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Hey folks, I just joined the forum and I'm looking for a little help. I have an adult African cichlid with progressively worsening wounds and I'm suspicious that my synodontis cats are playing a roll.
Tank stats:
75 gallon African Hap/peacock setup
1 adult pair of Deep water haps
1 adult Trio of Flavescent peacocks
1 adult synodontis nigriventris
2 Synodontis Eupterus(one adult one small)
9 adult Synodontis lucipinnis

My male Deep water hap developed a scrape like injury on his side just behind his gill plate about a month ago. The wound didn't seem to heal and got worse to the point I feared I might lose him. I decided to move him to a smaller tank and perform water changes frequently and that really helped his recovery. He was nearly fully healed a week later when I returned him to the main tank. His progress stopped when I moved him and he began to slowly get worse again. His wound reopened and spread to the top of his head and now on to his other side. I thought maybe he had developed hihe disease but my tank maintenance is top notch so that didn't seem likely to me. Today I happened to peak in the tank while the light was off and the scene was pretty shocking. I witnessed my synos taking turns picking at his wounds. He would roll on his side near the sand bottom when they approached but that didn't deter them. It sure appears that they're responsible for his worsening condition. Is that even likely? I have never heard of that behavior from syno's before. Has anyone else? Right now I have my male deep water hap isolated again until I can sort this out. Any thoughts or insight on what's going on here? Thanks

Well I'm certainly not shocked by this news. Most catfish are opportunist when it comes to feeding. But was it just one, two or all 3 species of catfish taking advantage?
It also may be that the original injury was incurred in some other way and the catfish just 'picked up' on it.

Well I'm certainly not shocked by this news. Most catfish are opportunist when it comes to feeding. But was it just one, two or all 3 species of catfish taking advantage?
It also may be that the original injury was incurred in some other way and the catfish just 'picked up' on it.

Well I was shocked and still am to see my tank boss being tortured like that. Although I'm sure they didn't cause the initial injury, both my lucipinnis group and my featherfins were taking full advantage of his weakened state last night. Help came a little too late for him this time, he died overnight. I'm so bummed, I wish I caught on to what was happening after the lights went out a little sooner. Looking on the bright side I'm raising a bunch of fry from him and his female so maybe one day I'll have a new alpha male from his offspring.

I'm sorry to hear about your Hap. Synodontis are very resourceful group in general. I don't know if you've checked out the cat-elog on these species but the S. eupterus and the S. negriventris are west african riverine species, where the water is generally softer, not so many minerals. They can live in the tank you have them in now but would really thrive in a softer water environment. I mention this just incase you were thinking of separating the species. Then you would have an excuse to keep some cichlids from west africa .