Spotted Synodontis
Spotted Synodontis, scientific name Synodontis ocellifer, belongs to the Mochokidae family. Catfish attracts attention with its large spots all over the body, contrasting with the rest of the color. The catfish also earned not a little popularity due to its unpretentiousness. Its beautiful appearance and ease of maintenance make it a great addition to any aquarium.
The catfish received a scientific description in 1900, the researcher George Albert Bulenger discovered the fish in the river systems of West and Central Africa in the territory of modern Senegal, Chad, and the Gambia.
Description
Spotted Synodontis is a classic representative of catfish and has all the characteristic features. There are several color variations, but the most common shade is yellowish to brown with large dark spots all over the body. On the back there is a large fin with sharp spikes, so when transporting you should not use a bag, but only containers made of glass or plastic.
Food
Accepts all types of dry industrial feed (flakes, granules), vegetable food, as well as live and frozen food. Despite the omnivorous nature of meat products (tubifex, bloodworms, brine shrimp) should be at least half of the diet, since fish require a large amount of protein for normal development.
Maintenance and care
Fish does not impose special requirements on the composition and quality of water. Adults emit a significant amount of waste products, therefore, in order to reduce the load on the biological filter, it is recommended to replace part of the water every two weeks – 20%.
Successful keeping requires a spacious aquarium of about 300 liters for adult fish with the obligatory presence of shelters in the form of grottoes and caves. As a design, the optimal material is wood, it can be snags or tree roots.
The aquarium should have a powerful filtration system that can effectively purify the water, as well as create a moderate movement of water that mimics the movement of river water in its natural habitat. Special lighting is not required, in the daytime the fish will hide in shelters.
Spotted Synodontis in most cases is able to successfully get along with any other species of peaceful fish, regardless of size, however, due to the large size of the catfish, small neighbors may experience stress. It is allowed to keep both in a group of relatives and one by one.
Breeding / breeding
Sex differences are weak. There are no successful breeding experiences in home aquaria, so all fish for sale are either caught in the wild or grown in specialized nurseries.
