Hi, I know a lot of african cichlid tanks have synodontis catfish in them and I like the idea of including them in my tanganyikan setup eventually.

Can I ask which types you all have ? Syn. Multipunctatus seems to be the most popular.

I used to have a Syn. Angelicus years ago - it was beautiful.

We have Nyassae and Multi's....

The Multis we have in with Lithobates... and the Nyassae we have in the Frontosa tank at the moment.

We have Nyassae and Multi's....

The Multis we have in with Lithobates... and the Nyassae we have in the Frontosa tank at the moment.

have they interfeered in spawing attemps?

Thanks Afrikan - I think I prefer the multi's from the pics I have seen. Do you know why they are called the Cuckoo Catfish for a common name (apparently) ??

We have 8 Synodontis multipunctatus (Cuckoo) in our mabuna tank :roll:

Sweet as, Johannes. Trust you to have lots, hehehe :lol:

not an syno but i use pictus cats in mbuna tank

They are called cuckoo because they are very much like the cuckoo bird, the multi will lay their eggs amongst the cichlid eggs as well as the adult catfish trying to eat the cichlids eggs to start with... and the mouthbrooding cichlid hastily picks up her lot aswell as the cuckoos, she then broods them... the multi catfish eggs hatch quicker than the cichlid eggs in her mouth, and the baby catfish have a nosh down on the cichlids eggs... This technique is used to remove the burden of being a parent for the multi and it allows them to breed again sooner.

We also have the large spotted Nyassae, I think they are far nicer than the small spotted variant.

smidey - I am packing some size on our multis 8), haven't seen them trying to interfere in spawning attempts, as the lithos seem to like to spawn at the back of the rock work in this particular tank :roll:

Ahh thanks Afrikans - I didnt know the Cuckoo bird was like that, though I did know of that behaviour aspect of the Syno in question.

Its funny how different things appeal - I may be judging my choice on what I have seen, but the big spot ones seem to be less crisp (the spots).

here's a home vid of a syno getting in on the act.

http://www.xdeleon.com/vatoelvis/videos ... awning.wmv

My Nyassae synos markings are beautiful, very clear and defined... clean cut, I have found the ones with the smaller spots doesn't look so nice.. personal preference me thinks

Yeah the cuckoo bird pushes other birds eggs out of their nest and lays it's own in the nest to be raised by the other birds.

Sweet as, Johannes. Trust you to have lots, hehehe :lol:

My Nyassae synos markings are beautiful, very clear and defined... clean cut, I have found the ones with the smaller spots doesn't look so nice.. personal preference me thinks

Yeah the cuckoo bird pushes other birds eggs out of their nest and lays it's own in the nest to be raised by the other birds.

Can we see some pics then ? Sounds like you have better ones than those I saw today at the LFS

I will have to get into the 8ft tank and retrieve fish for pics, case of hiding till lights are dimmed for feed time... :lol:

How big are the ones down that way, are they babies?

Are they recent imports? I know there were small spotted variant being kept down that way at one stage...

They are about 2.5" I guess but look kinda 'dirty' without clear definition

Oh they just little fellows, would love to see what they look like.

Next time I go to Redwoods I will take my camera and ask Bob if he minds me taking a pic then. Though their lighting in there is appalling

I have one lonely Angelicus that reminds that I have one, every now and then. I do like it though.

I have one lonely Angelicus that reminds that I have one, every now and then. I do like it though.

they are beautiful