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My Polka-dot Syno (Syno. angelicus) is ravaging the new shoots of my Java fern. It's no surprise. The Syno is adamantly nocturnal and not even very active during the evening. I tend to feed at twilight since I can involve more of my charges and monitor portions. By the time the catfish is on the prowl, the tank has been picked pretty clean by three Clown Loaches, a Bala Shark and a hand-full of Corys.

I've tried a few strategies to get food to the Syno in an effort to ease the burden on the tattered fern but nothing has really worked. The latest was to use a rigid plastic tube to deliver a few pellets to the Syno's lair after hours but the three Loaches were on it before the catfish stirred. Oh the melee that ensued! It didn't stop till the Loaches had liberated every scrap in spite of the beating they were taking from the Syno. Live and learn. No permanent damage done, though...

Anyway, I'm thinking it's better to have tattered fern than to grossly overfeed. I was wondering if anyone would have any ideas to ease the situation.

Thanks in advance,
Jon

Maybe put some floating food in? If he is like my syno's he feeds after the other cats have cleaned up so I leave him some floating bloodworm and he flips upsidedown and eats it off the surface.

Your loaches might catch onto this though...

Scatter the food liberally in all corners of the tank. Hopefully, the other fish can't get to all of it before the syno does.

Otherwise, use a longer-lasting food like algae wafers (whole, not broken up, so that the corys have a real hard time eating those).

Bingo. Actually, I did both tonight with great success. The wafers lasted plenty long to the the Syno on the prowl. After that, some pellets in the corners was all that it took.

My ferns and I thank you!

Jon