African Featherfin Catfish

[ksane]

My 2 are super territorial, I have to keep them in seperate tanks so I'd say 'no' to the schooling idea. I read on a few websites that said to keep them in groups and that always makes me laugh. Because everyone who owns them says their's are territorial. They grow super fast, like an inch a month. And they're fat-bellied like a typical catfish. I really like mine a lot. A lot lot lot! I wouldn't put them with anything but the more ornery of bottom fish....Blue Loaches come to mind.

 

[toddnbecka]

Synodontis are similar to African cichlids like demasoni and Tropheus regarding conspecific aggression. If you keep 2-3, the strongest fish will tear up the weaker fish. If you keep a group the aggression gets spread around enough that none are killed.

 

[hollyfish2000]

Eupterus get much larger than 6". My LFS has quite a few on trade-in as they've outgrown tanks. They are a solid 8", so something to consider.

They don't like friends very much.

The post about synodontis having conspecific aggressive is only partly true. Synodontis multipunctatus and petricola/lucippinis, for example, prefer to be in schools and are very peaceful with each other IME. . .

 

[Carp37]

I agree on size- my solitary featherfin is just over 6" SL, so about 8" total length- they get very fat and are greedier than any other catfish I've kept.

She's almost impossible to photograph properly, but you get the idea of girth on her (apologies for seriously dirty tank glass):

(after about 16 months- looking positively thin)

(after about 28 months- looking pretty hefty)

She's very peaceful with other types of fish, but I wouldn't trust her with anything tiny.