TankBud

Polka dot syno

Synodontis angelicus

FreshwaterFish

Polka dot syno (Synodontis angelicus)
Haps · CC BY-SA 3.0

Care at a glance

Temperature
75–82°F
24–28°C
pH
6.0–7.5
Adult size
11.8 in
30 cm
Minimum tank
55 gal
210 L
Temperament
Mostly peaceful
Social behavior
Solitary
Swim level
Bottom
Diet
Omnivore
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
No record
Rarity
Very rare
Family
Mochokidae
Origin
Congo Basin

Overview

The polka dot syno is a large, white-spotted catfish for the bottom of a tank of sizeable fish. It is a step up from the easiest fish.

Did you know

A polka dot syno is most heavily spotted when young. As it ages, the crisp white dots can spread into larger, more irregular blotches, so no two mature adults are marked exactly alike.

Caring for the polka dot syno

Give a polka dot syno at least 55 gal (210 L). Use a soft sandy substrate to protect its barbels, with bogwood, big rocky caves and PVC tubes for shaded daytime retreats. Keep the light dim and leave open floor to forage.

Keep the water warm, at 75 to 82°F (24 to 28°C), with a pH of 6.0 to 7.5. It has a heavy appetite and makes plenty of waste, so run strong canister filtration with good oxygen and change water often. It browses over the bottom at night as an omnivore. Feed meaty frozen foods such as bloodworms and shrimp, along with sinking catfish pellets.

Keep it as a single specimen, since adults grow quarrelsome toward their own kind and closely related fish. Otherwise it is mostly peaceful and mixes with sizeable, robust companions such as larger characins, barbs, rainbowfish or peaceable cichlids. Anything under about 5 cm may be eaten. Aquarium breeding is not on record.

Good to know

The polka dot syno is a member of Mochokidae, with a dark purple-black body scattered with white to yellow spots. It has bony head plates and lockable spines, and it grinds the spines to squeak.

In the wild

The polka dot syno is native to the Congo River basin in central Africa. It ranges through large rivers and their tributaries, over sand and among wood.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The polka dot syno 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 polka dot syno need?

A polka dot syno needs at least 55 gal (210 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.

What temperature and pH does a polka dot syno need?

A polka dot syno is comfortable at 75–82°F (24–28°C) with a pH of 6.0–7.5.

What does a polka dot syno eat?

A polka dot syno eats meaty frozen foods such as bloodworms and shrimp, along with sinking catfish pellets. It is an omnivore that browses over the bottom at night.

How big does a polka dot syno get?

An adult polka dot syno reaches about 11.8 in (30 cm).

Related species