I havnt really seen them in the shells yet. Will they use them mainly for breading or do they hang in them too?
My multis tend to hang out a lot above their shells. They tend to use them for protection when they get spooked and for breeding, at least IME.
Will they appreciate veggie flake too?
In the wild multis primarily feed on zooplankton, so a meaty diet is best. Mine absolutely go insane for daphnia, brine shrimp (live or frozen) and frozen blood worms. They also really enjoy the Meat Pie Repashy food and flake food. They may eat the veggie flake, but it isn't really the best option for a staple diet.
And is there too much current in the tank? Only filter is an AC70
If they are having trouble swimming and/or are being "blown" around a lot, then there is probably too much of a current for them. I sometimes use extra filter foam in the outflow to decrease the current when it is too much in some of my tanks. I've never had a problem doing this as long as I haven't completely blocked the outflow then the filter will flood. If you'd like I can try and post a picture to show you what I mean when I get home later.
Enjoy your multis, they were my first cichlid and still one of my favorites. Soon enough they will start taking over the tank with their offspring.
