Multifasciatus Shell Dweller
Neolamprologus multifasciatus
Cichlidae
About
The multifasciatus shell dweller is the smallest cichlid in the world, a Lake Tanganyika endemic that lives among vast beds of empty Neothauma snail shells on the lake's sandy floor. Each fish claims and excavates its own shell as a home and spawning site, and a group forms a busy colony ruled by a dominant male over several shell-holding females. It is peaceful toward tankmates but defends the few centimetres around its shell with astonishing spirit for its size.
Care
Keep a colony of 6+ over a deep fine-sand bed strewn with plenty of empty snail shells, in hard, alkaline water at 24-27 C. Peaceful in general but fiercely territorial right around each shell, so give ample floor area rather than height.
Diet
Micropredator that grazes zooplankton and micro-invertebrates near the sand; feed small frozen and live foods with occasional fine sinking dry foods.
Tankmate compatibility
Gets along with (13)
Possible with care (128)
Avoid (130)
Computed by the AquaSage engine for a spacious reference tank — always check the full verdict for your exact setup in the calculator.
Telling males from females
What works for this species, most reliable first.
- Extended finsStrong · from about 8 months, and later in a suppressed male
On many cichlids and killifish the male's dorsal and anal fins draw out into trailing points as he matures, while the female's stay rounded.
- VentingA hint only · only on a mature fish, easiest when she is in breeding condition
The method breeders use when the answer has to be right. Hold the fish upside down in a wet hand or soft net and look at the two openings ahead of the anal fin. The forward one is the anus; the one behind it is what you are reading.
- Adult sizeA hint only · only across animals of the same age
In many cichlids, catfish and loaches one sex simply grows larger — usually the male, though there are well-known reversals.
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Frequently asked questions
- What tank size does a Multifasciatus Shell Dweller need?
- A Multifasciatus Shell Dweller needs an aquarium of at least 45 litres (11.9 US gallons) with a footprint at least 50 cm (19.7 in) long — for this species, swimming length matters as much as raw volume.
- What water parameters does a Multifasciatus Shell Dweller need?
- Multifasciatus Shell Dweller does best at 24–27 °C (75.2–80.6 °F), pH 7.5–9 and a general hardness of 8–25 °dGH.
- What group size does a Multifasciatus Shell Dweller need?
- Multifasciatus Shell Dweller is a social species — keep a group of at least 6 so natural behaviour emerges and stress stays low.
- Is the Multifasciatus Shell Dweller suitable for beginners?
- Multifasciatus Shell Dweller sits in the middle of the difficulty scale — manageable for a careful beginner who has done the reading, but it has specific needs worth researching first.