cuckoo catfish (Synodontis multipunctatus) – 3cm

The Cuckoo Catfish is a lot more active in the daytime compared to other species.  A hardy fish, that should occasionally be fed live foods. Adult size 15cm, min tank size 300 litres for up to 5 fish.

It is a peaceful fish but will fight for territories with other bottom dwellers. They should always be kept in small groups, as they reach an adult size of 15 cm they will require a decent sized aquarium to cater for the group. The minimum size should be at least 120 cm in length, this will give them space at the bottom of the tank and allow them to establish their own territories.

Cuckoo Catfish (Synodontis multipunctatus) is from Lake Tanganyika

Behaviour

This Syndontis is a lot more active in the daytime compared to other species. It is a peaceful fish but will fight for territories with other bottom dwellers. The cuckoo catfish should always be kept in small groups, as they reach an adult size of 15 cm they will require a decent sized aquarium to cater for the group. The minimum size should be at least 120 cm in length, this will give them space at the bottom of the tank and allow them to establish their own territories.

Tank Conditions

The aquarium should be spacious with a soft sandy substrate in order to protect the sensory barbels. It should be decorated with a good amount of rocky caves/PVC tubes, some driftwood, and robust planting (that can cope with hard, alkaline conditions) to provide shady areas, but you should also ensure that a roomy swimming space is left along the front of the tank.

Efficient filtration is recommended, as these fish are voracious eaters and can produce a fair amount of waste. The water should be well-oxygenated with a moderate current, and frequent partial water changes are a must to help keep nitrate to a minimum.

These fish are most comfortable in aquaria with subdued lighting, and the use of blue-moon type illumination is highly recommended so that you may observe a few hours of the nightly goings-on in an aquarium containing these catfish. Ensure that heaters are covered with heater guards to prevent these catfish from being burned when looking for dark crevices to rest against.

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Compatibility

They are a gregarious species and should be kept in groups of 5 or more for their continued wellbeing. Companions should be relatively peaceful and larger than 5cm in length (otherwise they may be predated upon); they do well as part of a Tanganyikan community of medium-large sized fish.

Feeding

These fish are voracious omnivorous eaters. Offer a variety meaty frozen foods such as bloodworm, white mosquito larvae, vitamin-enriched brine shrimp, mysis shrimp etc., along with some sinking catfish pellets/tablets/granules. Be sure to offer some vegetable matter such as cucumber, courgette, and shelled peas, along with occasional algae wafers. These are greedy fish, and are a little susceptible to bloating so take care not to overfeed, and go easy on the amount of dried foods given – avoiding all floating foods.

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Care

These fish do best in Tanganyikan setup tanks and should have hard water with a pH of 8 or higher. Water should have 0 ammonia and 0 nitrite, and ideally less than 25ppm nitrate. A temperature of around 25°C is about right.  Seachem Tanganyikan Buffer helps maintain these water parameters.

The water should be well-oxygenated with a moderate current, and frequent partial water changes are a must to help keep nitrate to a minimum.

See Fish Disease Diagnosis and Treatment at Rebel Pets for help with diagnosing and treating diseases.