Syno Multipunctatus Host

[fischfan13]

I am looking to breed my Syno Multipunctatus.
What has everyone used successfully as a host?
I am thinking about trying a pair of Lethrinops...but I am open to other ideas (not C Horei:mad2:).

[dogofwar]

I've heard Astatotilapia calliptera has worked well

Matt

[DJRansome]

Demasoni, but not on purpose, LOL. And not recommended.

[exasperatus2002]

Otopharynx lithobates is a good host but eventually malawan hosts catch on to them & stop. I've read that victorian cichlids make good hosts to & tend not to wise up to the cuckoo cats ruse.

[Tony]

I was reading up on that last week. Here's the best article I found. It seems most folks use Vic haps.

http://www.scotcat.com/articles/article24.htm

Sounds like an awesome project! :coool!:

[fischfan13]

Dave Schumacher (davesfish.com) echoed the same...go with some Vics.
I might try some Aulonocara or Lethrinops first, as the only Vics I want are too rare to have Syno's with them.

[Mullet]

I had alot of success with Orthochromis stormsi as a host...they were spitting them out pretty regular for me

[Longstocking]

I used peacocks :lol:

[toddnbecka]

I found a single multi fry in the 75 with a group of eureka reds a couple weeks ago. The wee bugger was moved (nothing like stripping down a tank at 4 am to catch a single fry) to the 38 with the L-10a's and red BN fry to grow out. Looking good so far, and has actually grown visibly since being moved.

[triscuit]

I've tried a few things, and right now my Vics are just breeding Vics. I've had my syno group of 5 for about 5 years...

Let me know what you find that works!

[toddnbecka]

Are you certain you have at least one female in the group? Have you actually seen the Syno's spawning with the Vic's?

[exasperatus2002]

Are you certain you have at least one female in the group? Have you actually seen the Syno's spawning with the Vic's?

I've tried a few things, and right now my Vics are just breeding Vics. I've had my syno group of 5 for about 5 years...

Let me know what you find that works!

Heres a few good pics of my multies. Just incase you havent sexed yours or for others who dont know how. The females vent is round like a halved mellon where as the male has a cone. I have better pics at home but Im at work right now.

Female-
http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg257/exasperatus2002/100_0041.jpg

[triscuit]

Err- ummm, I thought i looked a few years ago but that's a really good question...

And no, I haven't seen the synos spawn, but they get pretty excited when my various hosts were breeding.

[exasperatus2002]

Ok Im home. Heres the good pics for sexing Synodontis multipunctatus. I have 2 pairs of multies. The males have been doing alot of chasing of the females & sparing against each other but my lfs ripped me off and I have all male cichlids.

Females--
http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg257/exasperatus2002/100_0118.jpg

http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg257/exasperatus2002/100_0123.jpg

http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg257/exasperatus2002/100_0038.jpg


Males--

http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg257/exasperatus2002/100_0124.jpg

http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg257/exasperatus2002/100_0125.jpg

[ladyhawk]

I read the same article some time ago. I had no idea that they spawned that way. I had always assumed that their eggs were eaten by tank mates.. But after reading this article, I decided to restock my Cichlid tank again!

I had a juvenile group of Neyerei and when they tried to spawn (their first) I can tell you that the synodontis were extremely active, darting in and out.. Of course if there were any synodontis eggs, they were swallowed : ( Needless to say, I had to pull the Neyerei because they were too agressive with the others. Now, I have one small male left, he killed off his tankmates.....

I have since ordered Adult Lithobates and Usisya for that tank. If I ever get a sucessful spawn from my syns, I will let you know. I'm a bit excited to see what happens after what they did with the Neyerei...

[triscuit]

Ok Im home. Heres the good pics for sexing Synodontis multipunctatus. I have 2 pairs of multies. The males have been doing alot of chasing of the females & sparing against each other...


If it's that easy, then I have 1 female syno and 4 males. Ermmm. I don't know whether I should acquire some new females or just start putting my beloved Tang cichlids back in the tank. How is the demand for juvenile S. multies?

[Picklefish]

My multies are in with some Protomelas spilonotus "Mara Rocks" and I have pulled a few fry so far. I am planning on trying some yellow labs also. The Electric Blues I tried didnt seem to ever pick up any catfish eggs for me though.

[Snitchols]

Bill, did you ever have a successful spawn with your Syno's?

[Tony]

I nuked most of my group with Quickcure a few weeks ago. Had 9 at about 3" in my 125, saw some ick on a hap and treated the tank. The next morning, 7 of them were floating. Major bummer. I really liked those guys....

[Snitchols]

Tony, that sucks. Were you breeding them at all?

[verbal]

that sucks about the lost synodotis :(

[Tony]

Tony, that sucks. Were you breeding them at all?

Nah, had just moved them over from a growout 40B. Put them in with my mixed, mostly-male Malawi tank. There's a few females in there, but with so many random fish, would never keep any fry. Figured it would be a perfect setup for them to do their thing... sort of make the best out of potential hybridization in the tank. Think they were too small anyway. Oh well.

that sucks about the lost synodotis :(

Thanks Jesse.

[Tony]

So on that note... if anyone has any multis (around that size or a bit smaller) that they could let go of at a fair price, shoot me a PM. I'd like to get a colony going and that's a perfect tank. I have tons of different types of juvies to trade or cash.

[bovsbaitboxes]

I am using fire reds (vics)have a few fry slow goings though on batch all reds one batch 5 cats???:beerchug:

[shooter50014]

Hap Burtoni have been the best host I have found. I grew up a couple spawns to breeders and now have a army of females for hosts. I get 1-30 synos on most spawns. most yeild 1-5 but its always nice to get those large spawns!

[toddnbecka]

The wee multi I found last year and another one from around the same time are just about 3" now, looking prettier than their parents. Hardly ever see the younger ones though, they stay under cover more than the adults. Just last week I stripped down the tank and moved two 3/4" multi fry and a few much smaller eureka red fry down into the 33L to grow out. Looks like 2 of the 3 females peacocks each spit a single multi. I moved some ruby red peacock fry from another 75 into that tank several weeks earlier, and plan to move the adult multi's in with the ruby reds for a while this weekend.

[fishferfun]

Frontosa, Frontsa, Frontosa and C. Moorii, peacocks, yellow labs. Fronts of course yield the biggest batches of fry.

[exasperatus2002]

Frontosa, Frontsa, Frontosa and C. Moorii, peacocks, yellow labs. Fronts of course yield the biggest batches of fry.

Glad to hear about the yellow Labs. I have a young breeding group of labs 2:3. and two pairs of multies. I can tell when they're about to spawn by my cats, the males are always ready but so far (5 batches of Labs to date), no kittens. The females never seem to have the right timing or be in the mood. What is everyone doing to condition their females?

[daniel4832]

Glad to hear about the yellow Labs. I have a young breeding group of labs 2:3. and two pairs of multies. I can tell when they're about to spawn by my cats, the males are always ready but so far (5 batches of Labs to date), no kittens. The females never seem to have the right timing or be in the mood. What is everyone doing to condition their females?

Black worms!

[fishferfun]

Glad to hear about the yellow Labs. I have a young breeding group of labs 2:3. and two pairs of multies. I can tell when they're about to spawn by my cats, the males are always ready but so far (5 batches of Labs to date), no kittens. The females never seem to have the right timing or be in the mood. What is everyone doing to condition their females?

blackworms are great. I found home made European shrimp mix and chopped fresh earthworms worked very well also.

[QuarterMiler]

FWIW, my WC Multis spawned again. But unlike the first time, this time I know who the host was. I went to strip one of my Jalo Reef Afra females and was rewarded with 8 more cats instead.

[fischfan13]

I was talking to well-known author, founder of the HCCC and, since 2007,
the Priority List Regional Coordinator of CARES Conservation for Lake Victoria cichlids, Greg Steeves, this evening and he told me that he got multiple broods of Multipunctatus by using Harpagochromis sp. "golden duck" as the host. Only Greg...only Greg.

http://www.cichlidae.com/sections/images/ff/sp-goldenduck-02.jpg

http://www.cichlidae.com/section.php?id=125

[Ironman]

I have.had great success with demasoni & peacocks. And as some of you know, I have had numerous spawns. Good luck

[jroo99]

Do you think the Aquascaping plays a big part? What would be best for success?

[DJRansome]

Demasoni work for me. The key to success is having Synodontis that are old enough, and stripping all females in the tank on day five.