Synodontis lucipinnis behaviour/visability

[Phyllonemus]

I have a question about Synodontis lucipinnis behaviour/visability.

Myself and a friend of mine do have both a group of S.lucipinnis. Both groups are from the same age and are coming from the same store.
My group is far more visible during the day than his group, (my group is 5 pcs.) I see them whole day and the friend of mine is seeing them almost only 2 hours before the light is going out. (His group is 7 pcs)

I always thought that increasing the number of Synodontis lucipinnis will make them more vissible, in this situation it don' t.

I think that the aquascape has a influece to the vissability. My aquascape is a little rock to the left and right of the tank and I have placed some stones and open spaces in between those rocks His aquascape has a big rock and stones, with almost no open spaces in between them.

Am I right about that the aquascape is a influece too the vissability of the species ?

[MatsP]

All manner of things affect fishs' visibility. The aquascape certainly does, but so does tank-mates, lighting, group size, movement in the room where the tank is some of the factors. And of course individual fishs' behaviour will also affect their visibility.

--
Mats

[Richard B]

IME aquascape is very important - however you set things up, it needs to make the fish feel as secure as possible & then they'll be comfortable to be out & about.

[andywoolloo]

my lucipinnis are in their own tank, so unknown if this helps, and they are out and about alot. I also have their furniture set up so they can do a circuit around the tank thru the furniture. So they go like in and out of it like serpentining. I think they feel safe that there is cover close by so they come out and swim around.

I have one that loves to stay in and around a nice sized amazon sword plant, one like s to stay in and around a big water wisteria plant, but mostly they all swim in a line in and out and up and down and around. in the deco and out around and thru and again and again .

I have 6 of them now and hope to get 6 more when i get their new tank.

[DJRansome]

My tanks are filled with rocks and my Lucipinnis are out and about all day AND all night. I have five.

[sidguppy]

most important is te presence of other fish and especially what kind of other fish......

Tanganyikan Syno's tend to do best with lively fish that are not overly agressive.

combined with very nasty territorial cichlids they will show their natural behaviour, wich is largely nocturnal or at least shy of light.
this is an instinctive reaction to avoid unwanted attention.
many biparental territorial cichlids know very well that Synodontis is an egg- and fry-robber and tend to attack these fish.

on the flip side; some people do not add dither at all and the total absence of any other fish might also keep the Syno's behind the rocks; in nature the absence of other fish is the signal that there are predators around.
there are many predators in Tanganyika that aren't impressed by spines; birds, otters, crocodiles from baby to humongous, really large piscivore fish and so on.

so kept in a tank all by themselves they might stay very shy, at least for quite some time.

[DJRansome]

Mine are with Malawi peacocks, active but peaceful. Prior to that they were with Malawi mbuna, active and not so peaceful. They were out and about in both tanks, a little less when they were young juveniles.