# Let's see your synodontis multipunctatus



## gliebig (Oct 1, 2010)

Pics please. 
Also, how active in the tank are they and how big do they get?


----------



## Fogelhund (Dec 3, 2002)

If they are kept in groups of 4+, they are very active. Kept in less than 4, and they can be quite reclusive. I wouldn't mix them with substrate spawning Tangs.

They can get to just over 8", but more typically around 6".

Here is the big old man.


----------



## Rhinox (Sep 10, 2009)

> Also, how active in the tank are they


I was worried about mine at first. I had them quarentined in a 33XL and they all only wanted to hide. They wouldn't even come out to eat until I shut off the lights.

When I moved them to the 125, they still hid for a couple weeks, but now there is constant activity. I have a group of 6 of them, and 2 little lucipinnis that were plenty active when it was just the 2 of them. Mine are all 3-4" right now. Got a lot of growing up to do. They're said to live up to 20 years!

Fogel, how big is your multipunc? He does look like a big old man, but its hard to tell how big without any sense of scale.


----------



## Fogelhund (Dec 3, 2002)

That is the male that was imported as a wildcaught in 1980. He is 8" now.


----------



## exasperatus2002 (Jul 5, 2003)

I have two pairs 3 are wild caught and one was privately bred. The two males and large female are very active mainly because they guys want to breed her and the large female doesnt. My young female is shyer.

lg female - 


















sm female - 


















the boyz -


----------



## Riverwater (Nov 3, 2010)

Mine hides all day in a ceramic log, it's almost impossible to get a good picture. He'll dart out for a couple seconds, and then go back in the log. He's about 5" - bought him that big.


----------



## JCB (Mar 18, 2007)

@exasperatus2002: In my opinion you`re synodontis are very very fat. And they need to loose waight.  :wink:


----------



## famikert (Feb 20, 2003)

http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b6d90 ... /ry%3D400/ http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b6db3 ... /ry%3D400/ http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b6db3 ... /ry%3D400/ http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b6dc2 ... /ry%3D400/


----------



## exasperatus2002 (Jul 5, 2003)

JCB said:


> @exasperatus2002: In my opinion you`re synodontis are very very fat. And they need to loose waight.  :wink:


Send an instructional video for my yellow Labs so they know what to do so the multies can relieve themselves of their "blue" situation.


----------



## exasperatus2002 (Jul 5, 2003)

famikert said:


> http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b6d903b3127ccecef8aaca5d0c00000010O08AcNnDlszYuAe3nwI/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/ http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b6db3 ... /ry%3D400/ http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b6db3 ... /ry%3D400/ http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b6dc2 ... /ry%3D400/


Someday I hope to have litters of kittens like you have.


----------



## frontosaSo (Jan 6, 2011)

Riverwater said:


> Mine hides all day in a ceramic log, it's almost impossible to get a good picture. He'll dart out for a couple seconds, and then go back in the log. He's about 5" - bought him that big.


Dito!


----------



## Rhinox (Sep 10, 2009)

frontosaSo said:


> Riverwater said:
> 
> 
> > Mine hides all day in a ceramic log, it's almost impossible to get a good picture. He'll dart out for a couple seconds, and then go back in the log. He's about 5" - bought him that big.
> ...


Get them a few friends!

your multipuncs will come out more if there is more of them. :thumb:

*famikert*, LOVE the pics!


----------



## bigcatsrus (Apr 15, 2009)

Here's one of mine when s/he was younger. Around an inch here but now 3 - 4 inches. Have 2 more and was sold a hybrid so 4 in total.


----------



## Furcifer158 (Feb 16, 2008)




----------



## jamesd (Jul 26, 2006)

How large of a tank would be a minimum for these cats??? I have a trio in a 40 long (3 ft) with some tangyanikans with the intention of moving them to my 110 that has mixed haps from all 3 lakes. My wife absolutely loves these 3 fish for their activity and social behavior. She's afraid that if I move them, they may be injured by the much larger haps in the big tank. (some of the fish are 7-8 inches) The multipunctatus are 3 inches long now. Could I keep them in the 40 long???


----------



## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

They will be fine and much happier in the bigger tank. They will also be happier in a larger group of 5-6.


----------



## noki (Jun 13, 2003)

Extremely active in a group


----------



## Eric_S (Feb 27, 2007)

I started off with 2 cause of the price, $40 locally, and never saw them. So I went back and bought 1 more hoping that would make them come out more. They still never came out when the light was on. But when the light was off for the night and I dimmed the room lights, 2 of the 3 would come out immediately and swim around and come right up to my finger if I tapped on the glass. They knew it meant I was going to feed them. They also love to swim into the current of the filter outflows. The third one remained elusive, though I see it on rare occasions so I know he's still alive and well.

My wife bought a really expensive purse yesterday without consulting me so to retaliate I went and bought 2 more multis today in hopes still that they will become active during the day with a larger group. The store had a buy 1 fish get 1 half off deal so that really paid off with these guys. We'll see if it makes a difference. If it doesn't, I'm giving up and not buying anymore!


----------



## hollyfish2000 (Aug 23, 2007)

Gosh, I loooooved my syndontis multipunctatus. I had a group of four in a 58 gallon with male peacocks and haps and they were out ALL the time. I lost that whole tank to an unexplained nitrite spike and it was pulling their dead bodies out that got me the most. I swore off Africans as a result. But I really missed the cats most of all. So now I have a 45 gallon with six lucippinis and eight blue orchid peacocks. It's a truly fabulous tank. Very low maintenance. No aggression. The lucippinis are not as outgoing at the multipunctatus, but they are incredibly beautiful and I adore them! I ordered all six via mail and all arrived healthy and have ayed that way for nearly a year!


----------



## Mr Mbuna (Nov 16, 2007)

I have a group of 7 tank bred multipuncs in a 36" with three 1cm front fry and I don't see much of them except when they come out for food. They spend their time behind the rocks.


----------



## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Mr Mbuna said:


> I have a group of 7 tank bred multipuncs in a 36" with three 1cm front fry and I don't see much of them except when they come out for food. They spend their time behind the rocks.


That is really unusual. What else is in the tank?


----------



## Rhinox (Sep 10, 2009)

DJRansome said:


> Mr Mbuna said:
> 
> 
> > I have a group of 7 tank bred multipuncs in a 36" with three 1cm front fry and I don't see much of them except when they come out for food. They spend their time behind the rocks.
> ...


How long have you had them?

When I first got my multipuncs, I had 8 of them (alone) in a 33XL (48" tank). They hid all the time, even though they were in a large group.

Within a couple weeks after moving 6 of them in with my mbuna in the 125, they became extremely active and swim all over the tank now at all times of the day. So I think to some extent, they need other active tankmates as well to feel comfortable. Or, need a much larger group of them if they're the only species in the tank (I'm not counting the 1cm fry )


----------



## Mr Mbuna (Nov 16, 2007)

I used to keep them in with about 20 2-3cm fronts and I did see a lot more of them then although they were always very skittish. They are in an unlit lowdown tank with just three front fry at the mo so they are not needing to compete for food and just stay indoors as it were. I'll be adding some more fry soon so that should bring them out a bit.


----------

