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Hey, I've got an empty 10 gallon sitting around and was thinking about some Africans, anyone got any idea what I could do with this? Even if it's just a pair of something I'm fine with that.

Shelldwellers!

There are three species particularly suited to 10 gals.
Neolamprologus brevis is the best, because it maintains (when in pairs) extremely small territories. You could buy six and let them pair off, then keep one or possibly two pairs in the tank (with two, create some kind of visual boundary), with fry soon to follow.
N. multifasciatus is another lovely species, probably the most commonly available. This colonial fish likes harems which become family groups. It's prolific enough that down the road you'll probably think seriously about upgrading, but a 10 is a great place to start with them and if you're good about water changes it can stay a long-term colony home. Again, buy six and remove extra males.
N. similis is quite "similar" in appearnace to the multi but a little prettier; the flip side of the coin is that it's also a little more moody. A trio would work but a pair is a more likely unit for a 10, and again, there'll be plenty of fry soon enough to make the tank seem all too full of life.

Photos of all three species, including several brevis varieties:
http://www.shelldwellers.com/index.php?board=3

Last edited by LittleMousling at 08-Apr-2005 07:01

-Molly
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Thanks for the great info...I did get the tank all setup today. I ordered some Biospira which I am waiting on. I couldn't find ANY shells at all locally so I ordered some from online. I ordered some Silver mouth Turbo, will these do? Now it's time to figure out which fish I'm actually going to get. I don't plan on doing this until sometime next weekend but still am not to sure.

Yes, turbos work. They're too heavy for the shellies to move, which is too bad, but they have round openings and loose spirals. As long as they're the right size (1-2" diameter) they'll be great choices.
With brevis, you'd want just a handful of shells; this species is so used to having extremely sparse shell availability that they've become the only species that cohabits. And for the same reason, they eject fry from the shell very young.
For multis or similis, you'll want a serious shell-pile - not two or three shells per fish but ten or twenty shells per fish (which won't last long, as both species are very prolific! )

-Molly
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