synodontis catfish & plecos with african cichlids

[kjacks]

Im currently stockin a 55g african cichlid tank which i have a thread for on here.. i was curious as to the differences in opinion of which is the best syno / pleco n why... i really like the featherfin & lace syno. I luv the zebra pleco too .. im stuck with what i should pick bc i like so many of them.. i plan on gettin mayb 4.. so i could do a combo ..

 

[kjacks]

Guess i should add that my ph seems to stay round 8.2 ill have to retest it n see for sure though.. i have eco complete cichlid sand by caribsea with added minerals . It keeps the ph higher .

 

[Slade]

I have a featherfin (S. Eupterus) in my 55 gallon mbuna talk. I hardly saw him at all the first few weeks, but now he's all over the place and gets along great with the others.

 

[kjacks]

I wanted that one but one of the online cichlid breeders suggested it would b much to big for my tank that it would b like 12in n rather big bodied.. but i read it would get i think 8in.. so i thought i would start this thread n see what the general opinion was

 

[Malawi Freak]

Plecos are dirty fish. Synodontis isn't much better but at least they eat leftover food. If you get a pleco make sure you check max size because a 55 can be too small for a common pleco at full size. A 55 I think is too small for 4 synodontis, I have 4 in my 125.

 

[kjacks]

Plecos are dirty fish. Synodontis isn't much better but at least they eat leftover food. If you get a pleco make sure you check max size because a 55 can be too small for a common pleco at full size. A 55 I think is too small for 4 synodontis, I have 4 in my 125.

Oh.. i was thinkin if i went with smaller synos it wouldnt b bad but seems like i dot really like the smaller ones . I kinda like the lace syno n the ummm cuckoo i think is what it was. .. i hve been researchin n lookin into them just not sure yet.. i may not even get any..

 

[JimmyG]

Bristlenose/Bushynose plecos are nice they don't get that big around 4+inches and do a great job on algae. Also added some wild S.multipunctatus catfish.

 

[Dean jones]

I'm with you jimmy I have 2 Golden pleco's & 3 Cuckoo catfish.Cuckoo catfish still hiding like 8 weeks now lol

 

[Jbaygurl78745]

I have a lace and a aff. They are both great. Lace grows super fast! My aff is fast growing but not as fast as the lace. Sorry its poor but they dont stay still this is my lace i got him in june small as my pinkie nail n this is him last week. I love them.. but the tend to hide alot wen theres lots of movement. Rite now all thats in tank is a jack and a baby green terror and the cats are out all the time.

 

[kjacks]

I really like that zebra pleco...lol but the hubby dont like it so we tryin to get something we both like.. i was concerned with my ph levels to bc when i read on the plecos n synos the ph doesnt go but to like 7.6 - 7.8 on most of them . Do yall think it would make a huge difference since mine is 8.2

 

[JimmyG]

I'm with you jimmy I have 2 Golden pleco's & 3 Cuckoo catfish.Cuckoo catfish still hiding like 8 weeks now lol

I think it's your accent mate... Haha! Mine are all over the tank, day and night. Had to shorten the filter intakes cause they steer up the gravel too much when they are all grouped together.

I really like that zebra pleco...lol but the hubby dont like it so we tryin to get something we both like.. i was concerned with my ph levels to bc when i read on the plecos n synos the ph doesnt go but to like 7.6 - 7.8 on most of them . Do yall think it would make a huge difference since mine is 8.2

They will be fine once they acclimate. I also have an Emerald Green Cory cat along with Bristlenose and Synodontis cats.

 

[Wyomingite]

Synodontis petricola and S. lucipinnis stay in the 4" range. They're Lake Tanganyikan synos that would leave ya with no worries 'bout the pH and are perfectly sized for a 55 gallon tank. They aren't too hard to find these days. Listed both species as they are similar in appearance and both are often sold as petricolas. In general, lucipinnis has fewer, larger spots (larger than the eye) with less distinct edges. Petricola has smaller spots, the size of the eye or less, with more clearly defined edges. From a behavioral and care standpoint, the two are identical.

WYite

 

[Bryanm70]

I don't think an L46 would survive in that tank for very long even if you acclimate it properly. If it has to compete for food or if you don't drop food in for it at night on a regular basis then it could starve. On top of that, the water parameters won't contribute to its longevity either. I'm not saying it's impossible, just not ideal. Wouldn't want to lose such a pricey fish...

 

[kjacks]

I don't think an L46 would survive in that tank for very long even if you acclimate it properly. If it has to compete for food or if you don't drop food in for it at night on a regular basis then it could starve. On top of that, the water parameters won't contribute to its longevity either. I'm not saying it's impossible, just not ideal. Wouldn't want to lose such a pricey fish...

I wasnt gonna get it anyway .. the ones on liveaquaria are way out of my price range.. but i luv anything n everything zebra print..so naturally it caught my eye..

 

[Dean jones]

Afra jalo reef are a cool,with zebra markings just not black & white ? It's light blue and black

 

[kjacks]

Afra jalo reef are a cool,with zebra markings just not black & white ? It's light blue and black

Yeai know..lol i was gonna get those ...my tanks just not big enough for all the ones i want ..

 

[Dean jones]

If you was in Britain I'd give you some of my holding females fry ;-( sorry

 

[Dean jones]

Kjacks GET A BIGGER TANK THEN lol YOU CAN HAVE ALL YOU WANT THEN even the husband might get too pick a fish then

 

[kjacks]

Kjacks GET A BIGGER TANK THEN lol YOU CAN HAVE ALL YOU WANT THEN even the husband might get too pick a fish then

I read this to the hubby... u shoulda seen his face he was like umm no tell ur fish people not to give u anymore ideas .. he thinks we have too many tanks now n i have 2 in our living room. I have more tanks planned n the future he just dont know.. once we finally decide what we wanna do we r gonna get a new place n ill have a big tank n our den then another n our bedroom..n one n the kitchen...lol

 

[rizzo]

I have 2 common plecos and a syno in my 150g African cichlid tank all is well the syno is always scouring everything in tank nobody bothers them. Ph 8.4 cichlid sand substrate,fx5, aquatop cf500uv for filtration.
1ozzir YouTube.