# cuckoo catfish?



## cichbilly (Oct 16, 2010)

I've got an offer for 4 cuckoo cat fish (free) to add to my tank. dont know alot about them except that they are the ones that lay eggs with mouthbrooders so that the cichlid keeps them as their own.

I've read that they get 5-6" but the guy im getting them from said he thinks they get bigger?

he bought them as petricolas? im not sure thats the right name but thats what i think he told me.

anybody have an opinion on them? should i take em cuz they are free? what special attention do they need? food? that kind of stuff?


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

Synodontis pertricola or maybe syndodontis multipuntata http://www.scotcat.com/factsheets/s_petricola.htm 

They will eat anything that fits in their mouth, including other fish. They are kind of cool, but also a bit active for shy/peaceful tankmates. To keep, IMO, depends on the size of your tank and what else you keep.


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## cichbilly (Oct 16, 2010)

110 gallon 6ft tank. 30+ mbuna's couple of haps and a few peacocks. id have to get a new list made for my signature but all fish are 2.5-3.5 inches


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

Those fish do live together in the lake. Don't take them if you are trying to breed the cichlids in the tank and have surviving fry. If you don't want babies or have maternity tanks for holding moms, then they'd likely be ok. Do some more research as I don't know much about catfish except that they do eat fry. I once had a synodontis eat all the cichlid fry that got under a divider. It was like a weeble rocking on its distended belly.


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## toddnbecka (Jun 30, 2006)

I have a group of 5 adult multipunctatus in a 75 along with a group of eureka red peacocks. So far I have 2 catfish and one peacock juvie that have survived and grown out on their own. I have seen other fry of both species, but since I don't pull them out to raise they get eaten.
I have a group of 7 petricola in a 55, females always look gravid but no fry have survived.


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## lohachata (Jan 27, 2006)

todd...you need a special setup for the petricolas..breed as pairs..remove adults right after spawning.eggs hatch fast..feed fry sponge grunge along with micro foods..
i was talking to eric bodrock about them awhile back...they aren't that hard...just tricky....lol


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