Ornate shell dweller

Care at a glance

Overview

A small group fits in a tank as small as 60 liters with a soft sand bottom and plenty of empty snail shells. Keep the water hard and alkaline at 24 to 27 C, pH 7.8 to 9.0. It is territorial around its shell but harmless to fish that stay out of its little zone, so it suits nano rift lake tanks. Feed small foods like frozen cyclops, brine shrimp and fine pellets.

In the wild

The ornate shell dweller is a tiny cichlid that lives on the sandy floor of Lake Tanganyika among beds of empty snail shells. It uses the shells for shelter and for raising its young. Males are a little larger and finnier than the rounder females.

Good to know

Lamprologus ornatipinnis is an obligate shell breeder, spawning deep inside an empty snail shell that the female defends. Males are noticeably bigger than females, which is common among shell dwellers. It packs bold behavior into a body only a couple of inches long.

Common questions

Related species

• 

  Gold ocellatus shell dweller

  Lamprologus ocellatus

  2.4 in (6 cm) · 11 gal (40 L)

  2.4 in (6 cm)11 gal (40 L)75–81°F (24–27°C)

• 

  Black ocellatus

  Lamprologus speciosus

  2.2 in (5.5 cm) · 11 gal (40 L)

  2.2 in (5.5 cm)11 gal (40 L)75–81°F (24–27°C)

• 

  Pearly ocellatus

  Lamprologus stappersi

  2.2 in (5.5 cm) · 11 gal (40 L)

  2.2 in (5.5 cm)11 gal (40 L)75–81°F (24–27°C)

• 

  Signatus shell dweller

  Lamprologus signatus

  2.2 in (5.5 cm) · 11 gal (40 L)

  2.2 in (5.5 cm)11 gal (40 L)75–81°F (24–27°C)

• 

  Tiger lamprologus

  Lamprologus tigripictilis

  3.9 in (10 cm) · 42 gal (160 L)

  3.9 in (10 cm)42 gal (160 L)73–81°F (23–27°C)

• 

  Congo lamprologus

  Lamprologus congoensis

  5.1 in (13 cm) · 53 gal (200 L)

  5.1 in (13 cm)53 gal (200 L)73–81°F (23–27°C)