Attempting the impossible with S. Angelicus
Posted: 07 Jan 2024, 00:03
Synodontis Angelicus. Yep. I plan to try breeding them. Yes, I know that probably involves hormones. I don't even have them yet - my supplier got some pure ones in (non-hybrid) and they're offering them up, although for a really high price.
Now a few years ago I found out about Ovaprim and did a test with it adding it to the water column with some L397's I had. Not only did they breed within a couple of days after I did that, THEY KEPT BREEDING. I have never added more Ovaprim to them or the water column, but I get fry popping out of caves almost every week now. The plecos were a good 4-5 years old by the time I added the Ovaprim, so they should have been breeding by then. Ovaprim was one of my last options, but I didn't want to inject it, so I tried the water column first. Apparently it worked.
I'm hoping I can get the same results with S. Angelicus. Or maybe I can get a group of Angelicus to breed with injected hormones and then the offspring will be comfortable breeding in captivity on their own. I do hate injecting the fish, but sometimes it just has to be done (I have a paper from the University of Florida showing how bacterial medications added to the water column are not nearly as effective as food-based or injection-based medications - and if a fish isn't eating, that only leaves injection as an option).
I own a lot of "rare" fish that don't seem to have good captive breeding records - Alestopetersius Brichardi, Microctenopoma Ansorgii, Tetraodon Schoudeteni*, S. Flavitaeniatus, just off the top of my head. I would like to add S. Angelicus to this mix too.
But I need to know EVERYTHING about simply owning these guys before attempting to breed them. I have read that they don't get along with each other. I have read that they don't get along with other fish either. I have read that they get along with other fish, except other Synodontis species. I have read that they are fine for "community" tanks with fish of roughly the same size. So much information out there, and it's so hard to tell what is true and what isn't. So I figured I would come to the experts (the people that still use these forums).
Who here has owned S. Angelicus before? Did they have trouble getting along with each other? With other fish? With other synodontis? Did they all seem to get along just fine? How big was the tank you had them in? Do you think that contributed to their (in)ability to get along?
I really want to populate this hobby with them more than anything. But I would *LOVE* to get them breeding on their own in captivity too. I have an empty 300G tank right now that I could put a group of them in, or 35+ other tanks to split them up if needed. If they don't get along with each other very much I may have to keep them separate until full grown and have them vet-tested for gender. After that I can "test" pairs here and there to see what works, and if I'll need to use the spawning hormone.
So dump all of the direct personal experience that you have about these catfish, right here. I'm ready to absorb!
Now a few years ago I found out about Ovaprim and did a test with it adding it to the water column with some L397's I had. Not only did they breed within a couple of days after I did that, THEY KEPT BREEDING. I have never added more Ovaprim to them or the water column, but I get fry popping out of caves almost every week now. The plecos were a good 4-5 years old by the time I added the Ovaprim, so they should have been breeding by then. Ovaprim was one of my last options, but I didn't want to inject it, so I tried the water column first. Apparently it worked.
I'm hoping I can get the same results with S. Angelicus. Or maybe I can get a group of Angelicus to breed with injected hormones and then the offspring will be comfortable breeding in captivity on their own. I do hate injecting the fish, but sometimes it just has to be done (I have a paper from the University of Florida showing how bacterial medications added to the water column are not nearly as effective as food-based or injection-based medications - and if a fish isn't eating, that only leaves injection as an option).
I own a lot of "rare" fish that don't seem to have good captive breeding records - Alestopetersius Brichardi, Microctenopoma Ansorgii, Tetraodon Schoudeteni*, S. Flavitaeniatus, just off the top of my head. I would like to add S. Angelicus to this mix too.
But I need to know EVERYTHING about simply owning these guys before attempting to breed them. I have read that they don't get along with each other. I have read that they don't get along with other fish either. I have read that they get along with other fish, except other Synodontis species. I have read that they are fine for "community" tanks with fish of roughly the same size. So much information out there, and it's so hard to tell what is true and what isn't. So I figured I would come to the experts (the people that still use these forums).
Who here has owned S. Angelicus before? Did they have trouble getting along with each other? With other fish? With other synodontis? Did they all seem to get along just fine? How big was the tank you had them in? Do you think that contributed to their (in)ability to get along?
I really want to populate this hobby with them more than anything. But I would *LOVE* to get them breeding on their own in captivity too. I have an empty 300G tank right now that I could put a group of them in, or 35+ other tanks to split them up if needed. If they don't get along with each other very much I may have to keep them separate until full grown and have them vet-tested for gender. After that I can "test" pairs here and there to see what works, and if I'll need to use the spawning hormone.
So dump all of the direct personal experience that you have about these catfish, right here. I'm ready to absorb!