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Tanganyikan CichlidsBreeding the Lamprologus multifasciatus
By Joseph Gardner
Nov/Dec1998, Issue 20
The Lamprologus multifasciatus otherwise known as the Neolamprologus multifasciatus or the Striped Snail Dweller is a small, pretty fish with good fry rearing techniques. I obtained my breeding stock at a Grand Rapids fish shop in July, 1998. I brought them home and put them into a bare 10 gallon tank with a sponge filter. With the summer temperatures, I did not have a heater in the tank. The males are slightly larger thatn the females and seem to have a slight bluish tinge to the dorsal fin.
In September, I went with the GVAC outing to Wet Thumb fish shop. I purchased addiditional Tanganyikan cichlids. I put some of them into the tank with the multifasciatus. In addition, with the cooler temperatures I brought in my Xenotaca eiseni (Red Tailed Goodeids) from an outside pool. I had collected a large number of snail shells while in Wisconsin on vacation and had put them into the pool. The snail shells I put in to the tank with the shell dwellers.
The multifasciatus immediately took over the shells. I had had a few shells in the tank before but they seemed very happy to have more. At the same time, I put dolomite gravel into the tank. The shells were placed on top of the gravel. Interestingly enough, the parents soon dug up the gravel and made what looked like bulwarks or ridges and the snail shells sank down into the area where the dolomite had been removed.
The water conditions were as follows: well water in Michigan typically means hard, alkaline water made harder by the dolomite and temperature of 76F. I also had saltwater barnacle shells along with the freshwater snail shells. As it turned out, the multifaciatus completely ignored the barnacle shells. There was also a good amount of hornwort.
Three weeks after all these things were in place, the first fry appeared in the tank. They stayed in the shell pit and the parents defended the entire area from the other fish. The fry are curious and daring. They were also very fast. The large number of snail shells became good hiding areas. There are several broods as I have spotted at least 5 different sized groups. The fry have little color except a thin yellowish dorsal fin.
I have found these fish to be very interesting. I suspect I could use a 5 gallon tank for breeding a group of 5 adult fish with no problems. Assuming everything goes well, some of these fish will be in the auction in December for BAP points.