# Have a bit of a problem. Similis shell dwellers.



## bubbles

Not too long ago, about 3 generations of these guys, I bought what i thought were Lamprologus Similis from this young man in Mississauga. Turned out to be a lie they were in fact there were hybrids Multifasciatus. I was sold a bag of shells told they were similis. The kijiji ad said they were similis, told there was eight in the bag hiding in the shells. brought them home over the next weeks they slowly emerged turned out to in fact be six fish, one died a few days later all the fish were young some larger. Well skip ahead a few weeks, first fry are seen. A lot more weeks the fry are young adults showing they're markings more and more I look, I've never seen similis in person but all along I had my suspicions, these were hybrids because some of the young were multi's I have seen Multies before, these had faint thin vertical stripes that end at the gill plate, like Multies. During this process I separated the best male and female from the original six because of fighting between the males gave him the best Similis like female and later they bred and had fry. I have since given away the original colony and started the new one with the similis hopefuls. Well guess what? I got a Similis. Now i know what they look like in person. My question is what do i do with this colony I have now? should I give it away also and start something new? or should i stick with it and make more Simlis? Are they even really Similis? What do I do about this guy (young man) who sold it to me? He may be on here.

thanks
mike.


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## AustinLear

They look like they're showing traits of both to me. The striping isn't quite dark enough/far forward enough to be a similis but it's also far forward enough that it doesn't look like a pure multi either. 

If they're healthy, you enjoy them and are not trying to breed to sell as a pure multi/pure similis then I wouldn't worry about it.


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## bubbles

AustinLear said:


> They look like they're showing traits of both to me. The striping isn't quite dark enough/far forward enough to be a similis but it's also far forward enough that it doesn't look like a pure multi either.
> 
> If they're healthy, you enjoy them and are not trying to breed to sell as a pure multi/pure similis then I wouldn't worry about it.


Thanks for the reply, I unfortunately gave them away to someone who will love them as they are and promised not to sell or distribute them as Similis. Be careful buying fish people! they may turn up bust.


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## AustinLear

If you're looking for some really healthy similis Finatics in Mississauga has some right now. They also have a buy 3 get the 4th free special on fish/plants, good time to start a colony of shellies!


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## newcichlidking

I think at least the fish in pic No. 2 is definitely Neolamprologus similis, not N. multifasciatus. The pattern in the dorsal and caudal fins prove it. N. multifasciatus does have clear caudal and mostly clear dorsal fin. The brightness, especially in a picture, is not a criteria to determine a species in a tank. Also N. multifasciatus is usually darker than N. similis.


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## bubbles

I had a representation of both Multi and similis showing three types of patterns. Some looked multi, some looked similis, and some looked like both. 
more pics.


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