Venturing into small synos.

[Maccus]

After a tank wipe out last week due to some electrical problems, I'm ready for a new fish group and am thinking of going with a trio of small synos. I will try to breed them, but I'm not counting on it( says the person with three 20 yr old synos who never bred *sighs*.

Although I find synos adorable, I was hesistant to get more synos when the largest tank I have houses six synos already. Then I just couldn't think of what I'd rather have (besides replacing my killifish which requires a four hour drive) and would be a better match, so looks like more synos.

I could obtain the most common Syno. Nigriventris at the LFS or I could probably obtain ( as in they put baby synos in the area auctions regularly and I know them so I could ask) either Syno. Lucipinnis /Petricola from a breeder up north from me. Forgot which one they have now.

They are planned to be housed in a 30 gal with aphysosemion killifish, so I hope that would work out. Tank possibly might be upgraded to a 40 later, but right now the 40 gal is not setup and the 30 is.

[Birger]

A good match for the killi's would be

Microsynodontis

they are sometimes available if one looks around, usually

Microsynodontis sp(1)

or

Microsynodontis batesii

Synodontis nigriventris may be common but if kept in a proper schoal and a tank st up to see them at their best they are a great little fish.

Killi's and

Synodontis lucipinnis

do not seem like a good mix to me unless you are talking the Tanganyikan killi-Lamprichthys Tanganicanus

Birger

[sidguppy]

another GREAT match for killi's would be

Mochokiella paynei

[unblinded]

I've never had any of the micro synos or the Mochokiella Paynei but syno nigriventris (UD cats) do well in a small school. The only issue I ever had out of mine was they are very sensitive to chlorine.

[Maccus]

I've thought of the mircosynos, just not sure I could find them locally. If I were to find these, how much do they usually cost?.
Neat, I just found a "golden version" of mini syno.

[unblinded]

Mochokiella Paynei are 16$ right now from davesfish.com. Most of the microsynos are around that price, between 15-20$.

[Birger]

Neat, I just found a "golden version" of mini syno.

What size do you consider "mini" ?

There is a

Synodontis nigrita

color variant that is commonly sold as Nigrita "gold" similar to this one but usually all gold http://www.planetcatfish.com/catelog/im ... e_id=12703
I would not put that in with killifish.

Birger

[Maccus]

Neat, I just found a "golden version" of mini syno.

What size do you consider "mini" ?

There is a

Synodontis nigrita

color variant that is commonly sold as Nigrita "gold" similar to this one but usually all gold http://www.planetcatfish.com/catelog/im ... e_id=12703
I would not put that in with killifish.

Birger

I looked into that one earlier and asked at a LFS, but not for the aphyosemion killie tank.

This is the one I was thinking about.
Microsyondtis batesii.
http://www.scotcat.com/mochokidae/m_batesii3.htm

Considering the big drawback with synos is their drab colors, a colorful syno. would be a nearly perfect fish.

[Birger]

Considering the big drawback with synos is their drab colors, a colorful syno. would be a nearly perfect fish.

Okay...them are fightin words
Just kidding...granted there are some plain drab looking syno's but there are also some that give the flashiest pleco a run...you are not looking at the right ones or quite possibly have not seen them in the "right conditions" and as a bonus they come with plenty of character.

Getting back to the conditions...I think that is more important with these than many think...so often they are seen usually stuffed in with rough cichlids or the wrong water conditions because they can take it, doesn't always mean they like it. I find it hard to consider the Synodontis on my "My Cats" to be drab...but...any of them would not look so good without proper conditions or tankmates.

Birger

[Maccus]

Considering the big drawback with synos is their drab colors, a colorful syno. would be a nearly perfect fish.

Okay...them are fightin words
Just kidding...granted there are some plain drab looking syno's but there are also some that give the flashiest pleco a run...you are not looking at the right ones or quite possibly have not seen them in the "right conditions" and as a bonus they come with plenty of character.

Getting back to the conditions...I think that is more important with these than many think...so often they are seen usually stuffed in with rough cichlids or the wrong water conditions because they can take it, doesn't always mean they like it. I find it hard to consider the Synodontis on my "My Cats" to be drab...but...any of them would not look so good without proper conditions or tankmates.

Birger

Always possible, I don't see many IRL besides my bunch who are all the same species.
Not too surprising, getting replacement fish for the other tank is going to be on hold until the other synos recover from whatever is bothering them.