Microsynodontis

Post by **Silurus** » 05 Feb 2003, 10:33

I'm trying to do a CoTM piece on Microsynodontis batesii and my experience with both it and the much smaller "nyong" Microsynodontis so far suggests that they are not really gregarious as one might expect of small catfishes (well, my M. batesii are about 7cm long and are hardly considered small).
Thoughts? Comments?

Post by **Dinyar** » 05 Feb 2003, 14:30

My M. "Nyong" were fairly reclusive too, but they did swim around from time to time, esp. at feeding time.

I wonder about the presumption that smaller catfish are more gregarious. In terms of Mochokids, Chiloglanis seem fairly bold, but many of the smaller Synos like S. robertsi and S. flavitanaetus are very shy. Their behavior may be different if kept with a large number (eg, >3-4) conspecifics.

The other interesting things I noticed about my M. "Nyong" was their undulating swimming motion (quite unlike other Synos or Chilos), their frequent "headstanding" position in Vallisneria and against other vertically striated backgrounds, and the fact that I never saw them swimming upside down (almost all my Synos -- and Chilos too -- will occcasionally skim the water surface and underside of vegetation in an inverted position when relatively buoyant food like FD bloodworms are fed).

Dinyar

Post by **Silurus** » 05 Feb 2003, 14:35

Actually, I just saw my batesii swim upside down the other day. There was a tile placed on top of rocks in the tank that was serving as a shelter and the batesii was swimming upside down against the "ceiling" (the tile). Doesn't seem to do it frequently, though as I have only seen this once or twice in the several months I have kept them.
I have never seen my nyong swim upside down, but neither have I seen them going vertical. They're also not very sociable to conspecifics, since they show a marked reluctance to swim together and I have often seen them bicker.

Sid Guppy · Post by **Sid Guppy** » 05 Feb 2003, 17:31

Small catfish gregarious??
If it wasn't for sheer beauty and extreme rarity (next to being virtually indestructable, staying with me for 16 years and being nice); I would have been bored by Mochokiella a long time; these are SO SHY they can teach any Auchenipterids or Dorads a lesson. They only show during feeding, and only in the background. A very nocturnal fish. It was less when they were young, but not much.
Amphilius are VERY shy too, but go nutty at dinnertime; perhaps being a staple diet of anything bigger in their natural habitat, plays a role here.
Lophiobagrus are real hide-outs too, as well as Phyllonemus, those are a wee bit less nocturnal. Compared to them; Syno's like polli and petricola are like goldfish.....

IME bigger cats are much more boisterous; I can see my polli's all day; Hoplo's are like that too, and lots of Ancistrinae as well (but not my Panaquolus LDA01's; those are as bad as Mochokiella. It might be contagious, as they share the tank

IME- There's a lot of 'inconsistency' however; Syno nigriventris and Syno contractus for example; I've kept both together for a long time. They are similar sized and both peaceful groupers. Whereas the contractus were shy, but curious and visible for most of the time, I couldn't get my nigri's in sight, exept when feeding, and only shortly then. I've kept both as groups 4-5 each, with nice tankmates.
Parauchenoglanis is boisterous as a juvenile and much more reclusive when bigger; whereas big ones like Auchenoglanis are always visible, a slowmoving puppy-like l tankbuster when big....
Flavitaeniatus is one of the shyest syno's I know. Angelicus are crazy! pleurops are nocturnal, Tangsyno's boisterous and visible; especially when kept in numbers. Decorus is shy, but visible.

Post by **Silurus** » 05 Feb 2003, 17:45

Actually, I was thinking of gregarous more in the sense of schooling (maybe I should have used that term instead). Some small cats will definitely swim in groups (Corydoras are the best example, and I've kept Nanobagrus that seemed to enjoy each other's company). Not so the Microsynos I've kept. They are usually all over the place during feeding and then bicker when it comes to choosing hiding spots.

STINGRAY · Post by **STINGRAY** » 05 Feb 2003, 21:18

Hi all, we have a shoal of M Batesi in a sale tank, due to that tank being low down they have never sold and we have therefore had them for some time . During this period of 12month or so they have only grown from 2cm to 5cm, not much really considering a pet S ornatapinnis as grown from 4cm to 12cm in the same period. Most syno's are shy and retiring but can be hand tamed. lge species like S Longirostris have eaten from the hand after several months. With most smaller fish you can usually observe safety in numbers and they will always be bolder because of this and more active in the tank.

Post by **Silurus** » 05 Feb 2003, 21:47

Did you notice whether they were staying together most of the time, or if they were mostly going their own way ? I guess it might be hard to see if it's one or the other in a small tank...
I've had mine in a small tank, and they did not seem to want to group together.

STINGRAY · Post by **STINGRAY** » 06 Feb 2003, 21:00

They spend most of their time spent in the middle of the tank. There is no decor otherwise in the tank and they dont bother with the filter uplift. I will move them over the weekend to a larger tank with suitable caving, but I bet they spend most of the daytime hidden. They get on very well together with no obvious fighting and are not bothered by being in a tank with larger kribs.