LEOPARD SYNO or SYNODONTIS MULTIPUNCTATUS.

Who has one of these?

Can you please discuss the water conditions you have this in e.g temp', PH.

Does your fish come out during daylight?

What are its tankmates?

I have just bought one of these and I think it may just be settling in as I have not seen it for a whole day?

I've got one in my cichlid tank with a featherfin syno, frontosa and a few julies... pH at about 8.4 He's out most of the time swimming about, especailly when there is food around!

Does anybody have one in a situation that is, lets say not ideal water conditions e.g lower PH of around 7.0?

Doesn't look like it!

What are the conditions like in your tank?

Temp 28, PH 6.5 and it seems happy ?

I haven't heard the Mutipunctatus called 'Leopard' before.

Usually common name is Cuckoo. Was it labelled as that in the shop?

If a cuckoo it would ideally like harder water than it's in and less temp.

Off topic very slightly-I've noticed a couple of so called Network synodontis on trademe at the moment. But one was 20cm and the networks only get to about 4 inches, so would have to be hybrid I guess. The problems with Synos- they hybridise so easily.

This is worth a read

http://www.planetcatfish.com/shanesworl ... cle_id=269

Yeah I am trying to rectify my PH as it has dropped since I last checked it dispite regular 30% water changes & gravel vac every 3 days, I have added some oyster shell in a media bag to my external filter and it is slowly comming back to its original PH of 7.0.

This fish was kept at PH 7.0 at the LFS I bought it from.

I have found most fish are kept at a common PH in shops accept for the likes of Discus, Malawis etc and I am sure it is easier for the shops to do so.

The fish is happy though.

From memory I think they had it labeled as a "Leopard Syno"?

I will confirm this and advise.

I will carefully check this fish tonite to see which one of the four fish in your link to the Planetcatfish site it is and I will let you know.

This page might be handy

http://www.planetcatfish.com/catelog/ge ... enus_id=29

OK ! Spoiled for choice here with all of the species, I will wait until I get a good look.

I've got a Leopard Syno and I know they look very different from a network (a friend had one that I looked after for him for a few months) so I know they both exist and are different... But that of course doesn't mean the 'Leopard Syno' I've got is the same as yours!!

Here is a pic of mine a few months back: (sorry its from my phone so its not the best!)

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a64/thomas1983/10072007005.jpg?t=1193208732

You can get the gist of the pattern though, he has grown heaps but his spots haven't...

Is that the same type as yours peteypleco??

Yeah kinda the same, I have only had this fish since Saturday and he's been hiding a fair bit and mainly comes out after lights out, I am unsure of why this is , any ideas?

I really want to see him more so I can not only enjoy it but to study its markings and fin configuration and sizes.

he's been hiding a fair bit and mainly comes out after lights out

I'm guessing cause he's scared! :lol:

Have you tried tempting him out with food?

Mine doesn't just sit there under the full lights but he's swimming around most of the time.. often fish hide if they feel they aren't scure enought/have enough places to rush and hide in if they have to - could that be the case?

I guess as he is in a new environment and yes there are my mad 6" clown loaches swimming about, he could be a little scared.

He has many places to hide and he does come out at night for food but only very quickly, I have not seen it swimming about at all yet.

Yeah, his tank mates may be a bit too full on for him!!

I'm sure he'll be ok in time, some fish take a good month to settle in. Food helps though, I'd try feeding him when the lights are on, by dropping the food next to where he is (even if you can't see him when he's eating it) then he'll get used to eating when the lights are on. Then you can start feeding him at the front once he's used to eating with the lights on...

Thats what I'ddo anyway

I just fed the fish and he's venturing out some more, yes Im sure he will venture out more and more as he settles in.

What do you think about my PH though as I have a REAL community tank !

3x Large Clown Loaches

1x Syno Cat

2x Neons

5x Yellow Mollies

1x YoYo Loach

2x Discus

I have two synos I bought as clown synos and they look more like the one in fishy_t's photo. They got some more clown synos in just after I got mine and they didnt look the same to me.

Hope it works that them when I first got them they are about 12cm now but I dont really think the spots have grown. I read that page on syno hybrids and one of mine has a kink in between his dorsal and tail fins wondering if thats what it meant when it said kinked spine. the little fin on the top of the body between the dorsal and tail is not in the centre its on one side of his body.

Your kink is more just that the fish is a bit deformed - won't be to do with crossing fish, more likely inbreeding but its probably just the fact that its a bit deformed.

Yours have got much larger spots than mine - your do look like clowns to me (not that I'm an expert in synos) but from what I've seen it looks like a clown...

HEY - NORTHLAND CHIC, what other fish are in with the Syno?

Squat or deformed bodies, kinked dorsal ray and things like wonky adipose fin can just be a deformed individual, but they are also 'flashing beacons' indicators of hybrids when dealing with synos.

The clowns I've seen in shops have differed in spot size and some didn't have extended leading dorsal ray as they should.

http://www.planetcatfish.com/catelog/sp ... cies_id=84

This was the only Syno I was aware that used Leopard as a common name.

http://www.planetcatfish.com/catelog/sp ... ies_id=549.

Do you think this looks like yours Pete.

Unfortunately it becomes all the more difficult when no scientific names are being used when selling fish, sometimes that in itself is an indicator.

It took quite a while for my Angelicus synos's to come out from their hidey holes, but sure is a treat when they do.