TankBud

Ornate shell dweller

Lamprologus ornatipinnis

Also known as Ornatipinnis, Ornate shelldweller

FreshwaterFish

Ornate shell dweller (Lamprologus ornatipinnis)
The Wet Spot Tropical Fish · Used with permission

Care at a glance

Temperature
75–81°F
24–27°C
pH
7.8–9.0
Adult size
2.4 in
6 cm
Minimum tank
16 gal
60 L
Temperament
Mostly peaceful
Social behavior
Social
Swim level
Bottom
Difficulty
Easy
Breeding
Cave spawner · Easy
Rarity
Common
Family
Cichlidae
Origin
Sandy floors of Lake Tanganyika in East Africa, scattered with empty snail shells.

Overview

The ornate shell dweller is a small, mostly peaceful cichlid for a nano rift lake tank. It is a simple fish to keep.

Did you know

An ornate shell dweller can haul sand grain by grain to bury or angle its shell. In this way it landscapes its tiny home just the way it likes.

Caring for the ornate shell dweller

A small group of ornate shell dwellers fits in a tank as small as 16 gal (60 L). Give them a soft sand bottom and plenty of empty snail shells. Each fish is territorial around its shell but harmless to fish that stay out of its little zone.

Keep the water hard and alkaline, at 75 to 81°F (24 to 27°C) and a pH of 7.8 to 9.0. Feed small foods such as frozen cyclops, brine shrimp and fine pellets.

Males are larger and finnier than the rounder females, as is common among shell dwellers. The ornate shell dweller is an obligate shell breeder, spawning deep inside an empty snail shell that the female defends. Breeding it is easy.

Good to know

The ornate shell dweller, Lamprologus ornatipinnis, is a tiny cichlid in the family Cichlidae. It packs bold behavior into its small body.

In the wild

The ornate shell dweller lives on the sandy floor of Lake Tanganyika in East Africa, among beds of empty snail shells. It uses the shells for shelter and for raising its young.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The ornate shell dweller is a mostly peaceful, social species that keeps to the bottom. These picks share a community profile with it, are safe together in both directions, and overlap on water type, temperature and pH.

Check the full mix in the stocking calculator

Common questions

What size tank does an ornate shell dweller need?

An ornate shell dweller needs at least 16 gal (60 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.

What temperature and pH does an ornate shell dweller need?

An ornate shell dweller is comfortable at 75–81°F (24–27°C) with a pH of 7.8–9.0.

What does an ornate shell dweller eat?

An ornate shell dweller takes small foods. Frozen cyclops, brine shrimp and fine pellets all work.

How big does an ornate shell dweller get?

An adult ornate shell dweller reaches about 2.4 in (6 cm).

How can you tell a male ornate shell dweller from a female?

Males are larger and finnier than the rounder females.

How does an ornate shell dweller breed?

The ornate shell dweller spawns deep inside an empty snail shell, and the female defends it. Breeding it is easy.

Related species