Many Banded Shell-Dweller (Neolamprologus multifasciatus)

From The Aquarium Wiki

Contents 1 Alternative names 1.1 Synonyms 2 Sexing 3 Tank compatibility 4 Diet 5 Feeding regime 6 Environment Specifics 7 Behaviour 8 Identification 9 Pictures 10 Videos 11 External links

Alternative names

Multi, Many Banded Shell-Dweller, Multifasciatus Dwarf Cichlid

Synonyms

Lamprologus multifasciatus

Sexing

Males tend to be larger and stockier than females, and will also dominate over females.

Tank compatibility

Best kept in a species tank only, with at least 2-3 females per male. Fast swimming top dwellers can occasionally be kept as long as the tank is large enough, such as Zebra Danios.

Diet

Primarily an insectivorous fish, they do well on most common small or crumbled foods with the occasional live food of bloodworms, cyclops or similarly small live foods.

Feeding regime

Feed once or twice a day.

Environment Specifics

A bottom dwelling Cichlid that inhabits empty shells of the Neothauma Snail native to Lake Tanganyika.

This Shelldweller needs sand, roughly 3.8-5.1cm (1.5-2") deep and shells for inhabitation. The shells do not have to be Neothauma, but their openings must be large enough for the fish to swim into yet not much bigger than the fish itself. The Multifasciatus likes to have a small territory with a number of shells for living in and as an emergency hiding place from predators or threats.

They do not require a large or spacious tank but are best kept in a small group of three to five in an aquarium no less than 75.7 Litres (20 US G.) in size.

Behaviour

Males are territorial, but their territories are small. Will rearrange shells to suit their liking and rarely go far from their selected shells.

Identification

A small elongate fish with a rounded nose and many dark vertical bands on its body. The fins have white bands and yellow colouration.

Pictures

Multi

Multi Male

Videos

Adults and shells:	Adults with fry:

Adults making a nest

External links

• Fishbase (Mirrors: )

• Fishforums.net
• Cichlid Forum