Microsynodontis sp.(1) spawned

[bekateen]

Holy cow! I'm sorry I can't give much information, but after deep-cleaning my 29 gallon

Microsynodontis sp(1)

tank this week, when the water cleared I saw a baby! I got the parents nearly 3 years ago, when @Birger visited the Sacramento Aquarium Society.
Birger Kamprath will speak to Central California in June

I hope I find more. I'm so excited!

Cheers, Eric

Microsynodontis sp.(1) baby and adults

[bekateen]

Here's an update and a (slightly) better video of the baby. Today I did another deep cleaning of the tank, but this time I pulled out all of the

Microsynodontis sp(1)

, so that I could get a better look at the baby.

I found only one fry, who is about 1/3 - 1/2 the length of the parents. If Microsynodontis is anything like plecos and corys, I know that once they've spawned the first time, the chances of a second spawn are better.

Cheers, Eric

Direct link to YouTube: Microsynodontis Adults and a Baby

[Goodroad]

Congratulations.. this is what I want to happen to a tank I’m setting up.
I haven’t decided which syno to keep but I’m very conflicted.
I have considered the micro syno type you have.
They are good size ( tiny) and really affordable.
Do they get their tummies bloated like that normally?

[bekateen]

Update: The baby has grown up to a size that I cannot discriminate it from the parents. I now have 14 fish total. The females are as rotund as ever.

When I cleaned their tank and made this video yesterday, I was hoping that I would find more fry. But alas, no. Maybe next time.

Cheers, Eric

Microsynodontis sp. (1) update 2020 November

[Jools]

I missed this first time around, what a great spawning! It would make a really good article - first on the genus!

Jools

[Shane]

Great work!
-Shane

[bekateen]

Thanks Shane and Jools.

It would make a really good article - first on the genus!

Jools

Jools I'd be happy to write something up, but it'll be one of those, "I looked in the tank and there was a baby" stories. Alas, I saw no courtship or spawning. But I'll write what I know.

Cheers, Eric

[Shane]

Eric,
We have all had those kinds of first. They still count.

I was looking back on a series of old articles I did on spawning Danios and it occurred to me that we may have some interesting luck using false bottom tanks with some catfishes that scatter their eggs.
-Shane

[bekateen]

Thanks Shane. I can certainly build up the gravel bed a bit, and maybe make half the tank a false bottom.

My bigger concern now is that the fish share the tank with five medium sized Paragobiocichla irvinei from Lawrence Kent. Those weren't in the tank when the last spawn occurred. But I have no tank to separate them to. I guess I need the false bottom more than ever... like a Hollywood star.

Cheers, Eric