Mugwump's Fish World

THE POND-THE FRESHWATER PLACE => Catfish => Topic started by: ilroost on December 15, 2012, 08:39:47 PM

Title: synodontis
Post by: ilroost on December 15, 2012, 08:39:47 PM
anybody else have any of these.
Title: Re: synodontis
Post by: b125killer on December 15, 2012, 08:58:13 PM
I have seen a few. They look neat but I don't know much about them.
Title: Re: synodontis
Post by: ilroost on December 15, 2012, 09:10:00 PM
i got 2 in my cichlid show tank. had them for awhile. they are always out swimming around. not shy at all
Title: Re: synodontis
Post by: PaulineMi on December 16, 2012, 07:12:59 AM
Yes, I've had them.  Nine to be exact...in my African Cichlid tank.  Here's one from a different point of view.   ;)

(http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc306/paulinemi/fishsettings038.jpg)
Title: Re: synodontis
Post by: ilroost on December 16, 2012, 10:32:36 AM
pauline, were they real active? i thought these guy's would only come out at night but they are out swimming all the time.
Title: Re: synodontis
Post by: PaulineMi on December 16, 2012, 04:43:23 PM
Yes they were especially fun to watch at feeding time.  I have some better pictures of them out and about but my husband 's on the computer with the pictures.
Title: Re: synodontis
Post by: Mugwump on December 16, 2012, 06:00:04 PM
If that's the synodontis acanthomia ...they can grow to over 18"....wow
Title: Re: synodontis
Post by: PaulineMi on December 16, 2012, 06:46:44 PM
I had petricola and lucipinis.

What's yours ilroost?
Title: Re: synodontis
Post by: Mugwump on December 16, 2012, 06:49:38 PM
Quote from: PaulineMi on December 16, 2012, 06:46:44 PM
I had petricola and lucipinis.

What's yours ilroost?

whew...a shoal of big ones blew my mind....LOL
Title: Re: synodontis
Post by: PaulineMi on December 16, 2012, 06:51:47 PM
Ha....yeah.  Hubby would kick me out if I dragged in a tank big enough for those guys.
Title: Re: synodontis
Post by: Mugwump on December 16, 2012, 06:56:54 PM
I've, in the long ago past, had some monster Plecos...they're destroyers...uproot everything and make a mess...glass is clean, LOL,,but everything else was chaos....for their size they're hell to catch...I ended up putting food in a gallon jar on it's side, and trapping him....he still finned/horned me and drew blood....he was almost 20".....I called him barge butt... 8) 8) 8) 8) 8)..traded him for some dark gold marble fry....
Title: Re: synodontis
Post by: ilroost on December 16, 2012, 07:56:08 PM
i believe mine are eupterus
Title: Re: synodontis
Post by: Mugwump on December 16, 2012, 08:03:36 PM
Quote from: ilroost on December 16, 2012, 07:56:08 PM
i believe mine are eupterus

Nice.....I see em at swaps now and then....might take a closer look at the next one..
Title: Re: synodontis
Post by: Mugwump on December 16, 2012, 08:05:34 PM
oh...and what do you feed them??...I take it they're pretty good scavengers too....??
Title: Re: synodontis
Post by: b125killer on December 16, 2012, 08:08:35 PM
I found this on them. I didn't know there where so many species of Synodontis.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Featherfin_squeaker


Title: Re: synodontis
Post by: Mugwump on December 16, 2012, 08:14:03 PM
Origin Lake Tanganyika
Size Rarely over 3.5 inches
Sexual Differences Females chubbier and darker
Temperature 75 to 80 F.  Warm up a bit to spawn.
Attitude Very active day and night
Security Likes caves
Foods Heavy eater
pH Prefers higher pH
Biggest Threat Dirty water
Breeding Comments Lots of babies for such a small catfish

Groups.  Most people keep petricolas as singles because of their high price.  Petricolas prefer to hang in groups.  The more the merrier, but their high price keeps their numbers low for most people.

Water.  Since petricolas came from Lake Tanganyika, you know they prefer a high pH.  Word of caution:  Organics (ammonia and nitrite) present a huge problem at high pH levels.  Make frequent and large water changes if you expect to keep these guys.  Ditto with your African cichlids.  Since both these types of fish eat (and digest) great quantities of food, they can be their own worst enemies.  Change their water often.

Tank Decor.  Unlike many catfishes, Synodontis petricolas prefer to spend their days cruising.  They enjoy rockwork and caves as much as the next catfish (and African cichlids).  Petricola means rock dweller.  They accept flower pots with or without notches in them also.

Tank Mates.  Keep your petricolas with African cichlids ? especially the Tanganyikans.  They like the same water conditions.  Or, keep them with regular community fishes.

Food.  In Lake Tanganyika, petricolas apparently devour snails.  In captivity they eat nearly any food offered.  They eat food from the floor of their tank (and from the surface).

Breeding Reports.  We?ve never bred petricolas ourselves.  Others have bred them as ?cuckoos? like the S. multipunctatus a very similar Synodontis from Lake Tanganyika .  The fry seem too small to eat the eggs of other fishes.  And much larger spawns have been reported by breeding them in ?flower pots.?

Breeding Setup.  You need a bare tank and two containers ? a clear one on the bottom full of dark marbles and the other on top as a lid.  Of course, you need an opening in the top one for the breeders to access this catfish boudoir.  You need two of these so you can change them daily ? partially checking for eggs, partially for getting rid of their waste products.

Fry Survival.  Eggs hatch in 24 hours.  Due to their small size, they will need infusoria and microworms their first week or two.  You can then add newly hatched brine shrimp which they will need for two or three months.  Then start converting them to larger foods -- live, frozen, flake, etc.  They grow very slowly.

Last Comments. Clean water is essential to keeping most Synodontis catfishes ? especially if you keep them at the 8+ pH levels found in Lake Tanganyika.  And petricolas like to travel in schools.  They stay most active in larger groups.

Title: Re: synodontis
Post by: Mugwump on December 16, 2012, 08:16:05 PM
Quote from: b125killer on December 16, 2012, 08:08:35 PM
I found this on them. I didn't know there where so many species of Synodontis.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Featherfin_squeaker

LOL...good link..I found the other one at 'Planetcatfish'...
Title: Re: synodontis
Post by: ilroost on December 17, 2012, 05:42:18 PM
i feed mine just about anything i got, they don't seem to picky. flakes, algea wafers, shrimp pellets, whatever !!!