Hecqui Shell Dweller

The hecqui shell dweller is similar in behavior to the brevis shell dweller but grows just about one inch larger. The Hecqui Shell Dweller spends its life in and around his chosen shell, so he only needs a small area in the aquarium to keep himself content. Male hecqui love to share their shell with females but will fight with other males to keep their shell to themselves. Shell dwellers are hardy and great additions to community tanks and peaceful cichlid tanks. These small fish love their shells, so try to keep a few in the aquarium that are lightweight and not too large for them to manipulate but large enough for them to get into.

Quick Facts

Care Guide

Tank setup: Use a fine sand bottom they can dig in and provide more empty snail shells (escargot shells work well) than there are fish. Lake Malawi and Lake Tanganyika cichlids need hard, alkaline water; crushed coral or aragonite sand helps hold the pH up.

Feeding: Feed crushed flake or micro pellets once or twice a day, only as much as they eat in a couple of minutes. They also enjoy frozen brine shrimp.

Tankmates: Keep shell dwellers in a species tank or with small, peaceful Tanganyikans like cyprichromis or julidochromis. Larger cichlids will bully or eat them.

Good to know: Shell dwellers are fun to watch as they move shells and dig sand to arrange their territory.