Breeding Synodontis Lucipinnis - Why Black Marbles?

[FTLOSM]

Hi everyone,

Had a quick question about breeding, I have what I thought was Synodontis Petricola but were identified as Synodontis Lucipinnis thanks to the help in these forums

I have been reading up on how to get them to breed, and am a bit confused, what is the purpose of the black marbles at bottom of clear bowl with flowerpot over it?

In nature, where or how do these guys reproduce? Black marbles just seemed strange, the clear bowl is just for watching for the eggs right?

They need to be watched and once there are eggs pull the bowl and tumble till born right? Ok then, how in the wild do the eggs get tumbled?

Also what is it with flowerpots, just an easy hiding spot cheap that wont effect the water chemestry, I see many clay or terricotta pots used in many pics and tanks and always wondered why is there anything to the coloring or something too or just the hiding spot/privacy it gives?

Just seems like there could be a much cooler looking breeding cave made and never understood the black marble thing.


I have 3 (sex unknown) just hoping one is female of the 3, all are about 11-13 months old by best guestimate. I want to get more of these but they are a bit expensive and not so easy to come by.

Was planning on giving them a dedicted 20 gallon tank with 2 breeding "pot" design units, then have a 3rd here to swap out one or the other every so often to keep things clean and such.

Do you just peek in with a flashlight and look for tiny eggs at the bottom of the marbles?

Lastly diet wise, I read black worms were fed, if I do a dedicated tank for them here like I described, should I try black worms? I have these 3 in a regular cichlid tank currently and it seems like they eat and grow fine off the variety mix of foods I feed those fish...

Thanks for any help and or answers/suggestions, links to good pics and info more about breeding etc.

Bill

[Richard B]

As far as i understand it, these are "cave" spawners in the wild, so the flowerpot is an artificial cave for them to use. The marbles are to stop them eating their own eggs.

They are not fussy feeders but to keep them in good health a wide variety of good quality foods should be offered. To bring them into breeding condition you may want to go for a high percentage of 'meaty' foods, shredded prawn, bloodworms, finely chopped earthworms, whiteworms etc - or whatever is available to you.

A dedicated tank is most suitable rather than ixing other species.

The best piece of advice i can give is to have a long conversation with someone who is spawning them regularly - email if neccessary rather than actually in person or on the phone - someone in these forums should be willing.

[FTLOSM]

Thanks for the reply here, have done alot of reading and just google searching, I think I got the basics of what to "try" yet still not sure on the sex of what I have here or their exact age altho I know they fall between somewhere around a yr at this point.

Seems cheap enough to try it so will give it a good shot here and would LOVE to hear from someone breeding these.

Will also check with petstore for other foods like the worms and such, currently I guess they just eat the variety of stuff I feed the cichlids, but when I put them into a dedicated tank with their breeding caves I think combined with good foods for them and if I am lucky (have at least 1 female) then maybe someday soon I will have some babies.

Bill

[Richard B]

Check out the article on sexing synodontis within this site - it has some good pointers.

if your specimens are large enough you should be able to genital papillae on the males, in addition if they are in good condition feamles will appear fuller bodied when viewed from above