Lake Malawi Species • Using a Hap to cull fry?

[CheekyGoblin]

I need a way to cull excess fry in my Mbuna tank. I’ve got too many babies! And I’m tired of fishing them out and culling the ones that don’t get eaten. A friend of mine uses a venustus in his tank to eat the fry. Has anyone had success using haps like this?

[magila]

I think small fry might be too good at hiding in the small cracks and holes, where the venustus can't get in...
However a group of synodontis would do some damage control.

[DJRansome]

Agreed Synodontis multipunctatus is ideal...a group of five. They get the fry at night when they are sleeping. The haps sleep at night too so not as effective.

[CheekyGoblin]

How big do they get?

[DJRansome]

Eight inches? Certainly smaller than a venustus.

[damerf]

Wow!! do you need 5 of them to do fry control? I have never had any of these catfish full grown but I do have 3 juveniles growing out. How big is your tank Cheeky?

[DJRansome]

You need five to keep the Syno's happy, they are social and hide if you don't have enough individuals.

You can do 5 multipunctatus in a 55G. Mine are in the 72" tank.

[CheekyGoblin]

140 g 72 inches long, really rocky decor

[jcover]

DJ - not to get off topic, but how old and big are your multipunctatus?

[DJRansome]

The age is difficult because they were caught in the wild and you are starting off not knowing how old they are. The previous owner had them for seven years. I have had them for 10 years. I have not measured but guessing between 6-7 inches.

[Fogelhund]

DJ - not to get off topic, but how old and big are your multipunctatus?

I received a wild pair in 1981. The male grew to 8", and passed away in 2016.

They spawned... a lot... I have three left from a 1986 spawning... biggest is only about 6" though.