Breeding S.Petricola without mouth brooding cichlids

[festaedan]

Hey guys
How do you breed these guys without using another cichlid to take care of their fry? I've seen people breed them without mouth brooding cichlids in the tank but since the synodontis like to eat their eggs, what would be the best method to breed them without other cichlids to raise the fry? If there isnt another way or there is and its very complicated I'll probably just go with adding some cichlids.
Also, if I do the method with the cichlids, is their a certain kind that does best?
Thanks!

 

[verbal]

What is sold as "petricola" are actually lucipinis. They do not use a host to spawn.

You may get some occasional fry if you keep them in a species tank with hiding spots like lace rock and/or java moss. If you want a good yield you need a cave with marbles or something similar.

The syno that uses a host is Synodontis multipunctatus. They apparently don't do that exclusively in the wild, but it seems to be the most successful spawning strategy for them in the aquarium.

 

[festaedan]

Thanks, So, so I just need to take a bowl, fill it with marbels, and put a clay pot with a hole in it on top?
Also, how long does it normally take the eggs to hatch and when should I seperate the eggs/fry?

 

[verbal]

Thanks, So, so I just need to take a bowl, fill it with marbels, and put a clay pot with a hole in it on top?
Also, how long does it normally take the eggs to hatch and when should I seperate the eggs/fry?

I know Christine has spawned them. You may want to look at her BAP report.

 

[hollyfish2000]

this is one of my most favorite fish. I've had a few babies entirely by accident in a tank where I have a fry pile of small river rocks that are used by whatever fry in the tank are smart enough to hang out there!

There is good info on the web about how to breed these. Christine has been very successful. Note, though, they are extremely slow growing and very slow to mature -- like years

 

[festaedan]

\Note, though, they are extremely slow growing and very slow to mature -- like years

Yah, that was the only reason I was hesitant about getting them.
The fry pile idea is pretty cool, I remember seeing little yellow labs swimming around it but I didnt know it would also work for catfish

 

[Prince]

Caleb aka Minifoot seem to be able to breed these at ease. Send him a PM he might answer.


Sent from my iPhone using MonsterAquariaNetwork app

 

[AndyNarwhal]

This is how I bred mine when I was doing it.

I had a 10 gallon tank with a mesh divider in it separating it in half. On one half of the tank I had a double layer of marbles. I had a coconut cave sitting on top the marbles (no floor).

I kept the female on the side of the tank with the marbles and the males on the other half of the tank. I fed lots of live blackworms to both sides.

When the female looked nice and full, I moved one of the males over to be on her side. The two quickly started spawning inside and all around the cave. When they looked like they were done I took them both out and put them back on the other side.

Within a week you should start to see small wigglers moving around the marbles. I fed freshly hatched brine shrimp and Hikari First bites.

It's a good idea to use a sponge filter and keep the sponge on the same side as the fry. They will feed on the microorganisms in the sponge.

Once the fry got big enough to move around I removed the adults and the divider and gave them the whole tank to grow in.

They do grow slow.

Andy