# synodontis catfish



## barbarian206 (Apr 2, 2008)

is it possible to use them to eat algea since *** put in a butterfly pleco and the beat the heck out of him and he is alot bigger then them he is almost a foot long they are only3-4 inches max.and wich ones can i use :fish: :fish:


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## hollyfish2000 (Aug 23, 2007)

I do not believe synodontis eat algae, even though they are bottom-dwellers. Actually, I think they are carnivorous. I hope you took your pleco out if he was getting beat up. I hate hearing about plecos getting beat up in African tanks! (Is this an African tank?) Perhaps you could look into why you have algae. I have none in my tank, but I only put the lights on for viewing and it's not near a window so it doesn't get direct sunlight. The fish don't need the lights, so unless you have plants, perhaps you could turn them off? Just a thought . . .


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## barbarian206 (Apr 2, 2008)

yes i took him out he is in a tank with 2 white cloads that are happy hes back i wish i could get a pick of this the actually sleep under him its histerical and yes it is a african tank the stock is 1arauts,1albino socolofi,1blue cobalt,1yellow lab,1 yellow tail acie 2 bumble bees and the late red zebra who i think was killed due to agression


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## emptyhead (Apr 16, 2007)

No, the synos will not eat algae.


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## Guest (Jul 16, 2008)

hollyfish2000 said:


> I do not believe synodontis eat algae, even though they are bottom-dwellers. Actually, I think they are carnivorous. I hope you took your pleco out if he was getting beat up. I hate hearing about plecos getting beat up in African tanks! (Is this an African tank?) Perhaps you could look into why you have algae. I have none in my tank, but I only put the lights on for viewing and it's not near a window so it doesn't get direct sunlight. The fish don't need the lights, so unless you have plants, perhaps you could turn them off? Just a thought . . .


Some Synodontis do eat algae, though as far as I know not in captivity.


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## smellsfishy1 (May 29, 2008)

They will clean up extra food and anything the cichlids won't eat but they don't have the tools to actually suck algae off glass or chew it off rocks or decorations. I hear the flying fox is good as well as the common pleco. My buddy has a chinese algae eater and he is crazy. Does work and holds his own.


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## Fogelhund (Dec 3, 2002)

I've seen my multipunctatus and petricola doing some grazing on rocks, but it isn't enough to clean them off.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Like Fogelhund, my Synodontis Lucipinnis (6) and Multipunctatus (5) graze but don't clean. Mbuna (40) same thing. The single 3" bristlenose pleco does more in the 125G than all the rest put together. Still not clean...I probably need more individuals. But I'd recommend them.


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## MetalHead06351 (Oct 3, 2007)

a bn pleco would be the way to go. They don't take any guff and they will eat massive amounts of algae. I have one in my 125g and he keeps the entire tank clean.


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## barbarian206 (Apr 2, 2008)

*** just got 2 synodontis multipuntatus traded them in at lfs for the 2 most aggressive mbuna i was wondering do they always hide or is it because ther new to the aquarium they are housed with 4 mbuna 1bumble bee 1 yellow lab 1 albino socolofi and 1 yellow acie so far the only 2 that are aggresive towards them are the yellow lab and albino socolofi escpecially the albino will this wear off in time and will they come out from hiding also *** read that they eat whatever is left from other fish but i never seen them eat anything so far the lights stay on for about 10 hours is there anything i can do to have the out and about :fish: :fish:


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

What size is your tank and why are there only 4 mbuna? Are they all male?

The Synos are probably hiding because they are new and possibly because there are only 2 of them.

But it is also possible that your tank is too small or you have too few mbuna or a bad mix of mbuna which could cause longer term problems.


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## barbarian206 (Apr 2, 2008)

i have 4 because they are all male i use to have 8 males sent three back to lfs and 1 died was killed in action the ones that are left are 1 yellow lab 1 bumble bee 1 albino socolofi and 1 yellow tail acie the tank is a 55 gallon there was way to much aggression in the tank the mabuna are still agressive but not as muchas before now the yellow lab and the albino socolofi are sometime aggressive towards the syno multis the multis been in the tank now about 30 hrs.any help is much appreciated ty :fish: :fish: :fish:


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

I'd lose the bumble bee as too large and aggressive for a 55G tank. Then I'd add female labs, socolofi and acei until I have 6 of each. And I'd add at least one multipunctatus and preferably three.

That would make a nice tank! Do you have it filled 1/2 full of rocks? And the multi's like shallow hiding places (I use terra cotta saucers covered with slate tile under my rock piles).


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## barbarian206 (Apr 2, 2008)

i have alot of hiding spaces most of my rock work is lava rock also they have been hiding where the mbuna dug under the big rock i have in there i will be changing substrates over to eco sand and probably be putiing some ugj in as well im trying to get females for the three of them its just to hard to find every where i go they only have juvies plus im trying to get a bristlenose no one in the area has them or they are just to small ty for your help it is much appreciated :fish: :fish: :fish:


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