FishProfiles.com Message Forums

Ok I don't even have one yet, but I have been reading up on a few different shellies for the last few days. How did I not know about these guys before??? I'm completely enthralled by their behavior! I'm not sure what to get though. I really like the Brevis because they're small and really like the shells, Caudopunks seem great too because of their showy behavior and semi-shelliness but i'd need a 20g for them, I think. I still like the leleupi but i don't have a 20L so i don't think I could keep an actual pair... I'd really love to observe their breeding habits and behavior though so it is sad, but I do think the leleupi are the prettiest! What to do what to do??? I guess it depends on what I can actually find... I'm starting to think that the fish I saw stuck in a shell at the LFS was a brevis though. I wonder if it's still there...

The pottery that growls!

OK I'm getting a 20g today, and I got a 10g yesterday. Suggestions would be greatly appreciated! I will set up the tanks and let them run with help from my existing tank's gravel and filter media. Weee!

The pottery that growls!

Leleupi's aren't actually true shelldwellers. They usually prefer pots or caves and are similiar in breeding like the brichardi complex. Still, they are quite a nice fish to keep and breed. They do inhabit shells if they are large.

Brevis are quite a nice fish too, and there are quite a few different variaties available. If you are considering Brevis, I would look into different variaties available in your area since there are various attractive strains available out there.

If you like, you could do a pair of leleupi in the 20g and trio of brevis in the 10g.

Thanks for the suggestions! I just might do that... would a trio of brevis be happy? they woudln't need to have two separate pairs or something? I know the Leleupis aren't as shelly as the others, which is why it's so tough to decide. I just think it's a very attractive looking fish! I didn't know there were many different strains of brevis though. I was just looking up different profiles for them and it was mostly general information coming up. I'll have to check out my LFS and see if they have any more shellies!

The pottery that growls!

Brevis are much more pair dwellers from my experience than harem breeders. I had a trio in a 10 and what that meant is I had a pair on one side of the tank and a single fish on the other side. I know some folks have had the male sneak over to the other shell, but the brevis I've kept never did that.

Eric

Yea, from what i've read it sounded more like they liked having a mate. If I can find them, I'll get two pairs if I can! Or should I just get one pair and let them mate and keep a brother and sister... hmmm!

The pottery that growls!

Hi guys..
This is my specialist field if i say so myself...
http://www.petfrd.com/forum/articles.php?action=viewarticle&artid=46 - a very good article on shellies.
And then theres your best basic one that i can find, http://www.petfrd.com/forum/articles.php?action=viewarticle&artid=25 - i wrote that one

Most interesting shellie i kept was a male N. ocellatus, he was an aggression machine, he'd attack anything close to him, gravel vacume the lot...
i kept brevis too, in a pair, but also had a community of 12+fry..
Multifasciatus seem to be the most communal, as do signatus..

Mez truely is the king of shellies.

I've only kept brevis as a trio and not a pair but it worked out fine. I'd say either a trio or pair would be fine. I wouldn't get two pairs in a single ten gallon or the males would quarrel too much.

I'm trying to look at those links but I think the sites are down at the moment or something because they wont load!!!! I had a bit of shocking news too. That 20g tank I bought was actually a 29g!!! Do I have more options now for which shellies to keep? Also, I was wondering if the top area of the tank gets really boring since all of the action would be at the bottom. Could I keep a pair of brevis and a pair of another kind in the 29g? I have a month to figure things out at least because I will not set up this tank until I get back from vacation at the end of the month =} In the meantime, i'm trying to figure out what to do as much as possible so that I am prepared for them!!! Mez... share anything and everything you want to! =D

The pottery that growls!

lol,
with peaceful shellies like brevis i used to keep both altolaprologus calvus and a. compressiceps, also neolamprologus leleuipi and brichardi..i just wouldnt advise anything that goes near the bottom, altolamps tend to live in the rock crevices and the leleupi and brichardi the same, but being a bit more of open water swimmers.
Please bare in mind that i knew the calvus and comps would eat most the fry, but some always survived.
i would more advise a calvus than a comp with shellies in the 29 gallon though as comps are a bit more fiesty.
i also succesfully kept rainbowfish which tend to like alkaline water with shellies. its all about personal prefference and availablility, i even had some laka tanganyikan live FW sponge at one point in my biotank....i miss shellies! And yeah that site is down at the moment...try again tomorrow, it worked when i got the link

Wow, the Calvus is beautiful!!! I don't think i've ever seen one though, so I don't think my lfs would have one. I'll be on the lookout now though! Would leleupi be ok with brevis? Brevis could take a shell area and Leleupi could take rocks or something! Or the calvus could take the rocks if I could find them! Should I just get one pair of each(one shell dwelling pair and one rock cave pair) for the 29g?

Also, should I get crushed coral or sand as a substrate? I was planning on using sand, but I know some say to use coral!

Ok now i'm reading up on ocellatus and they seem incredibly interesting and adorable too! Which is more full of personality, Brevis or Ocellatus? I have no idea what a good combination of fish to get is since there are so many that are fascinating!

The pottery that growls!

i would avoid occelatus...they're like a 2" midas..actually, a 2" midas wouldnt last long with an ocellatus.
if you've got a 29g you dont just want 2 shellies, get about 8, and ask your lfs if you would be ok to bring them maybe a pair back (there will be one or two 'rejects').
If you can get brevis you will be able to get calvus, unless they are locally bred they'll probably all come from the czeck republic anyway, they'll be able to get you some calvus im sure. If not, where in the US are you? i know a few breeders over there...
Leleupi will be fine with shellies, and they will be fine with calvus...all the fish mentioned will make a decent community bar the ocellatus..

Back from vacation now! I can start running the other 29g empty soon I think. If I do Brevis and Calvus, how many of each should I get? Would I be ok just getting a pair of each and letting them fill the tank with their own fry maybe?

Also... would it be ok to keep a trio or pair of platys in there so that the shellies could eat their fry? It'd save me the trouble of having to scoop out babies and watching them get eaten. I'm not sure if I can handle that yet! Having them as residents would cut out the middleman!

Thanks for all the replies so far!

The pottery that growls!