NEVER again! Catfish and AFRICAN CICHLIDS
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- čas přidán 17. 10. 2022
- These are actually Synodontis catfish (misspelled in the video). They can go well with African cichlids, they say, but in my African cichlid tank, all the food is gone way too fast! How to get food to these guys? See what I've tried, and maybe have a few laughs along the way. Thanks for watching! Update: Thanks to viewer "Plants and Fish" for informing me that these are not actually the synodontis that go by "cuckoo." There are several different types of synodontis, and this is not the same one.
Cichlid Charmer is dedicated to sharing the joy of keeping African and American cichlids and sharing information about them. I will share what I have learned about cichlids, and everyone is welcomed to comment with their own experiences and information about cichlids and aquarium practices in general.
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My current aquariums:
75 gallon peacock hap grow out tank
240 peacock hap show tank
Another aquarium is on the way!
My aquarium equipment:
FILTERS: Fluval Fx6 a.co/d/aXJEx95, Fx4 a.co/d/e0V8DEx, and 407 a.co/d/5xAvD0S
WAVEMAKERS: Uniclife Aquarium 1058 GPH Adjustable Wave Maker a.co/d/22lHK38, Uniclife 3400 GPH Controllable Wavemaker with W-40 Controller a.co/d/8lMLgC7
HEATERS: EHEIM Jager Aquarium Thermostat Heater 300W a.co/d/boZEKaJ
TEMP CONTROLLERS: Inkbird ITC308S Temperature Controller for Aquarium a.co/d/4r1rZWo, Inkbird Heating Thermostat Aquarium Reptile Submersible Probe Sensor ITC306T
WATER CHANGES: SICCE Ultra Zero 793 GPH - Water Pump a.co/d/aJGsjAl, 50ft x 1" ID Clear Vinyl Tubing, Flexible Hybrid PVC Tubing Hose
LIGHTS: Fluval Sea Marine 3.0 a.co/d/i1sbwy9
FOODS: Northfin Jumbo Formula a.co/d/cPy1Kq8, Northfin Fish Food 3 mm Sinking Pellets, 500 g , Cichlid Formula a.co/d/4dAHkvb , Northfin Veggie Formula 3mm a.co/d/5rGGIyi, Frozen krill, Garlic Guard a.co/d/dJpwWIA, VitaChem a.co/d/9kdjnrs
LUBE FOR FILTER GASKETS: Super Lube 93003 O-Ring Silicone Grease, Translucent White a.co/d/dwKwCR9
Check out this playlist:
• African Cichlid Genera...
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Your African Cichlid tank is so pretty and has such clear water!
Oh I sure appreciate the kind words! I think I want to add more rocks soon.
My 3 syno's have thrived in my 150 gallon African cichlid tank for nearly a decade, far outliving my peacocks and haps. They're crafty and find a way to eat plenty
I just started keeping my catfish in species only tanks for that reason
Put a small tube in your tank and let the food fall down the tube to the bottom so the cichlids don’t notice
That’s a good idea Josh!
that's what I was just about to suggest.
Use a pipe and feed sinking pellets through the pipe
Great suggestion! I am over catfish though. Maybe some corys in a different tank someday… not with Africans.
Don't stress about them eating, they typically find food (even the powdered up food after the cichlids have broken it up), they also graze on the algae, that's about the tank. I've had Cuckoo catfish (Synodontis multipunctatus) and Pygmy leopard catfish (Synodontis lucipinnis), brought at about one inch, they grew up fine living with African cichlids. Cuckoo catfish (Synodontis multipunctatus) seem to be more shy and nocturnal and more territorial towards there own species. Pygmy leopard catfish (Synodontis lucipinnis) and Dwarf leopard catfish (Synodontis petricola) seem to be less shy and more active at all hours, happy to live in groups.
I agree with what you said at the end about you won’t be getting them again. I just don’t think it’s worth the hassle.
I think I would try it again if I could get like a pack of 6 adult drawf Syndontis.
The 2 inch version just triggers my other animals way too much lol
I had six cory cats with my red headed tapojos geophagus, and they all starved to death too. I would feed them after the light was off for a while, and they still couldn't get enough food. The eartheaters are just too good at their job. It was sad.
I feed flake every few days to my cichlid tank so that my one catfish can eat..Flakes always seem to get to the bottom
I should have tried that!
Wow, I’m currently experiencing this right now… I began feeding at night barely a couple of days ago, for my catfish sake!
Yeah, and then I was afraid the cichlids might awaken and discover food and then fight in the night. Target feeding was recommended a few times.
I've got some pictus myself they're amazing
I like those pictus catfish
I feed baby sized food specifically targeting my pictus and fry
Unless you specifically ordered Synodontis multipunctatus, it’s extremely unlikely they’re Cuckoo catfish. You most likely have either synodontis Lucipinis or synodontis Petricola. The white tips of the fins lean towards Lucipinis
Good to know! I have always just heard synodontis (which I misspelled in the video!) so I thought there was just the one kind. Thanks for the info! I really am not into the catfish as much as the African cichlids. I updated the video description to show that you supplied corrective information.
Literally same thing happened to me but I ended up with a lucipinis and a clown squeaker. Two types of Petricola catfish.
The person at the store told me that the clown squeaker was just darker, and had bigger spots because it was a male drawf Petricola… wrong!!!
All major pet store chains mislabeled this species
OK this is what I do, once a day, and make sure all the way makers are off during one of the feedings, and I feed on the other side of the for the larger fish which will drop straight down to the bottom with the large pellets and because I also have a yellow lab/catfish sanctuary, which are the only animals to use this hideout.
I put my hand in the water with very small pellets and sprinkle like in a water, sprinkler motion, overtop the hut or hide out.
I’ve had my catfish for a very long time and they’ve almost never grown. I thought I wasn’t feeding them enough or something but I think they do a pretty good job of cleanup crew, and since I started doing that they have completely given up the hiding during feedings, and now I have to feed the group as a group and just make sure I get some that make it to the bottom without getting my hands wet
I feed mine northfin veggie 1 mm pellets with the main feeding. My peacocks and haps don't seem to like them much but my two yellow labs love them and they sink so fast, the catfish I have gets to eat a bunch every feeding 👍
That’s a great idea! I tried it and they still seemed like they weren’t getting enough, but I’m glad it works for you.
What if you mounted a tube that basically delivered their food to the pipe castle. Just like a big straw 🤔
You know, the food gets there - to the pipe castle - it’s just they are so passive and slow compared to the ever-ravenous Africans. Sometimes during feeding, they aren’t even at their castle. They don’t act like they’re starving, but they should have grown much more than they have if they were eating properly. Maybe I should move them to my lame and geriatric tank, the 75g. Thanks for the comment, Logan!
@@CichlidCharmer 🤣🤣 the lame tank. Umm yeah they might thrive in there. I wonder if you move them there and let them grow a bit then maybe they won't be so timid in the big tank. They are rather small. Have a great day!
@@mowfast7463 that might just be a workable plan. I hate trying to catch anyone in this huge tank, lol, so it may take a while if I go that route
Interesting.. I kept pictus catfish with my malawi peacocks and haps and they always got enough food. I’m trying the petricola catfish now with my frontosa. Will have to see how they do as time goes on 👍
I’m glad yours did. Maybe I needed to do something differently
@@CichlidCharmer I think pictus are just a bit less shy, so that helps. 😅
I have oke on my cochlid tank
Some Lake Victoria in there too?
Yep! Zebra, thick skin and red Uganda and one more whose species escapes me at the moment
@@CichlidCharmer how do you keep aggression down? I’m currently running a 75g with 15 cichlids. 6 mbunas, 4 Victorias and 5 peacocks but it’s way too crazy in there. Any ideas? They’re about 3-4”
@@OscarPerez-uc2ck they are still pretty small, so I feel it will only get worse as they mature. Which species do you have? I do have a few videos on aggression
Aren’t those dwarf petricola
I believe you are correct
Try a gold fish
No 😂
Try to feed them through a long tube
That’s a great 💡
Feed at night. There you go
Tried that.
Synodontis mate .
I actually corrected it in the video description and the first pinned comment. I really don’t know much about these catfish except they can coexist with African cichlids and they are tricky to get enough food.
Cichlids are pretty greedy eaters 😂
As a fish keeper you should have known before hand this wouldn't work. Chiclids sift the sand themselves, there will never be anything for bottom feeders
I suspected as much, and when I asked my LFS he said it shouldn’t be a problem. He is a marine biologist who knows about cichlids. I also have read many articles online that they are good companions for ACs. So I gave it a try.
This does work in a vast majority of cases. If you feed even a little extra, you’ll see the pellets get stuck in and under rocks and decor. Synos will gobble them up happily especially when the lights go off. There were weeks where i never saw my multis in a 300 gal hap tank and when i rescaped it 8 months later they trippled in size and were very healthy. In my experience it’s very hard to starve these guys out and just because you don’t see them eat doesn’t mean they don’t.