Ongoing Synodontis Thread

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Re: Ongoing Synodontis Thread

Post by Jools »

Great to see an S. angelicus again, I love that species.

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Re: Ongoing Synodontis Thread

Post by ad88 »

Jools wrote: 11 Feb 2020, 12:02 Great to see an S. angelicus again, I love that species.

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I found it here in Oklahoma in a small local fish store. They usually have adults that people have traded in, but I luckily got this one at around 2 inches the photo is when I first got it it's around 4 inches now. I paid $100 for it which I assumed was a good price.
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Re: Ongoing Synodontis Thread

Post by Mrsomethingfishy »

Ive had them in the past and i was amazed at how majestic and beautiful they were in the tank. Reminded me of the whale sharks in the ocean
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Re: Ongoing Synodontis Thread

Post by ad88 »

Mrsomethingfishy wrote: 12 Feb 2020, 17:37 Ive had them in the past and i was amazed at how majestic and beautiful they were in the tank. Reminded me of the whale sharks in the ocean
Mine for the first time swam to the top of the tank to get pellets when I came to feed! It normally just swims over the gravel where I am feeding so it surprised me to see him doing that for the first time.He or she is also very pretty almost velvety looking.
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Re: Ongoing Synodontis Thread

Post by Jools »

Fish prices are a funny thing. In the late 1980s, I first saw this fish at £200 or, then, US$400 - in today's money that's going to be north of $400 not including the above-inflation rise in transport costs. I've seen them cheapest maybe 10-15 years ago, at about $40. They're cheaper here in the UK as they tend to be imported a shorter distance. In your LFS in Oklahoma, they've surely travelled further and possibly passed through a couple more layers of commercial transactions/margin.

All that said, in your shoes, I'd pay $100 bucks for it!

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Re: Ongoing Synodontis Thread

Post by Mrsomethingfishy »

Couple pics of a few synos in the tank. Theres 3 different purchases in these two pics.
20200214_153302.jpg

This first one is of a juvenile i got labelled as multipunctatus. I am thinking it may be a grandiops tho. Still beautiful fish.
20200214_153403.jpg
this second one is actually two pick ups. The one on the right, with lighter coloration is one that @birger has said is a grandiops. The one on the left, darker and larger one...he's from my recent pick up. I bought 8X "multipunctatus" from a local hobbyist that was downsizing. They all look alike and are definitely starting to get comfortable in the new set-up and in my house. So hard to get decent pics of these guys unless im able to sneak up on the tank lol
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Re: Ongoing Synodontis Thread

Post by TalenT »

I have three S.nigriventris in a 50 liter tank. The tank is doing very well, heavily planted. Plants are growing like crazy. Lots of hardscape/hiding places. Weekly 50% water changes, good filtration. Plenty of variation in food. I've been/worked in the hobby for close to 40 years.

The three S.nigriventris share the tank with 2 Corydoras habrosus, 3 Ancistrus claro and 3 amano shrimp.

The Synodontis cats have been very secretive, I rarely see them even at feeding. Once a week I might catch a glimpse of one of them, if I'm lucky.
Just a few minutes ago, I took a look at the tank and I see one of the Synodontis among the plants. Upon looking closer I see that ALL the soft fin tissue is missing.
Anal and pelvic fins - COMPLETELY gone!
Pectoral, dorsal and caudal fins - only, and i mean ONLY the hard (leading) rays remain!
What in the world?

I took a flashlight and started looking for the other two Synodontis nigriventris. I find one hiding under a piece of driftwood, perfectly fine.
The other one I can barely see, but it seems to also have a damaged caudal fin.
The only time I've ever seen anything like this has been Ancistrus that had been sharing tank with Mbuna Malawi cichlids and gotten stripped of all their fins.

This is my first time keeping this species and from what I've read they are not aggressive towards each other. What is this then? Any ideas?
The Corydoras, Ancistrus and shrimp are doing perfectly fine and as I said it is a very well-maintained tank.
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Re: Ongoing Synodontis Thread

Post by Viktor Jarikov »

The only thing I can think of is the syno-on-syno aggression, perhaps the two males are damaged and the female is fine, albeit it'd be the first time I hear of it among the nigriventris, or alternatively a fin rot.
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Re: Ongoing Synodontis Thread

Post by TalenT »

It is 3AM here, so I will look further into this and take action tomorrow.
I have the option to move fish to a much larger tank (240 liter). Any suggestions on which of the trio I should move? All of them, some of them, only the most badly damaged?
The 240 liter tank is a peaceful community tank with tetras, Loricariids and Doradids.
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Re: Ongoing Synodontis Thread

Post by TalenT »

Update:
First thing today I started preparing for moving the Synos. As I caught them I placed them one by one in a clear container to be able to document the fin damage. It was very hard to get any good photos at all because the catfish constant swimming.

Here is the largest individual let's call this one "01". Even this one has some damage, particularly on the pelvic fins. It also shows a distinct, pointy genital papilla (marked with green).
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Re: Ongoing Synodontis Thread

Post by TalenT »

Here's the "middle" individual (by size). Let's call this one "02". It has severe fin damage in all fins but I'd say that it looks worse in the photos because the motion blur cause parts of the fins to "disappear" on photo. Especially the caudal fin. The pelvic fins are almost completely gone.
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Re: Ongoing Synodontis Thread

Post by TalenT »

So we come to the smallest individual, let's call this one "03". This is the one I saw hiding in the plants last night. Almost all soft fin tissue is gone. Again, the photos are very blurry because of the constant swimming. Most of the caudal fin is gone, and although this is very serious damage,it is not as bad irl as it looks in the blurry pics. And the poor little fella can still swim amazingly well.

I've had these three Synodontis nigriventris together in this tank for about one year. They have always been secretive and seldom seen, apart from feeding time. They have not shown any signs of discomfort/illness the times I've seen them and this fin damage thing must have happened within the last weeks I would say.

So what happened? My guess is that the aggression level between them was manageable as long as they and the Corydoras habrosus were the only fish in the tank.
I added 3 Ancistrus claro in September 2019 (two males and one female), and my guess is that it triggered a heightened level of aggression between the synos, perhaps because of competition for hiding places/territory.
Well, that is my guess anyway.
I moved 01 and 02 to the 240 liter tank mentioned earlier. 03 gets to stay and hopefully recuperate. Since I moved the fish earlier today I've kept an eye on them, and 01 & 02 are doing well in the larger tank, exploring their new environment. 03 has found a hiding spot under a piece of driftwood and seems to be doing well.
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Re: Ongoing Synodontis Thread

Post by Mrsomethingfishy »

I am also thinking its "syno on syno" crime lol. They might have sensed breeding of your ancistrus or who knows. I was watching my tanks last night and witnessed a few of mine chasing each other around the tank. Theyre usually not THAT rough with each other...but anything is possible with them lol hope you a speedy recovery for your fish
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Re: Ongoing Synodontis Thread

Post by Mrsomethingfishy »

So ive been watching my tanks and have definitely noticed some strange behaviours. I keep catching two of my newest group of "multis" doing a dance i could only describe as courting or mating. The one...the bigger of the two, will swim around being followed by the other...who will "bite" at the vent area of the larger one. A few times ive seen this reversed, ending in the "male" curving his body around the "female". He kinda shudders for a second and then they take off. Its been going on for days now...and jus the other night i found a cichlid holding eggs. I wasnt able to see the spawning...but i do know my male has been lit up lile a Christmas tree in breeding color. Hoping that this adult group is in fact at reproductive age and that theyre in fact pairing off. I have noticed some hostility between some of the "males" of that group as well.
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Re: Ongoing Synodontis Thread

Post by Viktor Jarikov »

Most definitely this sounds like a breeding behavior. In my tiny experience, the "shuddering" display is an unmistakable "I am ready to mate" signal.
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Re: Ongoing Synodontis Thread

Post by Mrsomethingfishy »

I keep trying to get some pictures of them...but still kinda skittish around my place. I figure they will take a while to actually get used to the new tank and household. I am a heavy footed walker...and i have two mastiffs that weigh about 100-120 lbs each. But to see them start this behavior less then a month after me buying them is very encouraging for me.
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Re: Ongoing Synodontis Thread

Post by Viktor Jarikov »

For cross-referencing a related / similar thread: viewtopic.php?f=8&t=48881&p=322785#p322785
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Re: Ongoing Synodontis Thread

Post by Mrsomethingfishy »

Going to be deep cleaning the tanks tonight. I will have some pics of my newest, but most mature group of "multi's". I have to catch one of them to put him into a hospital tank, as he/she has been on the recieving end of some aggression the last week or two. Looking foward to getting some pics to figure out if theyre indeed multipunctatus or not. Definitely seeing a bunch of what i can only describe as breeding behaviours. Hoping to see some fry sometime in 2020 lol
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Re: Ongoing Synodontis Thread

Post by Mrsomethingfishy »

Hello everyone, hope you guys are safe and healthy during this crazy time we are going thru. I have been deemed "essential worker", and our shop has almost halfed our regular output. I am apprentice autobody and collision damage repairer in Canada...but i am in a truck shop. I fix fleet vehicles for commercial company's. With the increase in need of trucks to keep supply lines open, we are insanely busy. This is one of the reasons i havent been on to update. Anyways.....hope you all are doing well and keeping healthy. On with the fish updates..

Got a 75 gallon tank a week or two ago, and decided to upgrade my display tank. I grabbed a few pics of the "multi's" i have in there, but im in the middle of switching tanks...so the water is gross looking as ive stirred up all the "crap" that was in there. I plan on giving you guys another look at my petricola group as well...cuz theyre definitely getting bigger.
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Re: Ongoing Synodontis Thread

Post by Jools »

They look nice, quite young (?) . Good luck with the breeding project. Interesting also to hear about your wider circumstances, crazy times indeed.


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Re: Ongoing Synodontis Thread

Post by Birger »

Your petricola are of course lucipinnis. I used piles of river rock which they enjoyed swimming in and out of. The more cover they have the braver they are to come out.

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Re: Ongoing Synodontis Thread

Post by Iamfish »

Awesome fish, good luck with your breeding. I am only keeping 1 syno at the moment but he is my favorite fish.
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Re: Ongoing Synodontis Thread

Post by Mrsomethingfishy »

Jools wrote: 20 Apr 2020, 07:49 They look nice, quite young (?) . Good luck with the breeding project. Interesting also to hear about your wider circumstances, crazy times indeed.


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Yes...i do believe they're grandiops as well...jus needed confirmation. From what i undsrstand, the majority of my group is 3-4 years old. All are about 6inch or so.
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Re: Ongoing Synodontis Thread

Post by Mrsomethingfishy »

Birger wrote: 27 Apr 2020, 23:38 Your petricola are of course lucipinnis. I used piles of river rock which they enjoyed swimming in and out of. The more cover they have the braver they are to come out.

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Thank you for the confirmation. I definitely dont know as much as you guys do when it comes to these fish....always appreciated my friend.
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Re: Ongoing Synodontis Thread

Post by Mrsomethingfishy »

My camera is cracked on my phone....but i have some good news ladies and gentlemen. WE HAVE CATFISH BABIES!!! synodontis grandiops. From what i can see..4 fry from one female aulonocara baenschi. I knew i was seeing breeding behaviors starting to happen within the group. Im so excited!! I wish i wasnt the only fish nerd in my household lol. Sharing with you guys before i tell my wife lol sorry for crappy pictures
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Re: Ongoing Synodontis Thread

Post by Mrsomethingfishy »

My camera is cracked in the glass...i will try to borrow my wodes tomorrow.
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Re: Ongoing Synodontis Thread

Post by bekateen »

Holy cow! Congratulations! They parasitized the Aulonocara? Are there other species in the tank?

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Re: Ongoing Synodontis Thread

Post by bekateen »

Good luck raising the fry. I hope you fill out a spawning report ;-)
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Re: Ongoing Synodontis Thread

Post by Mrsomethingfishy »

Yes. Theres only grandiops in the tank, and the peacocks. I have about 7 lucipinnis in another tank. I watched my dominant male sunshine spawning with one of his females...the syno's kept charging in. I watched the whole thing and didnt even catch the "switch" lol.
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Re: Ongoing Synodontis Thread

Post by bekateen »

@Birger, get a load of this! Synodontis grandiops spawned again!

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