[cdavitt]

This site has been so helpful for my 55 gallon Mbuna tank that I wanted to ask some basic question about Synodontis multipunctatus catfish.

I am setting up another 55 gallon tank. I wanted to do a group of 6-8 Synodontis multipunctatus and then some sort of cichlid that would be a good fit for if/when the catfish breed.

From reading I know breeding them requires them to be 3-5 years old so that makes it tough.

I guess my real question really is what is required for a comfortable and happy Synodontis multipunctatus habitat and what would some good tank mates be?

Does the usual PFS and lace rock work for these guys? Do they need drift wood or plants? Cichlids seem to breed just about anywhere but do these cats as well? Or do they need specific breeding caves like for plecos? Is there a way to strip these fish and tumble the eggs if that is easier then tricking a cichlid into carrying the eggs?

Any other obvious questions I didn’t ask? advice for keeping/breeding Synodontis multipunctatus? links?

thanks!

 

[toddnbecka]

I have a group of 5 adults in a 75, plenty of cover among the rockpile. The tank also houses a breeding group of eureka red peacocks. I have 2 nearly grown multi's that were spawned in the tank, andd had seen several more just-released small ones that apparently got eaten soon afterward. The peacocks have since caught on, and the last couple rounds of fry were all cichlids. I'll be moving the adult breeders to another 75 with a group of ruby red peacocks soon, need to move out the trio of P. williamsi first.
Pretty much any species of large-mouthed Hap will well work as hosts for multi's, but a 55 is a bit small to house a group of them, or anything other than dwarf mbuna really. You can strip the cichlids and tumble the eggs after they spawn, that will likely result in more multi fry. The buggers eat their siblings after they finish off the cichlid eggs in the host's mouth.

 

[woogie0004]

i have 11 wild caught syno in a 180 with 34 o. lithobates. there are 3 clay flower pots for decoations and a sand substrate. the synos will be shy at first but will become very friendly a few of mine will eat out of my hand. if you are strictly trying to breed the more bare set up is better it is easier to maintain and catch fish. my synos have been spawning for almost 3 months now and have had 61 fry with two lithobates holding right now. i strip the females on day 4 the syno will already be hatched if you are luck enough to have any. i am not concerned with raiseing any lithobates so if there are no catfish eggs i feed the eggs to my fry syno. if you wait to long the syno will canibilize each other leaveing you with one or two large syno. they dont need driftwood plants or caves. there have been reports of them scattering eggs like petricola but this is rare and useing a host fish is the most common practice. the fry grow extrmely fast mine hit 1 inch at about a month. also after the fry are free swiming you must feed them well other wise they will eat each other

 

[tranced]

i hear that standard acei are the best hosts for these cats.

 

[Fogelhund]

i hear that standard acei are the best hosts for these cats.

Anything with a big mouth will do.

 

[cdavitt]

Thanks for the input. I am not doing this strictly to breed them. I really wanted to get a good group of them because I like how they all cruzie together. If the group I get eventually breeds that’s a bonus.

So I guess my question now leads more towards stocking options. I have a 55 gallon tank. I want to put 4-6 of these guys in there. I'd prefer to pick the tank mates on temperament rather than the chance of them aiding in the breeding process.

Typically a 55 gallon I have been told 3 breeding harems of 1:4 or 1:5. Could I get away with 2 mbuna harems and then the 4-6 syno's? Maybe something bright as tank mates like red zebras and acei? I’d try to cull them from 7-8 down to a 1:4 group.

Other advice on tank mates or the setup?