{"product_id":"multie-shell-dweller","title":"Multie shell dweller","description":"\u003csection class=\"mt-11\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"mt-3 text-[16px] leading-[1.65] text-pretty whitespace-pre-line text-mk-body\"\u003e Neolamprologus multifasciatus.  The Multie shell dweller is a tiny \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/tankbud.com\/species\/cichlids\" data-inline-link=\"species\/cichlids\" class=\"text-mk-teal underline-offset-2 hover:underline\"\u003ecichlid\u003c\/a\u003e that lives in a \u003cspan\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/tankbud.com\/glossary#colony\" data-glossary-term=\"colony\" class=\"underline decoration-mk-faint decoration-dotted decoration-1 underline-offset-4 outline-offset-2 hover:decoration-mk-teal focus-visible:rounded-[2px] focus-visible:decoration-mk-teal focus-visible:outline-2 focus-visible:outline-mk-teal\"\u003ecolony\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e on the bottom, with each fish claiming a snail shell. It is easy to keep\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"mt-3 text-[16px] leading-[1.65] text-pretty whitespace-pre-line text-mk-body\"\u003eMultie shell dwellers are landscapers. A \u003cspan\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/tankbud.com\/glossary#colony\" data-glossary-term=\"colony\" class=\"underline decoration-mk-faint decoration-dotted decoration-1 underline-offset-4 outline-offset-2 hover:decoration-mk-teal focus-visible:rounded-[2px] focus-visible:decoration-mk-teal focus-visible:outline-2 focus-visible:outline-mk-teal\"\u003ecolony\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e digs out the sand around its shells and piles it up at the edges. Over time, the digging slowly shifts the whole shell bed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/section\u003e\n\u003csection class=\"mt-11\"\u003e\n\u003ch2 class=\"font-mk-serif text-[28px] leading-[1.1] text-pretty text-mk-heading\"\u003eCaring for the Multie shell dweller\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"mt-3 text-[16px] leading-[1.65] text-pretty whitespace-pre-line text-mk-body\"\u003eStart a \u003cspan\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/tankbud.com\/glossary#colony\" data-glossary-term=\"colony\" class=\"underline decoration-mk-faint decoration-dotted decoration-1 underline-offset-4 outline-offset-2 hover:decoration-mk-teal focus-visible:rounded-[2px] focus-visible:decoration-mk-teal focus-visible:outline-2 focus-visible:outline-mk-teal\"\u003ecolony\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"mt-4 text-[16px] leading-[1.65] text-pretty whitespace-pre-line text-mk-body\"\u003eKeep the water warm, hard and alkaline, at 75 to 81°F (24 to 27°C) and a \u003cspan\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/tankbud.com\/glossary#ph\" data-glossary-term=\"ph\" class=\"underline decoration-mk-faint decoration-dotted decoration-1 underline-offset-4 outline-offset-2 hover:decoration-mk-teal focus-visible:rounded-[2px] focus-visible:decoration-mk-teal focus-visible:outline-2 focus-visible:outline-mk-teal\"\u003epH\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e of 7.8 to 8.6. Feed small sinking foods and fine pellets, with frozen treats such as cyclops or \u003cspan\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/tankbud.com\/glossary#brine-shrimp\" data-glossary-term=\"brine-shrimp\" class=\"underline decoration-mk-faint decoration-dotted decoration-1 underline-offset-4 outline-offset-2 hover:decoration-mk-teal focus-visible:rounded-[2px] focus-visible:decoration-mk-teal focus-visible:outline-2 focus-visible:outline-mk-teal\"\u003ebaby brine shrimp\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"mt-4 text-[16px] leading-[1.65] text-pretty whitespace-pre-line text-mk-body\"\u003eMultie shell dwellers are mostly peaceful, but they turn fiercely \u003cspan\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/tankbud.com\/glossary#territorial\" data-glossary-term=\"territorial\" class=\"underline decoration-mk-faint decoration-dotted decoration-1 underline-offset-4 outline-offset-2 hover:decoration-mk-teal focus-visible:rounded-[2px] focus-visible:decoration-mk-teal focus-visible:outline-2 focus-visible:outline-mk-teal\"\u003eterritorial\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e 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 \u003cspan\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/tankbud.com\/glossary#colony\" data-glossary-term=\"colony\" class=\"underline decoration-mk-faint decoration-dotted decoration-1 underline-offset-4 outline-offset-2 hover:decoration-mk-teal focus-visible:rounded-[2px] focus-visible:decoration-mk-teal focus-visible:outline-2 focus-visible:outline-mk-teal\"\u003ecolony\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"mt-4 text-[16px] leading-[1.65] text-pretty whitespace-pre-line text-mk-body\"\u003eFemales lay their eggs and raise their young inside the empty shells, guarding the brood until the \u003cspan\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/tankbud.com\/glossary#fry\" data-glossary-term=\"fry\" class=\"underline decoration-mk-faint decoration-dotted decoration-1 underline-offset-4 outline-offset-2 hover:decoration-mk-teal focus-visible:rounded-[2px] focus-visible:decoration-mk-teal focus-visible:outline-2 focus-visible:outline-mk-teal\"\u003efry\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e swim free. Young from past broods often stick around to help guard the \u003cspan\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/tankbud.com\/glossary#colony\" data-glossary-term=\"colony\" class=\"underline decoration-mk-faint decoration-dotted decoration-1 underline-offset-4 outline-offset-2 hover:decoration-mk-teal focus-visible:rounded-[2px] focus-visible:decoration-mk-teal focus-visible:outline-2 focus-visible:outline-mk-teal\"\u003ecolony\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e. Breeding them is easy.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/section\u003e\n\u003csection class=\"mt-11\"\u003e\n\u003ch2 class=\"font-mk-serif text-[28px] leading-[1.1] text-pretty text-mk-heading\"\u003eGood to know\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"mt-3 text-[16px] leading-[1.65] text-pretty whitespace-pre-line text-mk-body\"\u003eThe Multie shell dweller, Neolamprologus multifasciatus, belongs to the \u003cspan\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/tankbud.com\/glossary#genus\" data-glossary-term=\"genus\" class=\"underline decoration-mk-faint decoration-dotted decoration-1 underline-offset-4 outline-offset-2 hover:decoration-mk-teal focus-visible:rounded-[2px] focus-visible:decoration-mk-teal focus-visible:outline-2 focus-visible:outline-mk-teal\"\u003efamily\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e Cichlidae and holds the title of the world's smallest cichlid. Most fish in the trade are \u003cspan\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/tankbud.com\/glossary#captive-bred\" data-glossary-term=\"captive-bred\" class=\"underline decoration-mk-faint decoration-dotted decoration-1 underline-offset-4 outline-offset-2 hover:decoration-mk-teal focus-visible:rounded-[2px] focus-visible:decoration-mk-teal focus-visible:outline-2 focus-visible:outline-mk-teal\"\u003etank bred\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e, and a healthy adult can live several years.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/section\u003e\n\u003csection class=\"mt-11\"\u003e\n\u003ch2 class=\"font-mk-serif text-[28px] leading-[1.1] text-pretty text-mk-heading\"\u003eIn the wild\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"mt-3 text-[16px] leading-[1.65] text-pretty whitespace-pre-line text-mk-body\"\u003eMultie shell dwellers are \u003cspan\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/tankbud.com\/glossary#endemic\" data-glossary-term=\"endemic\" class=\"underline decoration-mk-faint decoration-dotted decoration-1 underline-offset-4 outline-offset-2 hover:decoration-mk-teal focus-visible:rounded-[2px] focus-visible:decoration-mk-teal focus-visible:outline-2 focus-visible:outline-mk-teal\"\u003eendemic\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e to Lake Tanganyika. They live in \u003cspan\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/tankbud.com\/glossary#colony\" data-glossary-term=\"colony\" class=\"underline decoration-mk-faint decoration-dotted decoration-1 underline-offset-4 outline-offset-2 hover:decoration-mk-teal focus-visible:rounded-[2px] focus-visible:decoration-mk-teal focus-visible:outline-2 focus-visible:outline-mk-teal\"\u003ecolonies\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e over open sand flats scattered with empty snail shells.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/section\u003e\n\u003csection data-landing-section=\"\" class=\"mt-16 border-b border-white\/8 pb-10\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"@3xl:grid @3xl:grid-cols-[260px_minmax(0,1fr)] @3xl:items-start @3xl:gap-12\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-mono text-[11px] leading-none font-medium tracking-[0.16em] text-mk-faint uppercase\"\u003eWeekly picks\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/section\u003e","brand":"Premier Tropicals","offers":[{"title":".75\"","offer_id":54362883457317,"sku":null,"price":15.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1027\/6071\/0437\/files\/Multi.jpg?v=1793249179","url":"https:\/\/www.premiertropicals.com\/products\/multie-shell-dweller","provider":"Premier Tropicals","version":"1.0","type":"link"}