Above: In this picture is a nice young premium quality Polka Dot Squeaker Catfish, Synodontis Angelicus, swimming in one of our aquariums, when one of us snapped this picture.

Comments: These are catfish that we rarely see in the live fish stores or in the online stores that we visit.

Premium Fish like these catfish are more energetic, more hardy, and more colorful than fish from other sources.

Origin: This catfish was caught in a slow moving stream in West Africa .

Maximum Size: In aquariums, this catfish often grows to be about 10" long, but they live many years and continue to grow their entire lives.

So large old females can be longer than 10". In fact their are reports of Angelicus measuring almost 24" long!

Behaviors: They usually hide when the lights are on, often upside down under a piece of driftwood. But they'll quickly come out, when food is offered to them.

If netted out of the water, they will usually make a squeaking sound in the net. They often quarrel with other Synodontis but otherwise are not aggressive.

Like most catfish they will eat any fish that fits into their mouths.

Compatibility: Some recommended tank mates include other West African fish like Buttikoferi, Jewel Cichlids, Elephant Noses, Baby Whales, Black Knifefish, etc.

Click here to read more about compatible groups of pet fish.

Temperature: this catfish can live pretty well from about 70 to 80 degrees F., but they're probably most comfortable from about 75 to 78 degrees F.

Click here to learn about aquarium temperature, aquarium thermometers, and aquarium heaters.

Feeding: Premium Fish Food Pellets. Click here to learn more about and shop online for premium fish foods.

Water Conditions: this catfish tolerates of a wide range of water conditions. Probably a pH of about 7 with moderate hardness is best.

Most water in the US seems to be OK, so it's probably best NOT to adjust the pH or the hardness of the water.

Here in our facilities the water is hard and the pH is usually about 7.8. We ship them in this water.

Aquarium Size: When less than 3" long they can live in a 30-gallon aquarium, but when fed well, they will soon need a larger aquarium.

Eventually they'll need an aquarium with at least 150-gallons of water.

Decor: these catfish do not need gravel, and a layer of gravel more than 1/4" thick will usually fill with bits of uneaten food that will contaminate the water.

Click here for more about aquarium gravel.

Live Plants: are beautiful, improve the water quality, and will be OK, when these catfish are young and small, but when they grow big, they'll uproot and bulldoze plants out of the way, as they search the bottom for food.

Click here for more about aquarium plants.

Aquarium Filter: Bio-Wheel Filters are highly recommended. A Penguin 350B Filter in an aquarium with 30-gallons is OK, when these catfish are under 3".

But eventually they'll need to live in an aquarium with at least 150-gallons of water and as many Penguin 350B Filters as will fit across the back of the aquarium or a large water filtering system.

Click here to learn more about aquarium filters.

The addition of Lava Rocks will keep nitrates in the ideal range. Click here to learn more about using Lava Rocks in aquariums.

Life Span: this catfish can live for several years, maybe many years with excellent care, including excellent water and premium fish foods.

Gender: As they mature, the females will fill with eggs and get plumper. But it's usually not easy to see.

Breeding: there are no reports of this catfish being spawned in an aquarium. But fish farmers use injections of hormones to trigger spawning, and now large numbers of these catfish are produced.

Popularity: rather popular but they're expensive, because they're caught and shipped from remote regions in Africa, and they're rare in those regions.

Names: This species name is Synodontis angelicus, although recently it's often incorrectly called angelica. Synodontis is a masculine word.

Variations: They inhabit a wide region in Africa and the pattern of their spots seems to vary, and all the variations are very beautiful.

Click here for more information about Synodontis Catfish.

We hope you've enjoyed reading these comments.

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