syno. multipunctatus breeding insights

[TrailerParkFishTanks]

i have a group of 11 wc syno. myultipunctata and i was looking into trying to get them to breed a bit for me. everything ive read so far basically makes it sound like a crap shoot with the host fish, some wise up to the multis and some stop breeding altogether. i have fuelleborni currently breeding in the tank and im growing out rostratus and protomelas taeniolatus (tangerine tiger) and im hoping that maybe they might be a more suitable host than the mbuna. has anyone had success with these? are there any haps that might be a good fit for this? venustus? fusco? etc. ive also heard i might need to rotate species in the tank so they dont wise up to what the multis are trying to do. thanks in advance

[Super Turtleman]

I have 1 surviving fry from my Saulosi and White Lab tank. Didn't think they could do it but apparently they can. I wish i knew they were ready to breed. I currently have them in with a group of Lwandas and Ngara Acei in the hopes of some more multi fry...but so far no luck. Only been in there a month or two tho so who knows.

[Ron]

IME, they all (the hosts) eventually seem to wise up.

[jcunningham0295]

I got my first three with OB peacocks, but haven't got anymore in a while.

[gcalvus]

Mine  where always Peacocks after 2 or 3 spawns the host
would wise up and I'd switch them.

[linuxrulesusa]

Talk to STEVENS (Bob) over in Livonia - I believe he's had a fair bit of success with these and gave me some tips which I unfortunately can't recall at the moment as to good species to try with the multipunctatus.

[Ron]

I've used some of the larger haps.

FWIW, from all I've read/heard, victorians with large mouths are supposed to make the best hosts and don't wise up as quickly.

[African cichlid Keeper]

I know the oyers and tyler has bred them try asking them as well.

[TrailerParkFishTanks]

well i stripped a fuelleborni and a yellow lab and out popped a few multis. go figure... right after i post a thread about it. what kind of care do i nee for these little guys. do they need an entirely sepearate grow out tank?  is crushed flake and some brine an ok diet to get them started?

[Ron]

do they need an entirely sepearate grow out tank?

Remember, they are a parasitic catfish. How do the catfish fry grow much faster than the cichlid fry while in the female cichlids mouth? The longer you wait before stripping, the bigger those catfish get and the fewer cichlid fry you'll receive!

is crushed flake and some brine an ok diet to get them started?

That's what I've done (minus the brine).

[Super Turtleman]

I use .5 ml NLS pellets to start.

[eden2020]

Stripped 2 from a yellow lab, and another 5 or 6 from two separate strips of Deep H20 Haps. The yellow labs had several additional spawns after and no Multis. The Haps simply never bred again. I believe the pressure in the tank and disturbance from the Multis was enough to shut the Haps down.

As for feeding.. pretty much anything they can get their mouth on. I use a different product than everyone else it seems, from Aqua-Pharm but they will accept and eat whatever you give them. Never been a big NLS fan. I know, I know.. shoot me.. LOL

I usually mix a couple multi fry in every fry tank I have and they do fine. I have only lost one Multi in 2 years and it was an adult. Still not sure what happened.. but they can get a little aggressive with each other at times..

-Marc