A single Synodontis or a group in a 55g

Royal · Post by **Royal** » 15 Feb 2004, 12:29

I have 55g setup with Lake Malawi Mbunas. Can I add a single Petricola or an Angelicus or do they prefer to be in groups? Is it true that both of these cats max out around 6".

Current tankmates, all juvies with the male zebra about 4"
1M 2F Pseudotropheus zebra “Cobalt Blue”
1M Labidochromis freibergi
1M Labidochromis vellicans
1F Pseudotropheus estherae

I want some more L. Vellicans (f), but I'll save that for the Cichlid-Forum.com

Decor: Med to large rocks with med grained sand.

TIA

Post by **Silurus** » 15 Feb 2004, 12:31

Petricolas are more suitable for your setup, and they prefer to be in groups. Angelicus will reach about 10", while petricolas stay smaller (6").

sidguppy · Post by **sidguppy** » 15 Feb 2004, 12:43

and the regular run-off-the-mill petricola's stay at 3,5 to 4" (7-10cm) max; because that's the Synodontis cf "petricola dwarf" from Zambia.
It's the one that's been captive-bred in numbers too.
If you see any baby petricola's for sale anywhere, you can be sure it's this fish.

Those are definitely groupers, and well-suited for almost any Tanganyika/Malawi-tank.
Get 4-6 or so, otherwise it's a waste of cash. One or two will almost always hide.

Actually TRUE petricola's are quite hard to get and usually very pricy too.

Royal · Post by **Royal** » 15 Feb 2004, 14:15

Ok say I get 4 Petricolas are they going to be able to hold their own. The tank is pretty aggressive right now with people [the fish] establishing themselves. I've had the tank setup for 9 months now. I tried to introduce clown loaches to my setup and they ended with ich. I lost all the loaches but the all the Mbunas survived. I do not want to go through that again. Would you recommend me changing my decor around prior to me introducing the cats? There are caves available that the cats could resort to, if necessary.

Thx

sidguppy · Post by **sidguppy** » 15 Feb 2004, 21:51

moving rocks and destroying current territories might work, BUT you need indeed hideouts, preferably ones that aren't claimed yet.
For obvious reasons as much as new catfish or more, so best add some more rock.

jaymz · Post by **jaymz** » 17 Feb 2004, 04:55

sidguppy wrote:and the regular run-off-the-mill petricola's stay at 3,5 to 4" (7-10cm) max; because that's the Synodontis cf "petricola dwarf" from Zambia.
It's the one that's been captive-bred in numbers too.
If you see any baby petricola's for sale anywhere, you can be sure it's this fish.

Those are definitely groupers, and well-suited for almost any Tanganyika/Malawi-tank.
Get 4-6 or so, otherwise it's a waste of cash. One or two will almost always hide.

Actually TRUE petricola's are quite hard to get and usually very pricy too.

what is quite pricy? i wounder if mine are real or dwarf? they are babies i bought 3 of them $21.00 each....

Ron · Post by **Ron** » 17 Feb 2004, 05:26

jaymz wrote: what is quite pricy? i wounder if mine are real or dwarf? they are babies i bought 3 of them $21.00 each....

What was the approximate length of your cats?

sidguppy · Post by **sidguppy** » 17 Feb 2004, 10:34

If they're babies, you can bet your sweet anal fin that they're "petricola dwarfs".

Petricola Burundi's (and other varieties) are imported as wildcaught (sub)adults, and quite pricey (25-30$ and way up); no-one has bred them yet AFAIK, and if someone does, it'll be a unique event, and those F1's WILL be pricey!

I have never seen any baby petricola other than the dwarf, and there are no pix of those in the cat-e-log either.

You might ask Dinyar, Rusty or Erwin Schraml about that; they're hipdeep in Tanganyikan catfish too.

jaymz · Post by **jaymz** » 17 Feb 2004, 16:16

HI Ron,
nice to see another michigander on here!
they are between 3/4 and 1in

Ron · Post by **Ron** » 18 Feb 2004, 03:55

Hey jaymz, nice to see you on here also.

From what I have seen, I would consider that just a bit pricey.

In the in one of the better LFSs I visit I have seen 1.5-2" pertricola dwarfs going for $24.99-$29.99.

I have also seen some around the 3-4" mark for $40-50 each.

However, I did visist a new place about a month ago and they had babies like yours for somwhere in the $20-23 range.

Post by **Barbie** » 18 Feb 2004, 04:40

You two need to check out http://www.wetthumbaquatics.com . I bought petricola from her years ago. Hopefully she still sells them.

Barbie

Ron · Post by **Ron** » 18 Feb 2004, 05:30

Barbie wrote:You two need to check out http://www.wetthumbaquatics.com . I bought petricola from her years ago. Hopefully she still sells them.

I was actually up there at the end of january for the MCA winter auction and stopped there. She had some petricola and they were .75" for $10ea. ... forgot about that place!

jaymz · Post by **jaymz** » 18 Feb 2004, 08:02

ron you say it was a bit pricey but from what you said i got a good deal at 21.00 each... i got them from garden aquatics in saginaw... he gets alot of stuff from wetthumb( i think he said they came from there) ... ive been wanting to see that place will they sell to the general public? if i go there?....im not interested in getting anything shiped and the web site says open to visitors on wed and sat so im guessing visiting does not mean purchasing.....

Ron · Post by **Ron** » 18 Feb 2004, 18:35

jaymz wrote:ron you say it was a bit pricey but from what you said i got a good deal at 21.00 each

I was thinking that a pertricola twice the size of yours for $5-$9 more might have been a better purchase. That is why I mentioned "pricey". Perhaps I shouldn't have used that word and just said that for a little more your could have had a better deal IMO.

he gets alot of stuff from wetthumb( i think he said they came from there) ... ive been wanting to see that place will they sell to the general public? if i go there?....im not interested in getting anything shiped and the web site says open to visitors on wed and sat so im guessing visiting does not mean purchasing.....

I believe they are open for purchasing from the general public during the viewing times. I have heard of others aquiring fish from there and my mom did get a $50 gift certificate to WT over christmas from someone.

jaymz · Post by **jaymz** » 18 Feb 2004, 20:36

well i guess i will be driving there from now on why should i pay double at the lfs??