Synodontis Spawn
I witnessed my first attempted Synodontis Multipunctatus spawn yesterday, what a surprise!
My Pseudotropheus Demasoni (cichlids) were spawning on the in-tank background near the top when the catfish became interested. The cichlids use the background because the catfish wont leave them alone on horizontal surfaces, LOL. In spite of that I have plenty of cichlid spawns, during Thanksgiving I stripped 2 Demasoni and 2 Labs who happened to be holding when I moved the Malawi to their new 75G tank.
I watched the pair of cichlids do their slow spawning circles and saw the female lay an egg or two every second or third circle. She had to be quick to pick it up (she is a mouthbrooder) before it fell to the substrate. The catfish chased them off. This happened several times until out of the corner of my eye I saw a cloud of eggs that looked just like the Demasoni eggs released mid-water. Of course this attracted the entire tank population who snapped them up yum, yum!
At first I thought it was the Demasoni who had either released the cloud or lost the mouthful she already picked up. But it seemed to be a LOT of eggs for her size and I have never seen a Demasoni release more than 3 eggs at a time. Then I wondered if it could have been the catfish.
I watched some more while the Demasoni and Multipunctatus repeated the behaviors and this time I saw the Multipunctatus release another cloud of eggs.
I have no idea whether the cichlids that snapped up the eggs both times just had a snack, or I might have a holding Mom or two with a kitty brooding in her mouth! (I had at least 3 females already holding eggs in the tank.)
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From: Donna Ransome [mailto:djransome@optonline.net] Sent: Sunday, November 30, 2008 7:48 AM To: ‘AquaticLife@yahoogroups.com’ Subject: RE: [AquaticLife] Aren’t there any small cichlids?
Mike, I was replying to Doras vampire reaction to the Synos. I keep them too.
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From: AquaticLife@yahoogroups.com [mailto:AquaticLife@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Deenerz@aol.com Sent: Saturday, November 29, 2008 11:28 PM To: AquaticLife@yahoogroups.com Subject: Re: [AquaticLife] Aren’t there any small cichlids?
Hi Donna,
It was not intended to be “Gruesome” as you put it.
No, the parents do not need to the cichlids to survive. However their intended catfish Offspring do need the host cichlid to survive. To date I have not heard of them succesfully raising fry without a host cichlid. If there is a means please share it with me as I would like some catfish babies 
I do not think I wrote my comments to lead someone to think the parents need cichlids to survive, only their offspring.
As far as keeping just any fish that was a carnivore? I keep the fish that interest me. Living in California I am not “Allowed” by the Nannys at fish and game to have Pirhana. If I could I might have a tank of them, but not to feed live critters to, but because the fish interest me. These fish are indeed carnivores but an Oscar could also be considered a carnivore and I think they are great fish, had them and want them again.
-Mike
Just another form of predation. You wouldnt keep any fish that was a carnivore?
It does sound gruesome the way you phrase it. See all the keepers that have posted and the poor catfish have never been successful! Its not something they need to do to live
just to reproduce.
Category: Philippines Internet Koi Society
