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Encyclopedia / African Cichlids / Brevis shell dweller
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Variations

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Brevis shell dweller

Neolamprologus brevis · Brevis, Neolamprologus brevis

Peaceful toward other fish but territorial around its shell; keep as a group.

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5.5 cmAdult size ✓
24–27 °CTemperature ✓
8–9pH ✓
40 LSmallest tank ✓
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Tank mates
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Not recommended
  • White cloud mountain minnow needs cool water and makes a lot of waste, while Brevis shell dweller is tropical.
  • Rift lake cichlids like brevis shell dweller need hard, alkaline water and a busy, cichlid-only tank.
Not recommended
  • Giant gourami eats animals up to about 10 cm. Brevis shell dweller only grows to 5.5 cm.
  • Rift lake cichlids like brevis shell dweller need hard, alkaline water and a busy, cichlid-only tank.
Not recommended
  • They need different temperatures (24–27 °C vs 10–22 °C). No setting suits both.
  • Rift lake cichlids like brevis shell dweller need hard, alkaline water and a busy, cichlid-only tank.
With conditions
  • Rift lake cichlids like brevis shell dweller need hard, alkaline water and a busy, cichlid-only tank.
  • Only a narrow temperature range suits both: 24–25 °C.
With conditions
  • Rift lake cichlids like brevis shell dweller need hard, alkaline water and a busy, cichlid-only tank.
  • Their pH needs don't quite meet (8–9 vs 4.5–7). Aim between the two and keep it steady.
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible

60 species in our list are a good match.

Facts checked against sources on 16 Oct 2026. ✓ means a source backs it; ? means no reliable source yet. See sources

Care and water

Hardness ✓8–25 dGH
Group size ✓2 or more
Temperament ✓Semi-aggressive
Swims at ✓Bottom
Care level ✓Easy
Diet Omnivore
Lifespan ?Unknown
Size in shops 2.5–4 cm
Growth Medium

Behavior

Peaceful toward other fish but territorial around its shell; keep as a group.

  • cave
  • sand

Food

Frozen brine shrimp, cyclops, daphnia and fine flakes.

Tap a food to see what it is.

Male or female

Hard to sex when young; adult males are considerably larger than females.

Health

Common problems. Tap one to see the signs. This is a guide, not a diagnosis.

Breeding

Shell-dwelling cave spawner · Moderate

Shell brooder: eggs are laid inside an empty snail shell. Breed at 25-26.5 °C, pH about 8.0-8.5.

Pairing

Keep a pair with a few spare shells. Eggs hatch in about 24 hours.

Setup

60-100 L tank with a sand floor, many empty snail shells (Helix or Turbo type) and hard alkaline water (pH 7.8-8.8).

What starts it

Good conditioning, regular water changes, and a pair that claims a shell; the female spawns inside it.

Eggs

Eggs hatch in about 24 hours; fry are free-swimming at about 6-7 days. No egg count given.

Raising the fry

Fry stay in or near the shell for the first week. Feed newly hatched brine shrimp, microworms and powdered flake; older fry may be removed to avoid being eaten.

Common mistakes
  • Too few shells so fish fight
  • Using soft or acidic water
  • Keeping with large fish that raid shells
Full breeding guide, day-by-day plan and simulator →

Where it lives in the wild

RegionLake Tanganyika
Rivers and lakesLake Tanganyika (around much of the lake)
HabitatSnail shells on sandy bottoms
Native rangeAbout 300 km across
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The story of the brevis shell dweller

A tiny shell-dwelling cichlid endemic to Lake Tanganyika that can be kept as a pair or, in a larger tank, a colony.

Boulenger described this small shell-dweller in 1899, originally in Lamprologus. Unusually, a male and female often share the same shell. It is a classic small-tank Tanganyikan.

First described by George A. Boulenger in 1899.

  • A pair may live together inside a single snail shell.
  • Brevis means 'short', referring to its stubby body.
  • It rarely grows longer than about 6 cm.

Sources

16 facts checked with sources