I was just wondering if anyone has had any luck breeding these syno's. I have been working on building up a group. I think that I am pretty close to a good sized breeding group. Fifteen in total. Most are unrelated. But a few pairs or trios are related. I have just set up a tank for them and introduced them all together. What Ive got going on for them is a four foot 65G filtered by a xp3 and a hydro sponge. I have used a larger size type of natural sand. At first I had a couple of pieces of pvc pipes for hiding in. I also put two flower pots (with holes cut in the sides) upside down on the some clay trays full of marbles. These are where I am hoping that I will find eggs one day. I have been checking evey other day. After two days of the pvc I got sick of it so I switched it up with around 30 or 40 pounds of tulfa rock (makes the tank much nicer on the eyes). I have been feeding them blood worm and aquadine sinking discs. They also eat some tetra colourbits that I have been feeding the four Copadichromis trewavasae (1M/3F) That I have also added. They are not breeding yet but I think it is comming soon. This tank has only been set up for a week and a half but I am going to stick with a 50% water change every week.
So anyway that is what i've got going in the attempt of breeding these gorgeous syno's. So I am looking for any input from any one that has had secsuss breeding them. Or even any ideas from some one who might have a good idea.
Thanks
Jay

Here is a pic of their tank.

Jay, I think Larry has bred them before!

And if you get in a pinch and need some help, there is a guy down our way that is the president of the St. Kit's aquarium club who breeds them. I'm sure he would be glad to help out if I'm wrong about Larry!

Kim

Ok. Thanks Kim I will be sure to ask Larry for some advice. If that does not pan out I may want to speak to the prez of the st kits club. Im just looking for any suggestions that my improve my chances of breeding. Who knows mybe by the time i gather info the deed might aready be done. Well I can only hope.
Thanks again Kim.

Hi Gang,,no I haven't bred them but I had quoted another friend who had been breeding and raising them.
The pots with the base look great,but turn it upside down and put 4 levels of marbles inside.Cover the flower pot bottom hole with a piece of slate siliconed in place.
This layering of marbles lets the eggs fall away from where they can be eaten.
If these eggs hatch in about the same time as "multi's" then that should be about 3 days.

Hope this helps,and good luck! Good Job

4larry Larry

Thanks Larry. The trays that im using are around 1 1/2 deep. There is already around four layers on marbles. Do you think that will surfice? Or should I have much more? When you bread multi's did you condition them with any special type of food prior to breeding?

I think he means to turn the flower pots upside down, Jay, then put your marbles in what would be the bottom if you actually had dirt and flowers in it. Then the synos will go in and lay the eggs and the eggs will fall down into the marbles and won't get eaten.

I saw the set ups that the guy in St. Kit's had, and that was how they looked.

Kim

Ya I know what he means. I was just wondering if the way I have them was fine. I already have a good bunch of marbles in the tray. I can flip the pots no problem. I just kinda like the way they look right now.

OK,I didn't see the trays,but if you think they are deep enough to protect the eggs from getting eaten the things should be fine.

4larry Larry

Thanks Larry. Ill work with that for a while. If Im not seeing any eggs in the next month or so. I will flip the pots and add more marbles.

Okay, now I'm totally confused.

Where are the petricolas entering the pot to spawn? From the top hole?

Kim

The setup looks fine if they can get in through the top hole. If the opening on the side is not blocked you may lose eggs through that hole. I used an opaque juice jug flipped upside down with a large hole cut about midway up the side so the cats could enter and I could see into the jug. I had about 2 inches of marbles in the bottom (actually the lid of the jug). The eggs are quite tiny and can easily be missed. You'll need to check every other day but you'll also know when they're preparing to spawn.

Males will often enter the pot but females, in my experience, will only enter when they're ready to spawn.

The females will be gravid and the males will be quite pushy/aggressive. The females will be coy just prior to spawning and will nonchalantly enter the flowerpot and then several males will go in and it will be like a merrygoround inside the pot. It's when they are circling and nudging the female that the spawning occurs. Secondary males will often consume eggs as they are laid. The eggs will fall into the marbles where they can't be eaten but they can fungus easily due to a lack of water circulation.

Using black/dark blue marbles helps as you can easily see the eggs amongst the dark marbles.

Hope that helps.

Gerry

Kim, they enter the pots from the square hole I made in the side. The trays are around an inch and a half deep. They are completly filled to the bottom of the square hole.
Gerry, thanks for the info. I have noticed that what I belive to be the males are infact hanging out in the pots. Ive been real busy lately so I have not had a hole lot of time to sit and watch to see if the females are going in aswell. I have been seeing alot of bumping and rubbing going on.
I had never thought about eggs comming out of the hole that I made. I think because of that I am going to do what Larry suggested. Covering the round hole on the bottom of the pot with slate. Then place the pot right side up with the tray on top, makeing the only opening the one I cut in the rim of the top. Thanks again Larry for the idea. I'll see what happens then.

I found this hope it makes it clear. Good Job
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTvlZN7EFVY&NR=1

Oh they love to eat there own eggs and young so moving the tray of eggs to another bare bottomed tank is the way to go if you want to raise hundreds.

Cool. Thanks 24T. I had never thought of looking on utube for petricola vids.
Those eggs look alot smaller than I had thought. I think I will need to keep a closer eye on things.

Just a quick update. My petricola's have been spawning a bit. But not in the areas that I have provided for them. They a doing it around the rocks. It seems as fast as I see eggs scatter all over the tank, the other cats and the trews have them all gobbled up. So I have not seen a single wiggler. What I have decided to do...well after christmas that is when I have more time. I am going to remove all the rocks in the tank and add 2 or 3 more flower pots. I am going to change my pots to be something like the one in the video on youtube that 24T gave the link for. I think a glass bowl would be great to see whats going on in there. What I figured is that they will spawn in the pots if that is the only place for them to hang out. Well I guess I will see what happins. Ill keep everyone posted on the outcome. Thanks again for everyones help.

Thanks for the update, Jay!

I hope you get them where you want them to be soon!

Happy breeding the cats!

Well I have changed a few things and I think that its just a matter of time till it start getting some fry. Here is a link to the changes that I have done. Just scroll down to the bottom of the page.
http://www.jayscichlids.com/breedingprojects.htm

Looks like a great set up, Jay...

You can get black marbles at Michael's (the craft store). Actually, you can get any colour imaginable. Good Job

Kim

Nice set up, Jay!

I realy like that species of catfish too!

Good luck and post up some pics of the fry as soon as they
spawn, if you can! Now this should be good!

I will be sure to post pics if I get any action.
Hey Kim where would I find a Michael's?

Good luck - I hope you get a successful spawn.

Here's a store locator for Michael's. http://direct.where2getit.com/cwc/apps/w2g...client=michaels

Thanks I picked up some marbles today from Micheal's

Nice setup Jay. Looks like a fish village, with houses and has flowers and a white fence.

Thanks geelite. The tank has actually undergone some changes in the last month.

Here is how it looks now. A few more little homes, less rocks.

Sorry, Jay, I think maybe I'm not getting all my reply notifications or something...

I'm sure you didn't think Michaels was as wonderful and entertaining as I do! Giggly

I can spend hours in that place!

The tank looks really great. If you don't get them to breed with that set up, I don't know what would work!

Kim