granny's can be kept by any other Syno, but be prepared for a time of many shuffles and fights; the granny can and will be the top-dog in the Syno-group.
I keep mine together with S polli and S petricola and they're doing fine; I've seen them with multipunctatus and that's also a good match.
I keep a pair in a 132G, but these 2 have been together for a long time. They match. I've kept another pair in the similarsized tank, and the only thing they did was fight. it's a question of getting lucky.
they can be kept in groups too, but they're quite territorial indeed!
Also buying a group eradicates your bankaccount.......
About cichli*ds: almost ANY species is suitable; unlike many riverine catfish, the granulosus is well adapted to a habitat with many agressive species; it's rhino-like thick rubbery skin might have been evolved to deal with fish like that. they can handle a tremendous amount of abuse and are definitely territorial enough to chase any fish from their chosen cave. I have never seen any cichli*d damage any granny as much as they can damage each other
they can rip and shred skinparts, finparts and whole whiskers off each other, compared to that, any occasional nip from a cichli*d is childs' stuff.
The best tankmates however are the more slowmoving, imposing species, preferably carnivorous. granny's don't like "Tropheus-diet" very much.
A few good species from their own biotope (the deeper parts of Tanganyika): Cyphotilapia frontosa/gibberosa (!), Lepidiolamprologus spp (any will do), Limnochromis auritus, Benthochromis tricoti, Reganochromis calliurus (this is not an easy fish to keep healthy), adult Cyprichromis microlepidotus/pavo/sp "Jumbo" etc.
other well-suited species include the popular Altolamprologus compressiceps and A calvus, mediumlarge Julidochromis, Telmatochromis, Neolamprologus and Chalinochromis; Ctenochromis horei (a very boisterous agressive species, but very goodlooking too, a settled group is very nice), Astatotilapia burtoni, adult Cyathopharynx furcifer/foai etc.
Beware: S granulosus can and does feed on sleeping fish! as I recently found out when my adult female (the bigger one) ate an adult 4" Xenotilapia flavipinnis 'Kekese"
talking about expensive feeders.....
so don't keep them with smaller elongate fish that are torpid at night; Blue Neons, Xenotilapia's etc are not suitable
