Officially a Bichir keeper now

moe214

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If it's not a cat with a huge mouth I wouldn't worry. Synos are said to suck off Slime coats of fish so be careful. Blochii works well, I've kept them with bichirs at multiple times. Smaller mouth cats will take one massivore and have to chew it before the next one giving bichirs time to eat. Something like a Trachy will let a bichir get maybe one pellet. I have to throw in two hand fuller and I don't have anything as slow as bichirs as far as eating goes
 
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twentyleagues

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If it's not a cat with a huge mouth I wouldn't worry. Synos are said to suck off Slime coats of fish so be careful. Blochii works well, I've kept them with bichirs at multiple times. Smaller mouth cats will take one massivore and have to chew it before the next one giving bichirs time to eat. Something like a Trachy will let a bichir get maybe one pellet. I have to throw in two hand fuller and I don't have anything as slow as bichirs as far as eating goes
Weird never heard that about synodontis. Ive never seen it either.
As for synodontis kept alone you could keep most alone they say multis need groups but I think they are fine by themselves too. My gold syno is deffinately a loner he does not like the others anywhere near him at all. He stays in the pileup of polys though. No other cats in the tree. They have become very available here in the last year. Seems there are a few breeders near by with different synodontis.
 
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DMD123

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If it's not a cat with a huge mouth I wouldn't worry. Synos are said to suck off Slime coats of fish so be careful. Blochii works well, I've kept them with bichirs at multiple times. Smaller mouth cats will take one massivore and have to chew it before the next one giving bichirs time to eat. Something like a Trachy will let a bichir get maybe one pellet. I have to throw in two hand fuller and I don't have anything as slow as bichirs as far as eating goes
Been looking for a cat to go with my polys and was seriously looking at synodontis but had read up and found that some do suck slime coat off polys. This made me change my idea to a different cat. There are just so many to choose from and then there is tank size, lol. This is what starts you down the path of multiple tanks.
 

Hendre

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Been looking for a cat to go with my polys and was seriously looking at synodontis but had read up and found that some do suck slime coat off polys. This made me change my idea to a different cat. There are just so many to choose from and then there is tank size, lol. This is what starts you down the path of multiple tanks.
Never heard of this. Can't imagine a syno doing that, my featherfin practically ignores polys to be honest.
 
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DMD123

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Never heard of this. Can't imagine a syno doing that, my featherfin practically ignores polys to be honest.
I did a search for 'catfish with bichir' when I was researching and found some syno do this. Was surprised myself, always thought it was just a pleco thing.
 

kno4te

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Some of the aggression with synodontis in the past has been from eupterus. It was not a common thing but happened.
 

twentyleagues

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I did a search for 'catfish with bichir' when I was researching and found some syno do this. Was surprised myself, always thought it was just a pleco thing.
I just searched too and the only thing I found was this site and some random person saying they do. I still don't believe it. Not going to say ot couldnt happen but I find it very unlikely. You would think theyd do it to all kinds of fish and there would be wide spread documentation of it happening. Never bothered my cichlids they would beat the cichlids to the food was about all they ever did. I have three different kinds of syno currently in my tank and not one instance of them harassing my polys. I did have a del grab one of the multis when I was a little hasty mixing them size wise. They both lived.
 
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moe214

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Plecos are definitely not the only fish that suck slime coats. Certain cyprinids do for instance. As far as a syno needing others, I'd agree with the above, they're likely to fight eachother. As far as aggression towards bichirs, I'd doubt it, only fish I ever had bother mine was one specific pike cichlid.
 

twentyleagues

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Plecos are definitely not the only fish that suck slime coats. Certain cyprinids do for instance. As far as a syno needing others, I'd agree with the above, they're likely to fight eachother. As far as aggression towards bichirs, I'd doubt it, only fish I ever had bother mine was one specific pike cichlid.
Yes very true. Black sharks,redtail sharks, flying fox, those all do it. Multis are one of the only synodontis that do well in groups 5+ or 1. And yes synodontis do fight with other synodontis. I have yet to see one of my synodontis get aggressive with a poly. They chase my bristlenose and vise versa, and each other. Like I said the two multis ganged up on the one and killed it so they are aggressive and can do harm but I think its mostly interspecies less so with other species, if it does happen its more of a "move on sir" type aggression.
 
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