Topic: Synos

[mrbigfish]

Hi all. First question is can you mix all Syno cats? I already have a featherfin and a multipunctata. Ant the other Q is how many Synos would you put in a 75gal? I currently have a mixyure of 11 zebras, labs, an eye biter, and a couple others whose names I can't think of roght now. There is some mild agression but nothing major, just the natural size pecking order. thanks.

[tracey]

Personally, I would not mix an S. eupterus (Featherfin) with any other Synos    They are known for their aggression and it only gets worse as they get older and larger.  About a year ago, I heard two or three reports of large Eupterus's killing off tankmates as large as Oscars 

Also, your Multi is a schooling fish and probably isn't all that happy being by himself.  They really should be kept in groups of at lest three with five or six being more preferable. 

If it were me, I would trade in the Eupterus and look at increasing the number of Multis.

What's the footprint of you 75g?

[altaaffe]

Agree totally with Tracey on your options.  I'd stick to only one type of Syno in any tank but a group of multipunctatus are great to watch and are one of the more social syno's.

[mrbigfish]

Thanks Tracey and Al. Funny thing is the featherfin stats in his log most of the time, comes out to eat and play around for a while when lights are on. Multi is active all the time. Could you put a featherfin in a tank with anO? I thought they were African cats. I have an O and a striped raphael ina 55gal. How would that work out?

[tracey]

Featherfins (S. eupterus) are Riverine catfish rather than Rift Lake cats and are more comfortable with a neutral ph and water conditions similar to those for SA/CA cichlids.

Multi's are from Lake Tanganyika and need the higher ph and harder water that we normally associate with Rift Lake cichlids.

Your Featherfin may be spending most of its time hiding now, but I would imagine it is still young.  5 to 6 years old seems to be about the age when they start to develop that nasty personality.  It is, of course, possible that yours may not develop that nastiness, but if it were me, having read what I have read about them, I would not risk it.

[mrbigfish]

Ok, Tracey what would be good tankmates for a featherfin?

[tracey]

For an adult Featherfin?  I would look to what else inhabits the same region.

Tilapia sp are found in West African rivers and should be more than hardy enough to manage even an aggressive Featherfin.  The most common one if, of course, T. buttikoferi, and anyone who's kept a Butti will assure you they're quite able to look after themselves 

Some species of one of my favourite fish, Bichirs, also come from that region.  The Senegal Bichir would probably be one of the most common and readily available of the West African Bichirs, as well as being one of the smaller ones.  I have an albino Senegal and he is ridiculously friendly, certainly on a par with my Dat and my Oscar

For smaller cichlids, you could look at fish like Jewel Cichlids, Hemichromis bimaculatus.  Again, anyone who's ever kept Jewell will tell you they're tough little fish.

How about a Spiney Eel?  Some of the members of the Mastacembelus family are found in that region.  The Tire Track might be a little large for your tank, but some of the other species would probably work. 

There are plenty of other species that I just don't know enough about to recommend that would work as well.

[mrbigfish]

thanks Tracey, that's a big help