Weird Syno Behavior

[dr exum]

My 3” Syno seems to be swimming laps, taking a breath from the top every lap.

never done this in two years

water -

ammo 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate - little
Ph - 7.6 ish

temp 82

Stressed? It was the little fish now it’s the big fish of this tank....

 

[kno4te]

Probably stressed. What are it’s tankmates?

 

[dr exum]

Probably stressed. What are it’s tankmates?

3 - other Syno’s / 2, 1” , and 1, 4”

4 - bristle nose 1”-3”

22 - 1” Victorians ... (2 species)

salt / lights off?

 

[kno4te]

3 - other Syno’s / 2, 1” , and 1, 4”

4 - bristle nose 1”-3”

22 - 1” Victorians ... (2 species)

salt / lights off?

Yes to the lights off. Would hold off on the lights. Got plenty of hiding spots?

 

[dr exum]

It was in a 120 with rougher fish, Mainly hid inside wood most of its life, not sure...

6 plastic holey rock

lights off, lap pattern has changed a bit...

 

[Fishman Dave]

What type syno? Do you have any idea of tank hardness?
You mention it used to have wood which would make me think it was ph less than 7 and possibly softer water. Now looks like ph greater than 7 and potentially hard water?
Did you recently change the decor/setup?

 

[dr exum]

What type syno? Do you have any idea of tank hardness?
You mention it used to have wood which would make me think it was ph less than 7 and possibly softer water. Now looks like ph greater than 7 and potentially hard water?
Did you recently change the decor/setup?

Petricola

different tank, moved her (no idea of gender) to the African set up , there is substrate to increase ph

kh appears to be 40 vs 0 in the other tank

1st pic new tank

2nd old tank

 

[RD.]

My 3” Syno seems to be swimming laps, taking a breath from the top every lap.

IME this species, S. lucipinnis (generally sold as petricola) are like canaries in a coal mine, and outside of pre-spawning behaviour, the activity that you describe is often stress from water parameters. Not to alarm you, but I once saw this behaviour when an unknown toxin had been introduced in to a tank, where the synos were first to react. Within hours almost all fish in the tank were dead, including several other species. Hopefully yours is just feeling his oats!

 

[dr exum]

Well,

there is a 4” syno that’s now there, the other two are 1”. Let’s hope for the pre spawning behavior vs group death....

 

[Fishman Dave]

How long had the syno been in this new setup? If only recent I would still suspect the change from soft acid to hard alkaline water, especially if not acclimatized over a day or more.