Lake Tanganyika Species • Help ID this shell dweller (multie or similis?)

[endoice]

Appreciate the help. Might even be a brevis. No idea.
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[dmiller328]

That is a good looking multie you have there

[endoice]

great! just making sure. i wanted to mix my gene pool so i got a pair from someone else. unfortunately this ones just way bigger than the stock I have. would it be ok to introduce them to my main tank? they are under QT right now. they were very lethargic when I got them. The water bag seemed cold. Hopefully they survive

[dmiller328]

Multies are tough fish and should bounce back quickly from shipping even if they came in cold.Give them plenty of time to recoup before adding them to your others.

[endoice]

so they were getting stuck on the intake filter so I decided to "place" them into shells. they have been there for the past 3 hrs motionless. What more can I do? Feed them? They seem very disinterested in doing anything.

[dmiller328]

If you just received them,leave the lights off on the tank and do not try to feed them.They are stressed out from move right now and will likely not feed anyway.Turn your filter output down if possible or insert a sponge on the strainer to prevent them getting stuck to the filter intake.

[endoice]

it already had a sponge filter on it luckily. one of them is actually out of the shell and chilling on the substrate. anyways after they get lively again will it be ok to introduce them in a tank full of juvies? the pair I got are adults.

[24Tropheus]

Hard to say. New males often kill all young they can so their is less competition for their own young and the females breed with them faster rather than spend thier energy looking after young.
Kind of depends on if the biggest male/males sees the juvies as potential mates or as someone elses young. Who knows what goes on in their heads.

Could pop in a tank barrier and see what it looks like the new male would do once removed but no promices one way or another.

It is poss to have two tribes/collonies in a big tank. Very interesting to watch the interaction of two collonies. But its not always friendly. Ever watched Meerkat Manor? Bit like that in miniture.

All the best James