PlanetCatfish.com

Just wondered if you guys have experienced any of the issues described in this article with your Euptera? I've personally always kept mine with mbuna cichlids so there's no way I could tell if it was my syno doing the killing or just territorial agression from a mbuna.



http://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/c ... p?sid=4506

Only conflicts I had back when I kept cichlids with my Synodontis Eupterus is when the cichlids bred. Otherwise they were fine.

IME euptera will be fine when kept in the right set-up. The PFK article is correct in that cute little baby euptera are sold often for small community tanks for which they are not suitable.

If i woke up one day to find a krispy kreme donut by the side of my bed, i'd eat it in an instant - the euptera is just doing the same in his/her own way.

Euptera need larger tanks (maybe 4x2x2 min) with robust tankmates, no guppies, neons etc

Almost every fish-shop has a few large S. euptera stashed away in a largish tank, because of the reason that Richard gives.

--
Mats

I'd have to agree with the article & its views on the Syno Euptera.
I inherited mine from my Brother's Girlfriend after it had harrased almost everything in her 4 foot community tank.
It has now done the rounds in several of my Ponds & Aquaria & finally resides in one of my 6 foot ponds!
The thing is about 6" Long and is by some way the smallest fish in the pond & the dam thing chases & harrases everything including my 12" Clown Knifes!
It also tends to have a running battle with my Big 11" Male Jag (P.Manageunse) over a certain piece of slate they both like to use
I would imagine that guppies& such luck would just be tasty snacks!

I'm surprised to hear this and was under the impression that they are suitable catfish for larger community tanks.
What is "almost everything", as in what were the tank-mates?.

I've inherited a couple of Euptera's who now live in my 4 foot tank with a bunch of (2" -4") rainbow fish and a 14" Black Ghost knifefish, and I've never had a problem with them. Through various moves and tank redesigns one of the Euptera's insists on resting in the same place as the knife for most of the day, despite multiple other spaces being made up for them. A really nice odd couple.

I've known mine to share, despite that I've got a cave for each of them.

it sounds nothing like my 6-10 euptera (3"-9" TL) I've kept in greatly varying communities at various times...

Think mine was just being V.Territorial around a certain Pipe & piece of slate @ one end of the Pond, since moving the decor around the problem seems to have ceased.
Still wouldnt risk him with guppies & such like!