Where do you guys get your Shellies?

**FinalJenemba** · 11-30-2011, 03:59 AM

Just curious as im planning to build a Shell Dweller tank soon. Is there a good online recourse? Or do you have a LFS that carries or orders them for you? Aqua-bid?

**toddnbecka** · 11-30-2011, 05:04 AM

Either from members of the local cichlid club or online. Even w/shipping you'll most likely get a better deal on aquabid than from an lfs, and usually less worries about disease coming with the new arrivals.
What size tank, and which species are you considering?

**genocidex** · 11-30-2011, 05:35 AM

theres actually some one within 40 miles of my house (i think like 32) the specializes in african cichlids. shellies included. prices are a bit more than aquabid but he offers cichlid swapping up to 30 days after purchase just incase there's aggression ect.... he breeds most of them himself but he also takes in fry from his customers for store credit.... great place lol he knows quite a bit about Africans too XD

dispite several trips up there i havent bought any.... but ye... thats where i go for cichlid gazing

**FinalJenemba** · 11-30-2011, 06:44 AM

Originally Posted by toddnbecka

Either from members of the local cichlid club or online. Even w/shipping you'll most likely get a better deal on aquabid than from an lfs, and usually less worries about disease coming with the new arrivals.
What size tank, and which species are you considering?

Yea im leaning towards aquabid too. Its gonna be a 10g, my Fiddler tank turned out to be the most god awful boring, failed experiments ever, so im converting that. Its full of sand and rocks, and I ordered an aquaclear 20 and some escargot shells already lol.

No idea what species yet, any thoughts? Looking for small ones that wont be impossible to find.

**korith** · 11-30-2011, 01:56 PM

Could try neolamprologus multifasciatus. A pair or even perhaps 2 pairs would be fine a 10g tank. Really one male is all ya need, and a female or two. The cool thing about their behaviour is in one tank you can have several generations of fry and adults in the same tank. I had them in a 33g long in around 6 months time, the population tripled, was a fun tank to watch. Was able to easily trade/sell off the excess. Fun watching them redecorate the tank. They will move shells/sand around a lot till it suits them. I had to remove some sand from my tank, when they built a hill in the corner of the tank and buried the canister filter intake under 8" of sand! Easiest way to scape the tank, just put some sand flat across the tank, and put shells where you like them, and let the multis aquascape.

The multifasciatus are fairly easy to find, should be able to find them in lfs. I don't think you'd find them at a petsmart/petco type store, but more likely in a non chain type fish store. Here the going rate is about 4 or 5 for $20 at the fish club auctions. At the stores I think may be closer to $7-10 a fish.

You can get shells called whale eyes off of ebay. I think a pound of them (around 80-100 shells) cost me $10-15 shipped.

**toddnbecka** · 11-30-2011, 05:25 PM

Multi's are the only species I'd try in a 10, they're colonial fish and generally more tolerant than larger species. Most others lose interest in their fry or may even eat them as soon as they're free-swimming.
I saw a small tank of multi's once that had 3-4 layers of shells piled up in the bottom. I don't think there was any substrate, just dozens of mostly little ones everywhere among the shells.

**FinalJenemba** · 12-01-2011, 04:46 AM

That all sounds good. I have 36 large escargot shells coming in tomorrow! Now I just have to find some multi's... lol. I don't see any on aquabid at the moment.

**korith** · 12-01-2011, 05:17 AM

Originally Posted by FinalJenemba

That all sounds good. I have 36 large escargot shells coming in tomorrow! Now I just have to find some multi's... lol. I don't see any on aquabid at the moment.

Remember to rinse out the shells. Also when you put them into the tank, you may have to shake and swirl them around to get rid of the air pockets in them. A bit of advice I got from a friend after having set up my multis tank for months was to drill a small hole in every shell to stop air pockets.

**Honey Badger 1** · 12-01-2011, 05:25 AM

Try Rare Dave, the pearly ocellatus are my favorites, but he seems to be out of them at the moment, definitely worth waiting for if you can. He does have some multi's though.

http://www.davesfish.com/

**FinalJenemba** · 12-01-2011, 04:15 PM

Originally Posted by mommy1

Try Rare Dave, the pearly ocellatus are my favorites, but he seems to be out of them at the moment, definitely worth waiting for if you can. He does have some multi's though.

http://www.davesfish.com/

Thanks! I may have to try him. I take it its a reputable seller?