# Multies



## iheartfish:) (Jan 19, 2011)

I thought that maybe I should describe my multies a little, give a few updates...
I have two males and three females in a ten gallon tank. Many people say that multies divvy up the tank into two, forming a small mountain in between the territories, but that's not really the case with mine. I have a leftover piece of driftwood with lots of nooks and crannies that the biggest multie has taken a liking to. He has claimed it as his own, but the funny thing is that it is in the very center of the tank.

He pretty much circles the driftwood, checking on the other male's progress and taking care of his two girls. The larger one has dug herself a little cave under the driftwood (it's truly an amazing thing) and rarely comes out from behind the driftwood. Sometimes I have to look for her. The other female, the smallest of the three, has claimed the back right corner and the the two biggest shells. She actually has the coziest corner. Small, but she has a HUGE attitude . The male really doesn't pay much attention to her, she's kind of in the background, minding her own business.

My other male and his wife have taken up residence in the left third of the tank, starting at around where the driftwood ends in the back and the middle of the driftwood in the front. The males don't bother each other much after the first few days. Sometimes the smaller male's female meets up with the smallest female and they have a hissy fit, both far away from their territories and for no apparent reason... Girls  

No babies yet, but I am getting ahead of myself


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## iheartfish:) (Jan 19, 2011)

Babies! Babies!!! I came by the tank to turn their lights out for the night and right around the smallest female's shell I spotted about five babies! So exciting!!! I hope they are multi babies, not guppies... But the female has gotten much more aggressive and checks on them, so I am positive they are hers. It's just so hard to believe... only 22 days after I got them...


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## grogan (Jan 23, 2011)

hmmm...sounds like something you should take a video of so we can all enjoy this. sounds really cool


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

Babies are awesome. Try frozen bbs.


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## Only One Haze (Sep 6, 2011)

Awesome! I agree with Grogan video would be sweet, pics too.


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## iheartfish:) (Jan 19, 2011)

I tried to get pictures, but my camera went on strike and now doesn't want to focus on them. Probably because they're so tiny, though, and it's not the camera's fault 
It's so cool, and I think the other female that belongs to the same male is guarding eggs because she won't move out of this one spot and chases everything away, including the other female and male. 

It seems that the pair on the other side came for a "baby shower"  They swam over and had a nice long look at the babies before seeming to approve, then they turned around and went back home. Lol! 

Merry Christmas to me! The best present ever, babies! I'll see if my camera will take a video of them...


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## iheartfish:) (Jan 19, 2011)

So, I got a few pics that I will try uploading in a few days. The count kind of swings around ; the day after it was six babies, then it went down to five, then four. It stayed at four until yesterday, when I noticed seven of them, the extra three being significantly smaller  WOW. If that's a new spawn, then they really are like rabbits. Also, I read that the females sometimes "babysit", that is, they all put their babies in one female's shell and make a little nursery. Is this true?

And I know I might be hoping for a little too much as they are so shy with their breeding behavior (although mine aren't nearly as shy in other aspects as people make them out to be), but I'm not sure what to make of this: As I was watching them a few days ago, the little female (mother of the existing babies) started displaying a lot, then the male (who is HUGE and who I've never ever seen in a shell before. I honestly didn't think he could fit in one!) came in and they did a somersault. He then exited the shell backwards and the female stayed in and did a few more somersaulty maneuvers. They did this a few times in probably a ten minute span.


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## iheartfish:) (Jan 19, 2011)

Yay, babies  there are seven of them now, but in the pics there aren't that many. Also, the pics are really blurry... sorry.....


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## Only One Haze (Sep 6, 2011)

Awesome! Wish I had another tank to put some multies in!


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## iheartfish:) (Jan 19, 2011)

They are amazing! I absolutely love them; they are my babies


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## iheartfish:) (Jan 19, 2011)

Well then, now that they are bigger it is so much easier to take pics. The first ones are from when they were younger.

Younger:























Now:








































They are growing like weeds and getting very brave.


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## Kimberly (Jan 22, 2012)

They are so cute!! There is something about shell dwellers i just love!


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## iheartfish:) (Jan 19, 2011)

I love them so much  Thank you, Kimberly.

Well, guess what!

My multies decided that now that I have posted pictures of their first spawn, they should give me a second! 

      

I have new babies! There are so many of them, too. There are some in the left and right shells, but none that I can see in the middle one. 

It seems that only this pair are wanting to breed. The others don't have any babies.

Pretty soon it seems I'll have a problem on my hands with this many babies!


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## Kimberly (Jan 22, 2012)

I dont think you will have a problem per say.. You will just have to sell them to others. You could find a local fish society/club. A lot of time they have swap meets, and auctions. Also post an ad on craigslist when the fry get old enough.


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## iheartfish:) (Jan 19, 2011)

Yeah, I got them at the local swap meet, actually  They just charge a lot per table, and I just have a few
Thanks for the advice! I'll try craigslist.


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## iheartfish:) (Jan 19, 2011)

I have more babies!!! I'm so excited  My other pair has spawned! Yes!

It seems that they have a tiny first spawn, then they figure out how to care for them and the spawns get bigger. The first spawn of the first pair was six, the second is at least fifteen. Wow, they are almost impossible to count  The second pair's first spawn has five that I can count.

The very first spawn was so shy and careful, but this next one is a bunch of hooligans! :lol: They are everywhere and are driving their parents nuts! Haha, I guess that's why the first spawn is smaller: so that it's easier to take care of them. Then, when there are siblings to aid in taking care of the young ones, the spawns can be much bigger.

It's so interesting to watch them!


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