Tank mates for multies?

[Akythara]

I'm thinking about upgrading my multies (Neolamprologus multifasciatus i think) to a bigger tank once they've grown up and was wondering if there was anything I could keep with them that wasn't a shellie.

Something colourful (either looks or personality), a top or middle dweller.


Speaking of multies - everyone is really impressed when they come over because they think we have a marine tank!

[mcloughlin2]

What size tank your upgrading to will dictate what you can keep with them.

If you can select a tank that is 90cm (L) x 35cm (W) x 45cm (H) or larger I'd highly recommend a small school of leptosomas. 'Malasa' varient is commonly available at decent prices and males are a gorgeous blue with yellow fins. You can get away with other tank sizes and other fish but what you need to consider when making your choice is multis are a bottom dwelling fish - they are not going to swim around like a tetra and they are also quite territorial. Considering this it would be best to select a fish that is mid-top dwelling to avoid them scabbling over territory. So make sure you go for a tank as high as you can (within reason). This allows you to keep much larger fish with the multis.

Another bonus for leptosoma is they don't eat their young and I have kept both species in perfect harmony with both breeding and raising babies successfully in the tank.

[harley]

Mclouglin2 is right with suggesting a school of Cyprichromis leptosomas would be the perfect choice.

They are a surfeace spawning mouth brooder from the same area. You would need to get a decent size school which wouldn't be cheap.

[Pheonix]

Leptosomas would be the best fish to add but i would go for one of the smaller species. And find a good breeder as 'wasting' diseae is very common. Or you could just let the multies fill the tank.

This was my multi colony when i lived in sydney. when they ran out of shells they would breed in the rocks. Sold them to a mate who put them in a 6x2x2