Is It An Upside Down Catfish?

[fishnovice]

Got 2 young unknown 4 inch synos about 4 months ago. Poirot with long black moustaches has doubled in size and has a ragged dorsal fin so could be a featherfin cat. The other, Whiskers, is much smaller now and I've just noticed it swimming upside down! It doesn;t do this all the time and is usually quite active, swimming normally all over the tank, on glass sides etc. Swam upside down yesterday too.
Do upside down catfish swim like that all the time or can they swim normally too?
Do they only swim upsidedown when they are older -didn't notice this behaviour before?
Or is my syno sick -eats well comes up to surface and still capable of normal swimming when it wants to

 

[fluffycabbage]

Got 2 young unknown 4 inch synos about 4 months ago. Poirot with long black moustaches has doubled in size and has a ragged dorsal fin so could be a featherfin cat. The other, Whiskers, is much smaller now and I've just noticed it swimming upside down! It doesn;t do this all the time and is usually quite active, swimming normally all over the tank, on glass sides etc. Swam upside down yesterday too.
Do upside down catfish swim like that all the time or can they swim normally too?
Do they only swim upsidedown when they are older -didn't notice this behaviour before?
Or is my syno sick -eats well comes up to surface and still capable of normal swimming when it wants to

Do you have a pic?

 

[AstonN24vantage]

pic would def help.

 

[kizno1]

If there 4" in 4 months there defiantly not upside down catfish/Synodontis nigriventris. Synodontis nigriventris do get to 4" if there females but they have very slow growth. Ive had a group (1male 2females) for about a year now and they have grown about 1cm at most. Its most likely to be a featherfin catfish/Synodontis euptera.

 

[fishnovice]

One of them has doubled in size to almost 8in with tail and is fairly assertive, even chasing cichlids sometimes. The other hasn't grown so much, maybe an inch in 3 months around 2cm longer than a big female convict and sometimes swims upside down, Difficult to take photos as I only have a basic camera and these guys are mostly nocturnal.

Can synos take a 7mm bite out of another fish?
My main concern in seeking ID is that someone in this tank bit a big chunk out of my smallest jewel cichlid who died a week later and I am afraid the same thing may happen to the other cichlids if the synos are killer species.

 

[N0body Of The Goat]

Asian Upside Down Catfish usually develope clusters of white dots, here's a typical pic... http/www.planetcatfish.com/catelog/image.php?species=mystus+leucophasis&image_id=10319.

They have a reputation for being "nasty pieces of work," being quite capable of killing tankmates. PC's profile suggests nothing less than 75% of the size of the catfish should be with them, with similar personality fish being the best tankmates including Mbuna cichlids.

 

[fishnovice]

Asian Upside Down Catfish usually develope clusters of white dots, here's a typical pic... http/www.planetcatfish.com/catelog/image.php?species=mystus+leucophasis&image_id=10319.

They have a reputation for being "nasty pieces of work," being quite capable of killing tankmates. PC's profile suggests nothing less than 75% of the size of the catfish should be with them, with similar personality fish being the best tankmates including Mbuna cichlids.

No white dots, its sort of dark grey with black spots. The "upsidedown" one isn't agressive but the big one is chasing cichlids. Big syno has an extra long first ray on its dorsal fin sticking out about 1 inch from rest of fin. Is it a featherfin and if so will my jewels cons and sev be safe with it?
Didn't realise synos were so aggressive, thought thye were safe fish like big plecs. If synos will kill cichlids the only other tank I can put them in has a dwarf common plec who is very gentle. Will syno attack the plec? I've had these synos for a few months and watched them grow. They were rescue fish, species unknown and I've grown fond of them. Would hate to lose synos but can't put remaining cichlids at risk esp aafter poor Tiny was brutally killed.

 

[kizno1]

Asian Upside Down Catfish usually develope clusters of white dots, here's a typical pic... http/www.planetcatfish.com/catelog/image.php?species=mystus+leucophasis&image_id=10319.

They have a reputation for being "nasty pieces of work," being quite capable of killing tankmates. PC's profile suggests nothing less than 75% of the size of the catfish should be with them, with similar personality fish being the best tankmates including Mbuna cichlids.

No white dots, its sort of dark grey with black spots. The "upsidedown" one isn't agressive but the big one is chasing cichlids. Big syno has an extra long first ray on its dorsal fin sticking out about 1 inch from rest of fin. Is it a featherfin and if so will my jewels cons and sev be safe with it?
Didn't realise synos were so aggressive, thought thye were safe fish like big plecs. If synos will kill cichlids the only other tank I can put them in has a dwarf common plec who is very gentle. Will syno attack the plec? I've had these synos for a few months and watched them grow. They were rescue fish, species unknown and I've grown fond of them. Would hate to lose synos but can't put remaining cichlids at risk esp aafter poor Tiny was brutally killed.

It sounds like a featherfin. I would think the cichlids could stand up for themselves against it but they do get quite pushy when big. Theres no such thing as a dwarf common plec. Its probably just a name your LFS have given it to make more people buy it. How big is the tank? Common plecs need atleats a 6x2x2 foot tank but even thats a bit tight for a fully grown one.

 

[fishnovice]

Asian Upside Down Catfish usually develope clusters of white dots, here's a typical pic... http/www.planetcatfish.com/catelog/image.php?species=mystus+leucophasis&image_id=10319.

They have a reputation for being "nasty pieces of work," being quite capable of killing tankmates. PC's profile suggests nothing less than 75% of the size of the catfish should be with them, with similar personality fish being the best tankmates including Mbuna cichlids.

No white dots, its sort of dark grey with black spots. The "upsidedown" one isn't agressive but the big one is chasing cichlids. Big syno has an extra long first ray on its dorsal fin sticking out about 1 inch from rest of fin. Is it a featherfin and if so will my jewels cons and sev be safe with it?
Didn't realise synos were so aggressive, thought thye were safe fish like big plecs. If synos will kill cichlids the only other tank I can put them in has a dwarf common plec who is very gentle. Will syno attack the plec? I've had these synos for a few months and watched them grow. They were rescue fish, species unknown and I've grown fond of them. Would hate to lose synos but can't put remaining cichlids at risk esp aafter poor Tiny was brutally killed.

It sounds like a featherfin. I would think the cichlids could stand up for themselves against it but they do get quite pushy when big. Theres no such thing as a dwarf common plec. Its probably just a name your LFS have given it to make more people buy it. How big is the tank? Common plecs need atleats a 6x2x2 foot tank but even thats a bit tight for a fully grown one.

Alice the plec is barely 8in with tail and hasn't grown at all since I was forced to adopt her in Feb (came with a tank). Previous owner said she wsa 8 years old. I know she wasn't well cared for so probably stunted through malnutrition and maybe small tank as youngster.Checked ID, it's definitely a common plec.