# Synodontis jumped out at feeding time!



## noki (Jun 13, 2003)

I have been quite worried lately about how my Synodontis multipunctatus have been acting so crazy at feeding time and sticking their heads out of the water when I start to add food, getting more obnoxious each month over the past year or so. 
Finally today one 4" Multi jumped out of the tank and landed on the floor, freaking me out. I think he will be okay, I scrambled to get him back in the tank while keeping my dog away.

Has this happened to any body else? I have a group of 9 Synodontis multipuctatus. Some I've had for at 5+ years.


----------



## gmaschke (Aug 23, 2008)

Mine have been getting braver and feed a little higher in the column they got tired of waiting for pellets to get past the other fish but they haven't poked a head out of the water yet


----------



## phill (Jan 29, 2004)

Mine stay low, but i have some large (up to 10") fish. Never seen any of mine in any tanks even splash before. The large number may make them more bold and active.

You might need to invest in some lids (glass or light diffuser grate)


----------



## cindylou (Oct 22, 2008)

I noticed my syno's getting braver as they get older.. :fish: :fish: :fish:


----------



## PChap (Mar 6, 2007)

I've got an acei that did that to me about a year ago. Freaked me out because he's my favorite, very responsive to me. Same thing as you, had to chase the dog away. I put him back in the tank and turned the lights off. About 30 mins later he was eating again. He's no worse for the wear now, still terrorizing the ladies in my tank.


----------



## Dewdrop (Nov 20, 2007)

I had 2 Leporinus that jumped out of the tank alot. One time when I had the lid up feeding but walked away to take a phone call and 2 other times they jumped out the back where the hob filter hangs. I really think they should be called Leaping Leporinus :lol: . I always saw them right away and they were no worse for wear. One of plecos was another story. I don't know how long he had been on the floor, he was motionless and looked dried out. When I picked him up he made a grunt noise though (about scared the **** out of me) so I plopped him back in the tank and he was fine too.


----------



## dreday (Oct 12, 2007)

i had a sultan pleco jump out a 2" crack from the lid to the frame of my tank. it was only there since my HOB was on that side. he must have got spooked and took a flight. i did not notice him for 2 days. it is a heavily planted tank and i thought he was just hiding. find him on the floor dried out and dead.

so yea it happens, thats why lids are used most of the time. just try to cover all areas when your not home.


----------



## noki (Jun 13, 2003)

I have a lid. The problem is when I open the lid the Multipuctatus get very excited because they expect food. It's pretty funny to see them so hyper and stick they mouths out of the water. Just have to put some food in quick.


----------



## hollyfish2000 (Aug 23, 2007)

My synos get excited at feeding time, but never get far from the bottom. Is it possible that they are really starved and thus the over-aggressive feeding behavior? I feed mine broken up NLS H2O wafers directly to the bottom via a long tong, to make sure they are getting enough . . .


----------



## Desi&lt;3 (Feb 13, 2008)

My synos go right to the top when I walk in the room . . . I dont even have to lift the lids!


----------



## bossfish (Jun 1, 2005)

My multipunctatus come out of the water at feeding time but I've never had one hit the floor. they will take flakes and pieces of krill right from my hand. the ones in your picture looked a little thin to me. I know from personal experience how hard it is to keep catfish well fed in a cichlid tank without overfeeding and possibly bloating your cichlids. I know your'e not asking but If you want to put some weight on them this is what works for me. I do this twice a week.

First give your cichlids a large feeding of a vegatable based food like spirulina, veggie flakes etc. Then feed your cichlids enough freeze dried krill so that everyone has a full mouth. Then drop in some sinking crumbles or pellets like HBH cichlid attach, NLS or even somthing with a higher amount of protein. I feed the catfish enough so that thier bellies are noticably full, which for my 7 large adults is about 3 tablespoons of sinking crumbles. The next day I either don't feed that tank or give them a very light feeding of vegetable based food. Of course I wouldn't do this in a tropheus tank but for mbuna and haps it works great. My multes used to look like the ones in your picture but since I began to do this they are much more active, look better, and are spawning more.


----------



## Riceburner (Sep 3, 2008)

My syno goes all over the tank....doesn't hide.


----------

