Who Gives A Fish Forums

I'm pretty sure it's ammonia poisoning from an uncycled tank - classic beginner's mistake.

Males actually have a stripe on their dorsal fin.

I've had experience with shell dwellers in the past - they're great to keep. A good ratio is 1 male to 5 females, so you can have around 30 in your tank, no problem. Just make sure you've got plenty of shells for them to hide in, they love that.

Sorry but those I posted earlier were malawi cichs... So sorry. Well, there's the Spotted Julie Benthochromis and Tropheus sp, both of which are pretty colourful and not too big, and they can be shell dwellers too.

Yellow Labidochromis could be a great choice for you, they're pretty easy to breed and they're colourful. Another option is peacocks, they're beautiful but they do get a bit bigger than what you're looking for, they can reach 6 inches. If you're looking to start a breeding colony, a good ratio to go ...

Good call. Anubias and Java Fern are pretty forgiving. Just remember to tie or glue them to something, don't bury them. You'll be golden.

Anubias is my go-to. It's practically indestructible. I've got it tied to driftwood in a 20-gallon with low light, and it's thriving. Just don't bury the rhizome, or it'll rot.

Considering your water stats, a possible solution could be adding limestone rock to your setup. This should help increase your pH, gH and calcium carbonate content, which would be more suitable for your Tanganyikans.

I'd go with a breeding pair, they're quite aggressive. That way you'll get to see them in their full glory, guarding their young and all. Someone please move this to the New World Cichlids section, thanks!

Neolamprologus is actually the genus of those beautiful shell dwellers you were mentioning, so it seems like we're on the same page with that.