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I have had my 5 Syno. Petricola for 6 months now and they are around 2". Thing is I never see them except fleeting glimpses at feeding time. In fact I have no idea if all 5 are still alive. I have made the tank a Petricola heaven with loads of slate and a network of cylindrical caves. The front of the tank is open sand. They share their home with a couple of Calvus, a shoal of Leptosoma and some Ocellatus.

After six months I thought they would be a little more confident, I assume if they don't need to come into the open then they won't, it would be nice to see them cruising over the sand once in a while? Is it because they are still quite young?

It is indeed probably because they are still young. You might try it with algae wafers or spirulina tabs on the open space in your aquarium. Our Syno's love them and at feeding time they come in sight searching for the tabs, but they have to get used to them.