I have a few questions. i have a 46 gallon tank, with 2 angels, 3 neons, 1 bloodfin tetra and 1 Synodontis lucipinnis . would my tank be overstocked if i added another Synodontis lucipinnis and a few more tetras?
Just bought a Synodontis lucipinnis....
- Thread starter jujubee
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Your synodontis is a hardwater, high pH species from Lake Tanganyika. They're remarkably cool (I think they were once identified as S. sp. petricola dwarf), but I'm not sure how they'll do in your tank...what are your water parameters?
They do prefer to be in groups - 3 is a good number.
Eric
They do prefer to be in groups - 3 is a good number.
Eric
Lucipinnis are quite adaptable concerning water conditions, but you don't want to keep them in acidic water. Pretty much anything higher than 7.2 should be fine. IMO you'd be best advised to swap out the neons for several more bloodfins, the angels WILL eat the neons sooner or later. Also, 3 is a minimum number for any social fish. The larger the group, the more active (and visible, in the case of lucipinnis) they'll be. They will grow to about 4", but it takes them several years to reach that size. I've had some for well over a year that aren't even 3" yet, they were about 1-1.5" when I got them.
I have had the angels since they were very small and even now that they are grown they pretty much don't even acknowledge that the neons are even there. I would love to get my synodontis some friends but I am afraid I would be overstocking the tank if i did that. Would 2 angels, 6 bloodfins, 3 neons, and 3 of the synodontis be too much?
In a 46 gallon tank with good filtration (and weekly water changes) it wouldn't be a problem. Overstocked is a relative term, and depends on the fish you're keeping. Territorial species are more of a problem than schooling fish, though it's fairly common to see folks w/10 gallon tanks and entirely too many fish of any kind in them... Also, you have to consider where the fish spend most of their time (surface, middle, or bottom).
I'd go with 5 petricola's if you want to see them, and provide plenty of cover. Fish feel more secure in tanks with plenty of plants (or rocks/caves for substrate spwaners), and are actually more active and visible (as well as happier) than in a relatively bare tank. Having somewhere to retreat is an instinctive need, particularly in a confined space. In a lake or river they could simply swim away, in an aquarium there's no escape.
I'd go with 5 petricola's if you want to see them, and provide plenty of cover. Fish feel more secure in tanks with plenty of plants (or rocks/caves for substrate spwaners), and are actually more active and visible (as well as happier) than in a relatively bare tank. Having somewhere to retreat is an instinctive need, particularly in a confined space. In a lake or river they could simply swim away, in an aquarium there's no escape.
I feel like i have plenty of cover. i have a small piece of drift wood, a cave, and about 12 fake plants of various sizes. do the synodontis like drift wood a lot, or do they prefer caves? i am trying to make all my fish as comfortable as possible.
thanks, looks like i will be adding some rockwork to my tank. he has one cave to hide in with some smooth rocks in it, he seems to like the cave but doesn't really seem to like the smooth rocks. he spends most of his time under a piece of driftwood or at the edge of the cave.
To most catfish, cover is cover, whether rocks, wood, or hollow ceramic (or plastic) ornaments. They aren't generally impressed with plants, whether real or artificial.