Synodontis Petricola Breeding

[smithrc]

Our Syno Petricolas have been in their new home now for a little over a week (new tank (rio 240) is set up in the lounge).
They have neverbeen so active - they are out all the time and really playing

So we are going to try to breed them.
I've read up quite a lot on them now and have been conditioning them for a while.
So today I set about building them a spawning cave.

Shopping list...

1 Flowerpot
1 flowerpot base
1 length of over flow pipe (I had white but grey or black would be better)
3 90º elbows for the pipe
1 air stone the will fit in the pipe
1 air pump (high output)
Some marbles

Tools...

Hacksaw
Dremel (or other device for cutting a hole in a flowerpot)
Aquatic silicon

I've read a few different methods for spawning them and have decided to combine them into what will hopefully work a treat.
They spawn in dark confined spaces flowerpots have beed used by some. so I'll go with that. egg collection isthe next problem so rather than disturbing them to check if there are eggs in there and swapping out their cave if there is etc, I've decided to use another method to remove any eggs without intervention. Avoiding using a power head as one source sugested as I can only see that damaging the eggs, I'm going to use an air uplift tube. the output from this is then positioned over a breedign net to collect them.
I've done photos a I've gone along for this

The cave will be sat in the sand so that I can easilly conceal the pipework.
The first step was to cut up one of the elbows to allow it to fit closer to the base of the cave.

Then cut a hole in the flowerpot base (I used plastic base to save too much messing about with the dremmel)

The cut down elbow then fits over the hole and is siliconed in place.
While I was at this point i spoted a flaw in my plan and stuck a narrow bit of pipe over the hole to stop marbles getting stuck and still still allow water to flow.

now cut a peice of the pipe long enough to allow an elbow to fit on the end and clear the flowerpot base.
The uplift tube will then fit into this elbow.

Now take the flower pot and head to the garage (with the drmmel).
I thinned the pot out slowly in a patch, then knocked a hole through with a sharp nail.
The hole is about 1" diameter.

Let the silicon dry and then place the base into the tank and work it into the substrate. leaving the uplift elbow just above.
Take a handfull of marbles and place them into the base.
These will allow the eggs to get trapped at the bottom of the cave without the synos (or any other fish) eating them. Its a tried and tested method I've used when breeding other egg scattering fish (danios and tetras)
To complete the cave, the pot is simply placed on the top.

Setting upthe uplift took a little bit of fiddling. Fit the breeding net however you do, then line up the remaining pipe with the elbow in the substrate and mark where it needs to be cut for the last elbow to let the water from teh uplift, flow into the net. Cut it slightly longer to allow fo pipe to go into the elbows. put the tubing into the pipe and put the air stone on the end then fit it all together.
I've held the pipe in place with a heater suction holder thingy

I didnt turn the air onto start with as I wanted the fish to have time to adjust to it....
It took a massive 25 mins before the synos were in an out of it happily so the air is now on and running.
Who knows - there might be eggs in the morning!

 

[helterskelter]

Looks like a very intrestinf breeding project u decided to take up.

I seen a guy in plymouth who breeds them on a regular bases, He's using their tap water which is quite soft and he has 4-5 breeidng pairs. the funnyest thing is he used them dam crappy suncken ship ornements as it's perfect for them to spawn in!!!!

He leave the eggs and fry with the parents untill their about 3/4" then he moves them on to their own tank

And looking at the size difference he get 2-3 broods going in the same tank at times.

I love these little fish how do u go about sexing them? fat = females?

 

[smithrc]

We have 7 from a local breeder. we've had them about 18 months now and they are all grown up
As you say females = fat
Thats the main reason we've been conditioning them, to sex them to see what we've got - looks like a nice even split. 4 females 3 males

I'm in the process of dispanding the fish shed, so if this works, they will be raised in the comunity tank

 

[smithrc]

well...

In the few days running up to the pot being added the synos had been acting a little odd... looks like they had been swawning as bes they could across the tank as yesturday i had actually only got one 'plump' female left - the others had already lightened heir load.

However

When we went out last night at about 8... they were in and out of the pot happily...

and when we got home at about 2:00am there were eggs in the net!

I'll post piccys later, but I'm quite happy - there dosnt look like that many are fertilised though so I just need to keep the fungus off them and then raise any fry that make it

I've just checked the pot and the air lift contraption has worked a treat - it only left 2 eggs in the bottom.

 

[helterskelter]

What a resualt!!!

2 eggs left, it's worked better than anyone could of thought, what can i say have fun picking out the dead eggs

Gotta be eaiser than my trout farming days, imagin picking out the dead eggs from 500,000 egg's
Spent days in total in freezing cold water looking for them.

Helter

 

[smithrc]

2 eggs left, it's worked better than anyone could of thought, what can i say have fun picking out the dead eggs

I've got a pipette thats slightly bigger then the eggs - perfect.

I havent sorted them yet as we've been out all day - But I did clean them up a bit this morning and so far they look fungus free.
So... what do people recommend for keeping the eggs free of fungus for a few days?

Anyway - here is what we ended up with - hopefully next time will be a lot more productive.

 

[OohFeeshy]

Wow, that's a cool setup. How much did the parts cost? That would work well for a lot of species- cichlids, other catfish, even (with a bit of modification) egg scatterers and suchlike. As for keeping them fungus-free, normally things like air currents directed at the eggs, sometimes anti-fungus meds like a few drops of meth. blue.

Edit- From the article Gank psoted, they used an egg tumbler, which is pretty easy to do- basicly you stick the eggs in a secion of UGF tube divided with mesh so water can flow but eggs can't) and stick an airstone in. You could probably add an adaptor onto the end of your current setup.

 

[Gankutsuou]

this is really interesting... I can;t wait for more results.


And I bet you can't either.

and I'm sure you already saw this article... It's pretty similar to yours, and it's good to know it works.

 

[smithrc]

right then... mixed news...

The breeding net was not the ideal place to keep the eggs... while they were getting turned over nicely they got thrown to the edge of the net over night and during today... and they got fungus

However - while trying to sift out any non fungus-ed ones, I happened across a couple of survivors... that happen to be wiggling

OK, its only 2 fry, but It's a learning process.

I've been sad enough to actually count the eggs in the piccy above.

There are a total of 183 easily countable - 80ish of which looked fertilised.
sorted down to about 40 that had no signs of fungus (some had already clumped together and gone fury before i had chance to do anything)
Having counted them I'm really disapointed with this spawn
It really didnt look like there were that many once they were cleaned up!

 

[smithrc]

Time for an update...
No fry left - I've found a small hole in the net!

However - now they have started spawning - we have had another load of eggs.
but I need to alter my egg holding method as the net is not working.
Even with an air stone in there the eggs are sitting on the bottom and getting fungus.

Tonight I plan to make a perspex 'trap' that I can gather the eggs in and use to tumble the eggs.
I'll update again tomorrow.

 

[breezer40]

Fantastic topic smithrc! I have 6 Syno Petricola that are still a little small yet but I would love to try this when they get bigger. Please keep this thread updated with any improvements so we can all learn through your experiences.

 

[smithrc]

Fantastic topic smithrc! I have 6 Syno Petricola that are still a little small yet but I would love to try this when they get bigger. Please keep this thread updated with any improvements so we can all learn through your experiences.

Cheers Breezer... I've been meaning to PM you with some other news over here too
I'll do it now

On topic, the main problem I'm having is keeping the eggs fresh... the net just isnt working.
I've removed the bottom plastic frame to stop then getting stuck on under and around it...
That helped but the eggs are still sitting still in the corners etc. I've added an air stone to try and keep them turning over but the net lst the water move through it too freely so no currents are built up.

I'm going to build something like this tonight....

 

[OohFeeshy]

As a temporary measure, you could attatch a 'bag' of fine netting around the end so that the water from the tube is flowing over the eggs, perhaps? Or use a jar or bottle or similar with an airstone at the bottom, sort of like a bbs setup.

 

[smithrc]

or similar with an airstone at the bottom, sort of like a bbs setup.

thats what this'll be like

with a slopped side so that once there is anair stone in it, the eggs wont rest

 

[smithrc]

Quick update...

I'm having no luck so far.... the eggs are still coming so I'm getting plently of chances to try!

I've tried a jar with air stone with the last lot of eggs.... this killed the fry when they hatched due to the turbulance

While the air stone was in the jar - I had disconnected it from the uplift...
When I re-connected it tonight I had a bit of a shock.

it sucked appros 200 tiny dead fry and another 200+ eggs out (mostly fungused)!

my trap will be going in the tank tomorrow... finger crossed it'll have more luck.