double+ the size now a month after this pic
I have the frogbit on top and ive seen them moving it by grabbing the roots and swimming

 

Beautiful pictures!
Is that the fry in picture 1, at the edge of the entrance of the shell at the center?
Is its mother larger than 1 inch?

 

Beautiful pictures!
Is that the fry in picture 1, at the edge of the entrance of the shell at the center?
Is its mother larger than 1 inch?

Thanks,yes that's it. I need to take another pic its much bigger now.
The mother is right around 1 inch, all the others seem much larger.