Synodontis Decorus VERY shy

[mante-religieuse]

Hi!
I bougth a Syno decorus 2 weeks ago.Since it's in my aquarium,it hide under a roch,and never get out of there.I don't know if it eat or not...is it normal?

[Richard B]

How big are they?

Most synos hide quite a lot but after a period of settling in they can be seen out & about in a tank - it strikes me this is normal behaviour at the moment.

What other fish are in the tank - ie have you any "dither" fish?

[mante-religieuse]

Hi!
To my surprise,yesterday at 10 pm,it got out of its cave and was swimming everywhere in the thank!And even my bubble bee cat fish(not sure about the specie/got it at around the same time)jump on a shrimp pellet,and came back to its cave.This one(the bee catfish,)It's the very first time I saw him!!I even thougt it was dead!
This morning,my syno did the same thing.I think it was looking for food,but the other fish always eat everything before....
I changed the decor yesterday,maybe that helped.There is more open space for swimming.

How can I feed it(to be sure it eats)??

I know it eat more at nigth,but the other fish eat everything fast(even sinking food).

To answer your questions,
I have a 4 corydoras,6 Glass catfish,an ancistrus,an Irridescent shark and a farlewela.That's for the Cat Fishs.
I have some tetras and angel fishs.But they are all peacefull.

My syno is about 15 cm long.It's the biggest fish in my aquarium.But it seems like it's very sceared of everything.(when I come near the thank,if it's around,I can't move fast because it will swim very fast back to it's cave.)

Can you give me some "conseils"(sorry french word)to make a good start and keep it healthy?

[Bas Pels]

"conseils"

opinions

though you require advise, you better say opinions (advise is a bit strong, fathers give advise, and oh boy if you decide differently)

[Birger]

S.decorus can be a shy fish unless kept with others of its own kind...but give it some time and it will, like any syno figure out when food time is and should get its share
Keep in mind the final size these fish can obtain, they are gentle for a syno but will still become quite big for the usual sized aquaria

Birger

[mante-religieuse]

thanks for your answers.

"Keep in mind the final size these fish can obtain, they are gentle for a syno but will still become quite big for the usual sized aquaria"

:I sure know that this fish become big,I have also a Pangasius (Irridescent shark)that is still very small,but according to there final size,I watch them grow,and I will adjuste my aquarium size for them(I starded with a 15 gallons,with 2 baby Irridescent sharks,now I swiched to an aquarium 3 time bigger)

I was worried that my syno would not eat,but yesterday,again at 9h30pm,I fed them,but with frozen blood worms.This big fish just run out of its cave and I saw it eat for a good 30 minutes,screaning the substrat for food!!It was cute to see it "running" with the corydoras!
I was so happy!!
Then,it came back to it's cave.

You said that it's bether to keep it with its own kind?You meen other Synodontis Decorus,or any other Syno??I thougt it was aggressive with it's own kind...I only know that from reading about them,but there is not much informations in books about that specie and it's my very fist Syno,I don't have any personnal experience about them.
That's why I came here,to have your opinions.So feel free to give me any info about it,I'll be very happy to read that!!

[Richard B]

If there are enough areas of cover/concealment like caves etc then more than one decorus can be kept together without many problems but always bear in mind the space that'll be required for a foot long fish (or a pair or more)

[mante-religieuse]

I think for now my aquaria would be too small for two Decorus.Is it fine to keep just one?

[Richard B]

Indeed it is. certain things can help a fish like this settle a little quicker, so i think it ust needs a little more time to become fully comfortable

[mante-religieuse]

ok,yesterday was its first time showing up in 2 weeks...I hope it's a good start.Now I know that it loves blood worms!

[Richard B]

Any live food that has been frozen would be good - daphnia, bloodworm, brine shrimp etc.

My synos also love tetra prima, tetra delica (all varieties) & dragon feeds granules http://www.dragonfeeds.com/view/global/page/70291 although this might only be available over here?

[mante-religieuse]

Hi Richard B, I have send an e-mail to the compagnie to know if it's available in Canada.I will try also to give it those suggestions(- daphnia, brine shrimp, tetra prima, tetra delica (all varieties))Thank you for the info,I hope Dragon feeds is available here.
Yesterday again at 9h30pm,it showed up,but didn't seemed interessested in food this time(it was the daily diet of my other fishs: a mix of Tetra Min,spiruline and shrimp pellets)

[Richard B]

those foods are fine & it should accept it once settled but perhaps he/she is a bit fussy after being spoiled with bloodworms. I always try to vary the food & never feed the same stuff 2 days in a row & leave 1 day a week without feeding at all. The more varied the diet the better.

[mante-religieuse]

I try to do the same,I have a lot of different food to give them,but it's not correct to give them staple diet also?

[mante-religieuse]

Maybe I feed them too much?How often is fine,because some people say once a day,some twice,and some every 2 days...I think my fish are spoiled too much...I feed them once a day with staple diet(a mix of different kind of food) and sometimes bloodworms in extra...What should I do?I also give them a one day break,but they seem all aggressive with each other at that time.

[Richard B]

depends upon your definition of "staple diet".

I have 5 different types of flakes, 3 different types of tablets, 7 different types of pellet, and also granules, crisps etc etc all of which could be described as staple foods but i still vary as much as possible never feeding the same one twice in a row & into this i mix frozen chopped mussel, frozen bloodworm, chopped earthworms, crushed insects, seaweed sheets, chopped prawns, cooked peas, beans, raw cucumber, tetra delica etc & occasionally on rare occasions they get lobster, oysters or whatever i'm having that i know i can let them have a bit of.

[mante-religieuse]

by "stapel diet",I mean different type of flakes,pellets,tablets,granules and crips that I mix all togueter,and give them daily,so they have almost everything at the same time...Should I not mix it and swich days for each of it?
And when I give them frozen food,should I not give them there daily "stapel food"(the mix)?
Is it bether for them to be fed once a day,6 times a week,with 6 different kind of food(including frozen food and vegetables)?

[mante-religieuse]

Sorry If it sound weird as a question,but I just whants to make sure I feed them well...I will do like you said,:

"vary as much as possible never feeding the same one twice in a row & into this i mix frozen chopped mussel, frozen bloodworm, chopped earthworms, crushed insects, seaweed sheets, chopped prawns, cooked peas, beans, raw cucumber, tetra delica etc"

I started yesterday,and my fish already seems happier at luch time(particularly when I give them "Hikari's Mega Tropical" frozen food)I'll try to buy as much different kind of food as possible! Thanks!

[Richard B]

Good stuff - as long as there is some variation it'll be good for them - i somethimes think i have too much food but i do get through it quite quickly & i'm on very good terms with my lfs

[mante-religieuse]

Taking about variation;I was very surprised to see in the ingredients that there was even bananas in it !!

[Richard B]

Bananas??? Yummy!!!

[mante-religieuse]

Yesterday,my Syno Decorus was feeding on shrimp pellets with the corydoras!I was happy to see it somewhere else then sqeezed between 2 rochs!That fish is so beatiful!It got big pink eyes!

[Birger]

Yesterday,my Syno Decorus was feeding on shrimp pellets with the corydoras!I was happy to see it somewhere else then sqeezed between 2 rochs!That fish is so beatiful!It got big pink eyes!

I am glad to see you are getting to enjoy your fish and it is starting to feed okay for you, they are a great looking fish

Birger