PlanetCatfish.com

In my 90g (up and running ammonia and nitrite free for ~8 months), when I do my weekly water changes, the multipunctatus cats start doing some of the craziest flashing I have ever seen. Nothing happens to the cichlids. I have also noticed that the synos are much more playful recently (since spring hit), a group of five of them "playing" almost non-stop. I just attributed it to springtime and the urge to procreate (unfortunately no hosts for multi eggs in this tank). These are the only real changes I notice in the whole system. Everyone is eating, none are visibly sick, cyprochromis still spawning regularly, non-syno cats behave normally. Anyone out there have any clue what might be going on?

Water parameters are normal: Am 0, NI 0, NA ~10.

My only guess at this point is that as the fish are growing bioload is increasing and there is more fluctuation than there used to be at each water change. However, I would expect this to affect everyone in the tank, not just the catfish. Perhaps because they are scaleless...?

Thanks for any help you might be able to provide.

Could very well be spawning behavior. Multis do not _need_ cichlid hosts to spawn. They will happily resort to egg-scattering if they feel they need to spawn. Check around rocks and furniture for eggs. However, it could also just be flashing and nothing more

Rusty

Then I'm sure the playing is spawning behavior, but I don't need ot worry too much about the flashing? Thanks Rusty!