What syno to get ?

jarrod_11 · Post by **jarrod_11** » 23 Apr 2006, 10:25

What synodontis would best suit my set up. I have a 75g with small central american cichlids. I already have an ocellifer, Negrita and 2 multipuctatus. What else could i get that hopefully will get on well and isnt to expensive ?

DJRansome · Post by **DJRansome** » 23 Apr 2006, 13:31

You posted in the African catfish forum. Did you mean to post in another forum for Central American catfish?

Post by **Marc van Arc** » 23 Apr 2006, 14:29

This is posted correctly. After all, Synodontis are African catfish.
Jarrod, how do you manage to keep riverine and lake species together? Are your multis doing fine?

jarrod_11 · Post by **jarrod_11** » 23 Apr 2006, 22:06

yep everything is getting along perfectly.

laurab5 · Post by **laurab5** » 24 Apr 2006, 23:23

I would get at least 2 more multi's, as they are a schooling fish and enjoy groups. also, petricola don't get that big, only 4 inches. A nice group would look nice. I like groups of 6 or more.

sidguppy · Post by **sidguppy** » 26 Apr 2006, 20:19

ditto; I wouldn't add more species, but add more fish of species you already have. especially multipunctatus wich is a shoaling fish.

Usually mixing riverines and Riftlake (Tanganyika, Malawi and Viktoria are the Riftlakes) fish is not a good idea.
however, there's 1 big exception to that, wich is Central America.

Unlike other riverine biotopes from wich we keep many fish (South East Asia, Central & West Afrika, South America) wich have all soft and neutral to highly acidic water; Central America has water with a high pH (way up into 8 or even reaching 9), it's very hard too. (lots of calcium and magnesium).
Also, the fauna is unusual; Central America has a fauna wich is dominated by cichlid-species, even a fair number of grazing species (Cryptoheros, Archocentrus and Neetroplus for example).....exactly like Malawi or Tanganyika!

few catfish originate from there, the ones that do are never imported, save for the very rare imports of Rhamdia quelen.
Adding Riftlake Synodontis to a CA tank fits fairly OK taking in waterquality and cichlid behaviour.

One warning I have to give: in the Riftlakes the bulk of species are mouthbreeding species and these "carry their territories with them" much more than the substrate brooders. CA only has substrate breeding cichlids; as a rule these are more agressive than mouthbreeding cichlids!
so you really need to take care NOT to overstock the tank, and to make sure every fish (catfish or cichlid) has its' own cave or rockpile to claim.
otherwise even the sturdy Tanganyikan Syno's are in for a bad time.