# Questions for Synodontis Experts



## mdog (Dec 10, 2002)

This is a bit like another post here but I'm looking to keep syno. petricola or multipunctatus with South Americans - heckeli and severums. Would a small group of either of these do well in this tank with a syno. angellicus? The angellicus is a bit territorial, but if the other fish stay out of it's cave I would think it will be o.k., except for a chase here and there. Question #2 is would petricola or multipunctatus be best. I'm looking to keep a group of 3, either with the angellicus (it's a beauty) or instead of the angellicus. I am getting tired of not seeing the angellicus, even if it is gorgous when I do see it! Thanks.


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## SidGuppy (Sep 9, 2002)

why would you do it in the first place?

South america is THE birthplace of the catfishes and there are more native catfishes in the Amazon than anywhere else on the globe

even more; there are more species of catfish in South America than there are other species of fish combined (!!), this includes cichlids, characins.....

IF you want African catfishes in with south Americans, please look for those that originate in rainforests. 
angelicus is fine (but boisterous and territorial!), the true small nigriventris is a good coice, others include the pretty flavitaeniatus, S contractus and a host of others

check the countryof origin: if it's the Congo, cameroon, Nigeria, Ghana etc, you're good. all those Syno's are from rainforeststreams very similar to the Amazon, just smaller.

fish from the Riftlakes are from limestone ravine lakes.....wich means hard, alkaline waterparameters.

do NOT forget that the acidity in pH is a logarythmic scale, NOT LINEAR.
this means that every digit is multiply by ten.....

pH 6 is slightly acidic. most water of the Amazon rainforest is near 6. 
7 is neutral, but it also is 10 TIMES as alkaline than 6......
Lake Tanganyika is between 8 and 9!

this means that if youput a Tanganyikan Syno like the multipunctatus in a South American tank that it will be housed in water that is a hundred times to a thousand times more acidic than it should.......   

OR you're keeping your SA fish in water that is too alkaline.
take your pick; neither is good.

there are many readily available SA catfishes in the trade. Corydoras, Pimelodus pictus, Platydoras costatus etc etc.
a far better coice.


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## mdog (Dec 10, 2002)

Thanks Sid for all of the information. The reason why I had this thought was that I really enjoy catfish and have found the African catfish attractive and hardy (I have kept several types with African Cichlids). I am looking for a catfish that is not as nocturnal (or hard to spot in the day anyway) as the angelicus and does well in small groups. I see that the multipunctatus or petricola fit this description BUT..... since the water is not right I will not do it. So the question becomes, can you reccommend an interesting/attractive catfish that is out in the daytime, does well in a group of 3 or so , doesn't get much more than 5" , and will do well sharing a tank with an angelicus? If I can find that it will be a great addition to this set-up! Thanks.


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## Fogelhund (Dec 3, 2002)

Technically Sidguppy is correct. However, in our area, many of these South American cichlids are being bred, and raised at a ph of 7.6 to 7.8, which is about the same range these Syno's are being bred and raised at.


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## Darkside (Feb 6, 2008)

Fogelhund said:


> Technically Sidguppy is correct. However, in our area, many of these South American cichlids are being bred, and raised at a ph of 7.6 to 7.8, which is about the same range these Syno's are being bred and raised at.


Yep.


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## mdog (Dec 10, 2002)

Thanks. So then, if pH and water parameters are not an issue with these catfish, are there any compatibility issues with what I'm trying to do? Still looking for suggestions on catfish species that would work. The flavitaeniatus that Sidguppy mentions looks like it would work very well but I don't imagine finding those around here is likely.


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## Darkside (Feb 6, 2008)

There are no better cats than pimelodus pictus. They're native to SA, active and they have spots. What more do you want?


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## mdog (Dec 10, 2002)

Darkside - I will look more closely at those. Sounds like those might be just right. Thanks.


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## Darkside (Feb 6, 2008)

:thumb: One of my personal favourites.


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## dogofwar (Apr 5, 2004)

I've kept multis with geos, severums, and like without any issues...

Native water differences aren't an issue if you keep all of your fish in local tap water


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## mdog (Dec 10, 2002)

Well to my surprise I found flavitaeniatus at a not so local fish shop. I bought 3 and they have settled in nicely. They are small but already a beautiful fish. Thanks for everyones opinions and help.


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