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I've be wondering about the Nature of the Synodontis Catfish. I'm thinking of getting some for my 95 Gal tank. How would they get along with Loaches that are in my tank.

Thanks.
Graeme.

Depends on which species of syno you are talking about, but most of them will do fine with loaches.

I can get some S.Decorus and S.Angelicus. Any tips on feeding,Water parameters, enviroment for them.

Thanks.
Graeme.

Feeding synos aren't generally a problem as they'll take almost all kinds of prepared and live food, Provide plenty of hiding spaces.
If you're thinking of getting a decorus, make sure you provide well-oxygenated water as these are fast-water fish. A current of some sort would be nice.

Be careful about the angelicus, as they are very territorial. Decorus, OTOH, are very peaceful and may be pushed around by the angelicus.

Rusty

We have both, aand I wouldn't really recommend either as a first Syno. S. decorus grows quite quickly and gets BIG, like 30 cm, and at that size really needs to be kept in a tank >500 liters.

As Rusty said, S. angelicus is a very territorial, aggressive fish. S. "diabolicus" would be a more apppropriate name.

Why not start with a smaller, peaceful Syno like S. flavitaeniatus?

Dinyar

I'm not so convinced about Angelicus bad habits.
Right now, I've just returned from my nephew who has taken over my 7" angelicus, I've told you about some time ago. He lives in a 2 meter tank, with three very young (8 cm) Orinocodoras irwini, one 1 foot big Auchenoglanis occidentalis and two tiny ones (7 cm); 2 Gold nuggets, two Bristlenoses, 25 Methynnis, 2 Sky-blue Lobsters and 3 Geophagus steindachneri.
That angelicus is very well behaved and doesn't harm anything. It's a 720 liter tank with big bogwood pieces, and he has a nice hide-out just for himself. maybe that's why. I think angelicus only get nasty if you cram it in a too small tank, with loads of other cats and too few hiding places; AND/OR if you combine it with very docile syno's (like decorus) or one or two species members.

Maybe few people -if ever- tried keeping 8 or so angelicus in a >200G tank, maybe??
Too pricey, perhaps. It would be worth an experiment, to see if the aggression spreads -like with many fish; Tropheus or Tang syno's for example - maybe even breeding them will be possible; but who's daring enough to try this?

I agree that S. angelicus can be a good citizen in the right community. When it is in a tank that's on the small side and with Synos that look a bit like it, it can get quite irritable.

After it brutalized and almost killed an S. eupterus and then a B. batensoda in my W. African tank, I moved mine to my bigger Tanganyika tank, where it's been a model citizen.

Dinyar

I have 5 large S. angelicus in a tank that is 72X20X20 inches. They squabbled a bit when they were introduced and when new ones are introduced. I treat them like cichlids in this regard. Re-arrange everything before. My cats range form 8 to 13 inches and 5 to 15 years old. Any of you folks have any tips on breeding them. I know they are all but impossible but I have to keep trying.

Tanganyikan Synodontis get along fine with loaches, as should most more day active Synodontis I would think.

Don't get the cheap "Lace" Synodontis, it is very crabby for the most part, and probably the least attractive. S. ocellifer, S. gresoffi, S. eupterus are fine community species.

I bought a little baby s.angelicus long ago, it was so damn cute at 3/4" (where do they get them that small?)...
when it got 2" long it hid all the time (all day long completely) and never bothered anybody much (at least during the day, thou it may have given the cichlids bad dreams)...

but at 4"- 5" it got very crabby, and took over half the tank, chasing the cichlids away even during mid-day, often taking good bites at them... i got pissed at it and sold it since i had a lot of time and money invested in these cichlids.

All the available Tanganyikan Synodontis are wonderful aquarium fish, although they may set up a strong pecking order among themselves.

S. Multipunctatus is a fish everyone should have at some time, (or, even better, all the time!) The only question is how many can you fit and afford.

Don't get the cheap "Lace" Synodontis, it is very crabby for the most part, and probably the least attractive

I have kept <i>S. nigrita</i> and found them to be one of the most peaceful species. There are also several different species being sold as lace cats, and you may end up with one of the more attractive species.

I am waiting for some S. flavitaeniatus to appear in my LFS myself. I have understood that they are quite peaceful, even very shy, and tolerate well other fish. Maybe you could ask your LFS to order one or more of them for you.

noki wrote:Tanganyikan Synodontis get along fine with loaches.

Most loaches come from acidic to neutral Asian streams with cool water and moderate to strong current. Tanganyikan Synodontis come from hard to very hard East African waters. Yes, you COULD keep these fishes together, but it is not an approach I would recommend.

Dinyar

IME flavs, although they look great, are so nocturnal you hardly ever see them.
I've seen a magazine photo of a decorus and clown loach (both full-grown) sharing a cave, so that combo would work.

S. notatus (the one-spot, or domino syno) has a good temperament and is less shy than a decorus. That's what I would get. They're a very graceful 'cat-like' catfish. They do grow very fast but max out at about 10 inches.

I'll second Chrysischthys here; I've had flavitaeniatus in the past; and -although they are rare and beautiful- I traded them away; they were less visible then the most obscure Auchenipterids, and that's counting!
mind you, they did well; grew fine, nothing bothered them; but they NEVER SHOWED UP!

s notatus is indeed a nice fish, and IME one of the very few syno's with size, character and visibility that CAN be kept as a small group without statting a war (3-4 fish).

I might get some ridicule for this but I have 11 angelicus in a 300 gal tub. They behave pretty well and keep to their own flower pots. Every now and then two of the bigger ones will face off or chase a youngster away from his home. I still need to try and sex them but havent gotten around to it, (those guys are not happy in a container and are strong). This works for me but I wouldn't recommend for everybody though, just in case they wind up with an "angelicus civil war". As for big Decourus, I saw some real beauties up in Michigan at Preuss' animal house. They had some full grown decourus, absolutely gorgeous!!