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Decorated squeaker

Synodontis decorus

Also known as Decorated Synodontis

FreshwaterFish

Decorated squeaker (Synodontis decorus)
(c) John P Friel, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by John P Friel · cc-by

Care at a glance

Temperature
72–81°F
22–27°C
pH
6.5–7.5
Adult size
11.8 in
30 cm
Minimum tank
53 gal
200 L
Temperament
Mostly peaceful
Social behavior
Solitary
Swim level
Bottom
Diet
Omnivore
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
No record
Rarity
Rare
Family
Mochokidae
Origin
Congo Basin

Overview

The decorated squeaker is a large, good-natured catfish for the bottom of a tank of sizeable fish. It suits a keeper with some experience.

Did you know

Young decorated squeakers look quite unlike the adults and can be hard to recognize at first. They grow the full pattern and the trailing dorsal filament only after passing about 8 cm.

Caring for the decorated squeaker

Give a decorated squeaker at least 53 gal (200 L). Use a soft sandy substrate to guard its barbels, with driftwood, smooth rock and big, roomy caves for daytime cover. Leave open floor, since it forages over the bottom mostly at night.

Keep the water at 72 to 81°F (22 to 27°C) with a pH of 6.5 to 7.5. Strong filtration and a moderate current keep it clean and well oxygenated. Feed a varied omnivore diet of sinking pellets, frozen foods and vegetables.

Keep it as a single specimen, since it does not need its own kind and adults can be pushy toward other bottom catfish. It mixes calmly with sizeable, peaceful tank mates such as larger characins, barbs and robust cichlids. Avoid dedicated fin nippers, which might target its long trailing dorsal ray. Breeding has not been recorded in home aquariums.

Good to know

The decorated squeaker is among the larger aquarium squeakers in the family Mochokidae. Adults carry a pennant-like extension on the dorsal fin and a boldly striped tail. Like other Synodontis, it has bony head plates and can lock its spines.

In the wild

The decorated squeaker ranges widely through the Congo River basin in central Africa. It favors the slower reaches of large rivers and flooded zones, over sand and among sunken wood.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The decorated squeaker is a mostly peaceful, solitary species that keeps to the bottom. These picks share a community profile with it, are safe together in both directions, and overlap on water type, temperature and pH.

Check the full mix in the stocking calculator

Common questions

What size tank does a decorated squeaker need?

A decorated squeaker needs at least 53 gal (200 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.

What temperature and pH does a decorated squeaker need?

A decorated squeaker is comfortable at 72–81°F (22–27°C) with a pH of 6.5–7.5.

What does a decorated squeaker eat?

A decorated squeaker eats a varied omnivore diet of sinking pellets, frozen foods and vegetables. It forages over the bottom mostly at night.

How big does a decorated squeaker get?

An adult decorated squeaker reaches about 11.8 in (30 cm).

Related species