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I'm setting up a new 125 gallon tank this spring, and planning to move my 6 clown loaches,1 syno. eupterus, 6 Botia Kubotai loaches and 4 pimlodella pictus into it, along with the siamese flying foxes and ottos from their current 75 gallon setup. I want to add a couple of Syno. multipunctatus also. Anyone have experience with these guys?? Are they decent community citizens likely to get along with my other fish?? I've seen them in cichlid tanks so I know they're tough. I just don't want to add them if they're NASTY. My 18 yr. old S. Eupterus is a very mellow guy, rarely bothers anybody, even the little ottos in his tank. I'm hoping the multi's are of similar disposition??

the otos might be in danger, but you're otherwise likely OK. Multies are tempermental - sometimes they don't bother anyone, and sometimes they bother everyone. hard to say. Just keep an eye on them for the first few weeks. There's an account somewhere on here of a school of multies killing an adult eupterus. Similar to a pack of wolves. I had the two together without incident, but you never know.

I've got one in a mixed commuity with other Synos & loaches. It can hold its own but isn't aggressive(as in chasing after other fish). I rarely see it however as it only comes out for quick jaunts when food is put into the tank.

Helo Lorne8. Got one you rarely see, huh? perhaps he needs friends. The species discription says they do well with their own kind, but since I haven't kept them yet....well, that's why I'm here. Glad to hear he doesn't bother your other cats or loaches. Syno's and loaches seem, to me, to be a natural combination, although they don't occur together naturally.

The multis require different water parameters then your current fishes. Multis are from the Rift Lakes, whereas your fishes are all riverines. I personally wouldn't put them together in one tank.

Marc is right - the multis really should have a tank with different water conditions.

That said, they will do well in a community tank as long as the water stays at pH 7.0 & does not vary into the acidic side of neutral (i.e. 6.9 or less). I have never encountered problems with multis - either picking on fish or eating smaller ones - this could be due to the mixes i've kept them in , or them not ever being starving & having to consider small fish a meal.

If you wanted another syno to go in your tank there are better choices than a multi - pleurops, decorus, alberti, flavitaeniatus, nummifer, waterloti, greshoffi, soloni....the list goes on......

Thanks for the input folks. As far as water conditions, I'm on a well that runs about 7.8 PH and slightly on the hard side, so I'm actually closer to African lake conditions than what I should have for my South American cats or Asian loaches. That said, it's good water overall and none of my cats or loaches seem to have any issues with the chemistry. I don't try to adjust my water parameters, aside from keeping it clean and well filtered. Although I've never tried doing so, it always seemed like a lot of work and I like to keep things simple. I do 50% weekly WC's and clean my filters at the same time. My experience has been that the majority of fish, at least the ones I've kept over the years, will adjust to my local water chemistry just fine. I wouldn't try Discus in my tanks or some of the other more delicate types, but catfish and loaches seem to be pretty adaptable. As for the multi's, I'll keep an open mind and look around at some of the other suggested options. Thanks for your help!!