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I have put a s.Angelicus in my tank. I was worried about agression. I have watched the fish for around six months at my LFS and it appeared pretty docile. So far so good. Little bit of handbags with my large male BN but no full out punch up's.
However I have had a bag of 'Nitrasafe' hanging in the horizontal flow of my spray bar and the Angelicus would not leave it alone. I finally decided to remove it when I saw the Agelicus going out of the water and over the top of it !! Now she is hanging on to the spray bar in the flow section that goes vertically down. Also she appears to climb up the spray bar fitting where it goes out of the tank. I have seen her a full three inches above the surface. She seems lively and healthy. Is she just a bit mad? She is certainly fun to watch !! Nitrite 0 Amm 0 Nitrate 5 -10 PH 6.8.

I have petricola's that like to swim up the outflow of the HOB filters. I lost a few that way before I realized what was going on, finally found one dried out on the glass cover. Angelicus doing that I can understand, they're a river species, but petricola's are lake fish

PJM wrote:I have put a s.Angelicus in my tank... Is she just a bit mad? She is certainly fun to watch !!

LOL. There is the possiblity that all synos are a little nutz. My original S. decorus would spend lots of time standing on her head, or nose, rather. I've seen juvie S. eupterus and decours hang by the outflow in gangs a few times.

I wouldn't worry about the fish if the tank is secure and the fish can't find a way out.

One thing to think about is whether the tank has enough air or not. These river synos not only like current, they seem to need good aeration, as well. The fish may be "going for good stuff," oxygenated water-wise.

troi

The tank is well oxygenated with a large air curtain and good surface agitation by the spray bar. I just think he thinks it is fun. He goes right out of the water like a Dolphin, on his tail. The tank is an open design but has a shaped top collar about six inches deep that slightly narrows at the top. Seems to be keeping him safe. I am feeding catfish pellets, flake, sinking tablets and frozen shrimp and bloodworm. I throw in the odd prawn. Is this enough variety?

maybe it just wants to go to a water park and ride the slides.using the hang on the back outflow as a slide.... sounds like they just wanna have fun

The only time I see behaviour like this out of any of my groups of syno's is when there is not enough cover(caves or plants)or when they are being bullied and there is nowhere to go.I am not saying your fish is not a little crazy but there is usually a reason for wanting to move on,and if the situation is not addressed you may lose it which I am sure you would find disappointing.

Birger

I don't think he is being bullied. There is plenty of cover and he seems to alternate as to where he goes with my male BN. I was warned that if anything the S.Angelicus would be the bully. He seems very relaxed and just swans around as and when it pleases him. Every now and again he just starts his splashing routine. At one point I had a bag of Nitrasafe in the horizontal flow of the spray bar. He would hang on it and then started doing loops around it out of the water !!. I have plenty of Butterfly Fern providing top cover as well. I will try and sort out another cave or two just in case. I honestly don't think he is stressed just having fun.

Birger wrote:I am not saying your fish is not a little crazy but there is usually a reason for wanting to move on,and if the situation is not addressed you may lose it which I am sure you would find disappointing.Birger

If the catfish pellets he is feeding are the floating kind the fish may just be begging or looking for bugs. Best bet is that he is playing. I've seen catfish and goldfish play in the curren, and dance at other times, appearently just for the heck of it.

troi

Well instead of guessing lets ask him what he is feeding floating or sinking,and what else is in the tank as far as fish go besides the ancistrus,also what is the size of the tank,to be honest fish usually do not play,it can look like it but there is usually a reason for their actions,I would be interested in what the reason is in this particular case.

Birger