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Thanks! Meleagris are the reason I started keeping shellies, I saw a photo of them on cichlidrecipe.com and had to have them. So really, they're to blame for my eight (eight! When did it become eight?!?) tanks of Tangs.


I hope these photos are an improvement from the first "good" photo I got of them (which I was quite proud of at the time):



I've actually just changed the navigation of my website to incorporate a big meleagris photo as an image map, at [link=http://www.finsout.com]http://www.finsout.com" style="COLOR: #4040FF[/link].[/font]

-Molly
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Actually, multis aren't even the best for small tanks - brevis are. Unlike multis, brevis are definite pair fish that, once paired, maintain very small territories and unlike, say, danios, don't require room for lots of active swimming. I'd rather see a pair of brevis in a 5 gal than Neons or White Clouds, any day.
But the ocellatus group isn't the best choice for a small tank, even a 10 gal. These guys are pretty good proof of that - I upgraded them a week ago to the day and the female's fanning eggs in a shell right now. Quite a change from the drawn-out fights that led to the burial incident.

The dominant male and female acting chummy:


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-Molly
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[font color="#800080"] 7 gallons and here I thought multis were the only ones that could go in small sized tanks. They sure do look happy and I'm sure they love the new tank![/font]

Well, most of the shots with more than one fish, they were fighting. Fighting makes for better pictures, because the fins go up and they darken.

However, now I've moved them into the 20 and the dominant male has taken over the center, I can often snap him just patrolling fins out, and not worry about accidentally making a snuff film, or something.

Here he is, patrolling:



And the new tank, please excuse the pathetic early-stages look:
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-Molly
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They seem to have wonderful personalities! They seem to like each other a lot

guess ill save the idea for a 20L in the future. thanks mouse.

This species isn't very skittish at all. The ocellatus types are pretty active and hard to cow, where, say, N. brevis is a complete scaredy-cat. If I wave my arm right up to the front glass they'll often leap into their shells but they'll be out 30 seconds later.
OTOH, this isn't the best species for a ten gal - multis or similis, both of which are very outgoing once they get settled in, would be a safer bet.

-Molly
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mouse how skittish are these shellies? are they like most cichlids and hide all day when your in the room? im tempted to fire up a 10g for a pair but i allready have a 29g with mbunas that i never see.

At the moment they're in two 7 gallons (and I have another couple in a 10 at home). Today was Get Them a 20 Long day, but, as it turns out, the brand-new Petco three towns away was a replacement for the old local one, not an addition, so I have to take the train out there tomorrow to pick it up.
New shots (always, always with the new shots!)



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Last edited by LittleMousling at 26-Jan-2005 16:13

-Molly
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[font color="#800080"]Those are some pretty fish LittleMousling, and some really cool pics . What size tank are they in [/font]

Context for photo: in a tank without shells, many shellies, especially those in the ocellatus group like these meleagris, will bury themselves in sand for protection. When I remove all the shells from a tank in preparation for bagging or moving fish, I often see this. However, one of my meleagris (stappersi) apparently decided this might help him despite being surrounded by shells!

Disclaimer: no fish were harmed before, during, or after these photos. The meleagris display and chase but never so much as rip a fin. Plus, the spare male's moving out by the end of the weekend.


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Last edited by LittleMousling at 22-Jan-2005 16:07[/font]

-Molly
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Wow

Absolutely love the second set of pics, gorgeous fish

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There is water at the bottom of the ocean

ahh MTS shells arnt to bad. they wont last long either they quickly disolve. my tank was clutter with empty shells after adding 3 yoyos to the tank. about a month and the majority of them have broken down to nothing.

Generally, no. They'll move them away from their shells (and thatk goodness - MTS will eat eggs), but they don't eat them. The empty shells are the result of the tank being left over a long break. I feel a bit bad for the snails but it means they're long since rotted away, and now the shells are helping keep the water nice and calcium-filled. Although I admit they're not the prettiest things in the world - unlike their tankmates.

-Molly
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i see alot of MTS shells around. do they eat them?

Yup, shellies are wonderful in every possible way. I'm really enjoying having these guys on my desk - for one thing, they're my favorite species to photograph.



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-Molly
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lol to funny. nice snap shot mouse, my luck it woulda been over before i got the camera on. ive actually seen my yoyos do this oddly enough but it wasnt because of bickering. it was to get under some driftwood and i guess it didnt realise it was just a root. he came out on the other side looking a bit confused lol.

shelies are so packed with weird things, wish i had the space for a 20L for a colony.

He buried himself. They're quite good at moving sand; this is just another aspect of that. I didn't see this guy bury himself, but the few times I have gotten to see it they more or less shove right in, the way you'd dive into snow.

-Molly
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Wow! How did he get under there?