Multie shell dweller

 Neolamprologus multifasciatus.  The Multie shell dweller is a tiny cichlid that lives in a colony on the bottom, with each fish claiming a snail shell. It is easy to keep

Multie shell dwellers are landscapers. A colony digs out the sand around its shells and piles it up at the edges. Over time, the digging slowly shifts the whole shell bed.

Caring for the Multie shell dweller

Start a colony with 6 to 8 fish, several females per male, in a tank of 20 gal (75 L) or larger. Lay a deep, open sand bed of 5 cm or more so they can dig. Pile in plenty of empty snail shells, more shells than fish, since each one wants a shell to call home.

Keep the water warm, hard and alkaline, at 75 to 81°F (24 to 27°C) and a pH of 7.8 to 8.6. Feed small sinking foods and fine pellets, with frozen treats such as cyclops or baby brine shrimp.

Multie shell dwellers are mostly peaceful, but they turn fiercely territorial right around their own shells. They sit at the bottom and rarely stray far from home. Pick tank mates that stay up in the water column and leave the sand bed to the colony.

Females lay their eggs and raise their young inside the empty shells, guarding the brood until the fry swim free. Young from past broods often stick around to help guard the colony. Breeding them is easy.

Good to know

The Multie shell dweller, Neolamprologus multifasciatus, belongs to the family Cichlidae and holds the title of the world's smallest cichlid. Most fish in the trade are tank bred, and a healthy adult can live several years.

In the wild

Multie shell dwellers are endemic to Lake Tanganyika. They live in colonies over open sand flats scattered with empty snail shells.