Animal-World > Freshwater Fish > Cichlids - Tanganyika Types > Brevis Shelldweller

Brevis Shelldweller

Family: Cichlidae

• Puzzles
• Postcards

Neolamprologus brevis Photo © Animal-World: Courtesy Greg Rothschild

   Small sized and gentle natured, a pair of Brevis Shelldwellers can actually be kept in a tank that is only five gallons!

  True to its name, the Brevis Shelldweller is a dwarf cichlid from Africa that hides and spawns inside a shell. They require a very small territory, only claiming about 4 - 8" of space. So a bonded pair can be housed in a five gallon aquarium making this fish almost an office desk fish. A ten gallon aquarium is possible for two pairs if they have a lot of shells and places to hide, but a 20 gallon long is suggested to keep the pairs from fighting.

   The Brevis Shelldweller is very peaceful and cannot handle robust tank mates. They are a community cichlid that can be kept with other Tanganyikan cichlids that are of similar size. They must be kept with other peaceful cichlids or other friendly species for their own benefit. They are easy to breed as well, giving their owner the cichlid personality along with the family raising skills of a monogamous cichlid all in a small package. This fish often does not always do as much digging as other shelldwellers, so is very plant friendly.

  The Brevis Shelldweller is easy to moderate to care for as long as regular water changes are done to keep water at optimal levels. They need a sandy or very fine gravel substrate. Include some rocks and at least two to three shells per pair to choose from for their home. Shell should be placed on open sandy areas since some like to bury their shell, and they need to be large enough for both to fit in comfortably. Make sure the shells do not have too many spirals, since they can be injured in such a shell. Shells from Escargot Helix pornatia are ideal and can easily be obtained frozen from a deli. Several plants can also be included such as Swordplants, Anubias, Water Fern and Java Fern, depending on your tank size.

   The shelldwelling cichlids are some of the most unique cichlids. They are quite particular about how their home is buried as well as how it is positioned. Some like their home to be completely submerged in the substrate, and they like to be able to enter the shell horizontally. The shell burying activity of the Brevis Shelldweller, as described by Staeck and Linke (1982), employs three different methods. They will grip the edge of the shell with their mandibles and swim against it, pushing it into position; they will remove sand from underneath it to shift it; and lastly they will lie on the bottom strongly beating with their tail, blowing the sand away and allowing the shell to sink. In the wild, some areas the Brevis Shelldweller occupies may have fewer shells then other areas, so they have developed other adaptive behaviors. So unlike other shell dwellers this fish may not be as much of a digger. However the amount of digging and burying is dependent on the individual fish.

For more Information on keeping freshwater fish see:
Guide to a Happy, Healthy Freshwater Aquarium

Dream Aquarium Build your own aquarium The Coolest and Funnest Screensaver in the World.

Distribution:
   The Brevis Shelldweller was described by Boulenger in 1899. These fish are endemic to Lake Tanganyika, Africa. They prefer depths of 19 to 180 feet (6 - 55 m) and are found in areas where the bottom is muddy and sandy and there are large numbers of snails of the genus Neothauma. They use the snail shells for their homes and feed on plankton. Some of the areas where they dwell have a smaller shell density, so depending on their personality a pair may or may not share a shell.

Status:
   This species is listed on the IUCN Red List with the status of 'LC', meaning 'Least Concern'.

Description:
   The Brevis Shelldweller is a small cichlid with an elongated body. It has a large mouth for its size and it is upturned, indicating a carnivorous predator. The body is primarily a light brown and the fins are the same color, but clearish. They have florescent blue lines under the eyes, though these can only be seen under good lighting. When they are stressed they turn a bronze color with a black cap on the head.
   There are slight differences in the Brevis Shelldweller depending on the region where they are found. The Standard Brevis from Kigoma, Tanzania and the Sunspot Brevis are two of the most commonly seen in the pet industry. Below are descriptions of some varieties:

• Standard Brevis: This variety has has a brown base color with 9 tan vertical stripes.
• Sunspot Brevis: This variety has has a brownish mauve base with a gold spot behind each of the pectoral fins.
• Other localities: Other varieties may have a blue cast over their body with blue accents on their fins. Some locations produce very light versions of this fish.

   All cichlids share a common feature that some saltwater fish such as wrasses and parrotfish have and that is a well-developed pharyngeal set of teeth that are in the throat, along with their regular teeth. Cichlids have spiny rays in the back parts of the anal, dorsal, pectoral, and pelvic fins to help discourage predators. The front part of these fins are soft and perfect for precise positions and effortless movements in the water as opposed to fast swimming.
   Cichlids have one nostril on each side while other fish have 2 sets. To sense “smells” in the water, they suck water in and expel the water right back out after being “sampled” for a short or longer time, depending on how much the cichlid needs to “smell” the water. This feature is shared by saltwater damselfish and cichlids are thought to be closely related.

Size - Weight:
   The male grows to a length of almost 2.5” (6 cm). Females are smaller, reaching 1.5” (4 cm).

Care and feeding:
   The Brevis Shelldweller is an omnivore that feeds on plankton in the wild. In the aquarium they can be fed frozen blood worms, brine shrimp, and small protein cichlid pellets,  They need some vegetable matter, so  include some spirulina based foods along with a pea or piece of spinach. Live daphnia and live brine shrimp can be offered as a treat. Feed 2 to 5 small pinches of food a day in smaller amounts instead of a large quantity once a day.  A one-day-a-week 'fast' can also be beneficial. All fish benefit from vitamins and supplements added to their foods.
   A minimum of 5 gallons for a pair or a 20 gallon long for 2 pairs is suggested. They need good water movement to provide lots of oxygenation along with very strong and efficient filtration. Provide a sandy or very fine gravel substrate. Include some rocks and at least two to three shells per pair to choose from for their home. Shell should be placed on open sandy areas since some like to bury their shell, and be large enough for both to fit in comfortably. Make sure the shells do not have too many spirals, since they can be injured in such a shell. Shells from Escargot Helix pornatia are ideal and can easily be obtained frozen from a deli. Several plants can also be included such as Swordplants, Anubias, Water Fern and Java Fern, depending on your tank size.
   Do normal water changes of about 10% to 15% biweekly or weekly, depending on stocking numbers. The Lake Tanganyika cichlids cannot handle large water changes very well unless the new water chemistry closely matches the water they are in. If a large water change is needed, changing 15% every couple of days should bring water back to normal. This inability to tolerate large water changes is due to Lake Tanganyika being very deep and the water tends to stay stable.
   These fish are susceptible to typical fish ailments, especially if water is stale and of poor quality and oxygenation. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Water changes, not overfeeding or overcrowding, and observation along with feeding your fish the proper foods (thawing frozen food and adding vitamins) will keep them in optimum health. An optional practice is to add 1 heaping teaspoon of salt per 11 gallons of water. This is considered to be a simple and natural remedy for wounds, minor fungal infections and film over the eyes of fish in transit. Using a marine salt (used for salt water fish) will add some trace elements.
   One common problem is Ich. It can be treated with the elevation of the tank temperature to 86° F (30° C) for 3 days. If that does not cure the Ich, then the fish needs to be treated with copper (remove any water conditioners). Several copper based fish medications are available for Ich. Copper use must be kept within the proper levels, so be sure to follow the manufacturers suggestions. You can also combine increasing the temperature with an Ich medication treatment. A copper test also can be used to keep the proper levels.      

Water Region: Top, Middle, Bottom:
   These fish will swim in the bottom areas of the aquarium.

Acceptable Water Conditions:
   Hardness: 10 - 13 dH
   Ph: 8.6 - 9.5
   Temp: 78 - 80° F (26 - 27° C)

Lake Tanganyika is the second to largest lake in the world, thus contributing to a low fluctuation in Ph and temperature. Several things all Lake Tanganyika cichlids need are:

1. Stable temperatures kept within acceptable limits.
2. Lots of oxygen to survive. Lake Tanganyika is a very oxygen rich lake. Bubblers need to be going day and night, even if there are plants.
3. Avoid overfeeding and overstocking.
4. Do a 10-15% water change weekly.
5. Regularly check nitrates (no more than 25 ppm), Ph (less than 7 is not tolerated), total hardness and carbonate hardness.

Social Behaviors:
   These are the most peaceful of all shell dwelling cichlids. The Brevis Shelldweller can be kept in pairs or alone. If the tank is large enough with plenty of hiding places, two pairs can be kept in a 10 gallon aquarium. It is a peaceful community cichlid that can be kept with other Tanganyikan cichlids that are similar size. They are very peaceful and cannot handle robust species of Lamprologines or the larger Altolamprologus species, nor will they fair well with aggressive Neolamprologus species like the Fairy Cichlid N. brichardi, Daffodil Cichlid N. pulcher, and Lemon Cichlid N. leleupi.
   They will work fine with very small Altolamprologus species such as a Sumu dwarf that also likes shells. This fish is very docile but will eat any Brevis fry, so do not house them together if you are looking to breed your Brevis Shelldweller. You can also house them with the Masked Julie Julidochromis transcriptus since they only reach 2.5” (5-6 cm) and the Cylinder Cichlid Neolamprologus cylindricus, which is very peaceful.

Sexual Differences:
   This species is hard to sex as a juvenile, but once they are sexually mature, the male is much larger than the female.

Breeding/Reproduction:
   The Brevis Shelldwellers have been bred in captivity. They are monogamous and pairs will guard a small territory of about 4 - 8" and seldom over 10". You can buy several juveniles and wait for a pair to form. Remove the others unless you have a large tank that can accommodate more than one pair. Keep the tank in a calm area to encourage breeding. Some state that If they are stressed, they will not breed and the stress could kill the fry.
   When they are ready to spawn the female will approach the male, then bend and quiver in a position that exposes her belly to the male. This gesture will be followed by the female approaching her shell and quivering again before entering and depositing her eggs. Once she emerges, the male will then enter the shell to fertilize the eggs Sometimes the male and female will share the same shell during spawning, but there are different personalities so this may not be the case with all pairs. In the wild the male has been known to physically remove snails that get too close to the eggs, contining until the snail has had enough and gives up.
   In 3 or 4 days the fry emerge. The couple may not guard the fry, but in some cases the female may provide some care for the fry with the male doing some guard duty. The fry will hide in the shell or in crevices. After the fry are older and the parents are ready to spawn again, the previous sibling set will have to be removed or the parents will attack them to make room for their next brood. See the description of monogamous cichlids in Breeding Freshwater Fish.

Buy Brevis Shelldweller From LiveAquaria.com

Availability:
   The Brevis Shelldweller is usually available both online and sometimes in fish stores, running about $12.00 to $36.00 USD, depending on size. They can be special ordered if you are willing to wait.

Author: Carrie McBirney
Additional Information: Clarice Brough, CFS

Add your comment here!

Back to Cichlids

Aquarium Banner Exchange! Join Now Free.