My new Synodontis angelica monsters

[Scleropages]

Here are some pics of the S. angelica specimens I picked up today from a nice, fellow ichthology enthusiast in Brooklyn. He is selling his house and moving soon and will not be able to keep the tank (180gal) that they were in. He did have a lot of oddball stuff that I usually don't see in LFS's. Very knowledgeable and congenial guy.

I'm going to be keeping them in a 125gal riverine tank with a pair of breeding Uaru and a couple of angelfish. 82-84 deg F, 7.0 pH, lots of water movement. Hoping to breed them one day, but I will most likely attempt to do so in a 150gal stock tank with mud substrate.

There are two females (in the left and middle buckets) and one male (in the bucket on the right):


The male:


The smaller female:


The larger female:


Here they are getting settled in:


One more shot without the flash:

[MatsP]

Nice fish. There was a fish that would fit right in (female I think) at a Southern Counties Catfish Rescue Society show today - I wouldn't be surprised if it was a little larger even. Unfortunately, the photo of that fish is on my other computer, so can't attach it right now.

--
Mats

[Scleropages]

Thanks, Mats. I'm always a bit wary of shipping any fish that are that large/old. I don't think they usually do as well with the stress of moving as younger individuals. If it were a rescue, and I was only paying for the shipping costs, I would consider overnighting it. Let me know on that.

I'm still on the lookout for more S. angelica specimens. I also have a 55gal riverine tank that I can use to grow up some smaller ones, if need be. It currently contains: 2 baby uaru's (F2), ~10 brass (or gold) tetras, ~10 black phantom tetras, 2 clown loaches, 4 royal plecos, and one L-204. I grew out the smaller S. alberti (R.I.P.) I used to have in that tank. If anyone hears of some (S. angelica) available in NJ/NY/CT or eastern PA, let me know. Thanks.

[MatsP]

No, this fish was on show as part of a "fish-show", much like a dog being on show to win a price. The show was organized by the catfish rescue society, and the MONEY from the competing entries go to help home fish that are rescued.

I doubt very much it is for sale, and I'm sure someone can find it a home here in England, rather than sending it across the Atlantic, should there be an immediate need to rehome it. Even paying just shipping would probably make it rather expensive, considering the amount of water and packaging you need for such a large fish - that's why big fish are expensive in the shops...

--
Mats

[andywoolloo]

how big do you think they are? did I miss it in your post? they look about 4 inches can't tell for sure. maybe 5?

[Birger]

how big do you think they are? did I miss it in your post? they look about 4 inches can't tell for sure. maybe 5?

Hehe...look closer at the pictures above especially the ones with the rulers.

[Scleropages]

at a Southern Counties Catfish Rescue Society show

Mats, somehow I missed this little detail when I replied to you before. For some reason, I thought this meant it was in the Southern U.S. It'd be a little crazy to pay to ship one fish overseas. Whoops!

Andy, the male is about 8", the females are 9+". One of the females is a bit more rotund than the other. Or, as Birger recommended, you can take another gander at those pics with the sophisticated, metal measuring devices in them.

[andywoolloo]

roflllmaocopter i so missed the rulers, but in my defense I had just woken up! lol rofl sorry

They are big! mine is still small.

[Scleropages]

You know what else is funny? My pair of Uaru amphiacanthoides decided to lay eggs today in the same tank I put these S. angelica in. The male Uaru was freaking out when the big female came cruising through the first couple of times. They seem to have sorted things out now. Still a little skirmish here and there, but it doesn't look like anyone is sustaining any damage. Lights just went out so the Uaru should calm down now with the picking.

I was going to pull the eggs because it looked like a decent sized batch, but I figured I'd leave them in there and let the Uaru's freak out a little. Hopefully, this will get the male to do his duty better and fertilize all the eggs so I don't wind up with a rock full of moldy eggs in the nursery tank.

[andywoolloo]

wow that is interesting and funny! good luck. hey can we see a full tank shot?

[Scleropages]

Andy, I'll try taking a few pics of the whole tank tonight. The synos have spread out in the tank now. Considering how big they are, they should help make for a nice panoramic shot of the tank.

[Scleropages]

Here is the smaller (or less rotund) female, Big Bertha:


Here is the male, Scrappy Joe, with the bigger female, Large Marge, behind the wood:

[andywoolloo]

beautiful!

[Bristlenose 94]

Very nice coloration on those fish.... Wish i could find some around here!

[Viktor Jarikov]

Sharp-looking tank! Nice! I have a S. a. looking just like yours, color ans size. Fun fish, but sometimes abstains from food for weeks and weeks in a row. Do not know why. His/her nickname is, well, Angel. Not nearly as original as your colorful ones.

[Scleropages]

Thanks for the replies. My Uaru have laid eggs two more times since my last post. I have a few wigglers in the nursery tank now. And, a fresh batch of eggs that I'm going to pull and put in another nursery tank. I'm glad the introduction of these big cats hasn't stopped the Uaru from spawning.

Viktor, I've had the same issue happen with a few different species of fish--usually older specimens. Water conditions are good and unchanging, but for some reason, the fish decides to fast for a while. They were, on separate occasions: Scleropages formosus (my favorite fish--hence my username here), S. jardini, S.A. redtailed cat, and an African lungfish.

Bristlenose, last time I was at Shark Aquarium in Hillside, NJ, they had a bunch of ~3" TL S. angelica for $50 each. Not sure which side of CT you are on, but if you're close to the western side, it might be worth it to make a day trip out of driving down to NJ and checking out Shark Aquarium in Hillside and Absolutely Fish in Clifton. Of course, I would recommend calling them before embarking on the trip.