Upside-Down Catfish

Synodontis nigriventris

Origin Zaire river basin
Maximum Size Four inches
Housing 20+ best, 10 okay
Security Loves caves and arches
Temperature 72 to 82
Attitude Good natured cruisers. Eager eaters.
Foods Loves all foods
Water Undemanding – 6.5 to 8 pH
Life Span Probably 10+ years

Spanish Name: Synodontis means “dog-toothed.” (We don’t get it either.) All the Synodontis have “root-like” whiskers and good ol’ catfish stabbers in their pectoral and dorsal fins. Nigriventris means “black-bellied.” They are usually lighter colored on what would be their top if they were not upside down.

Common Name: Lots of the Synodontis species swim upside down from time to time. S. nigriventris swims upside down nearly 90% of the time – thus the name.
Why Upside Down? Some fish keepers have theorized that Synodontis nigriventris swim upside down to enable them to eat mosquito larvae that congregate at the water’s surface.

Origins: As far as we know, all upside-down catfish are still directly imported from Africa. They come from the Zaire River basin.

Water Conditions: Don’t worry too much about pH. We like to add one teaspoon of salt per gallon. Some references insist catfish hate salt. Lots of African catfishes come from high pH water with salt in it.

Appeal: Who can resist a fish that swims upside down? They’re flat out cute. They mix well with other fishes. They eat whatever you feed them. And unlike many catfishes, Synodontis nigriventris come out during the day. They not only come out, they very actively feed during the day – off the bottom and off the top.
Size: You find them for sale at about two inches or less. They grow up to average about three inches and occasionally reach four.

Habitat: Provide caves or ledges for your nigriventris to loaf in. If you don’t, they will stack up behind your filter tube. Better yet, give them an arching piece of driftwood. They’ll line up along the underside of the wood arch like a Lionel railroad. If you give them a ledge or cave, put it up front so you can watch these intriguing little characters.

Good Mixers: Upside-downers don’t bother regular community fishes. Oddly enough, they will.

Scavengers: Lots of people keep catfishes on their clean-up crew. Upside downers will scavenge for food. However, they also come right out front and compete with the other fish at feeding time. They are not picky eaters or intimidated by most fish. also get along with some ol’ African cichlids, because they have enough sense to maintain a low profile when housed with bullies. The lace catfish mix better with African cichlids, than S. nigriventris.

Foods: Upside-down catfish eagerly eat whatever you feed them. They love foods with meat in them. They also love live foods and frozen foods. As you might expect, they go nuts for live California black worms. Their whiskers make them great “worm finders” – live, frozen, or freeze-dried.

Filtration Note: Upside-down catfishes love to explore small places in search of snacks. That’s their job. If you use a power filter, make sure you put a strainer on the end. They will also explore your under gravel filter stems, if you leave out the carbon cartridges.

Summary: If you collect catfishes, you need one or more of these cuties in your collection. If you want a scavenger, these guys will do the job. If you like interesting fishes, you need at least one upside-down catfish. By the way, they like to patrol in herds.

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[doHTML]<img src="http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c158/Gatbunton/UpsideDownCat.jpg" alt="Upside Down Cat" style="float:right;" />
<b>Common Names:</b> Upside Down Cat, Blotched Upside Down Catfish
<br><b>Scientific Name:</b> <i>Synodontis nigriventris</i>
<br><b>Family:</b> Mochokidae
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<br><b>Alkalinity:</b> 6.0-7.5 pH
<br><b>Temp:</b> 75-82°F
<br><b>Hardness:</b> 4-12 KH
<br><b>Life Span:</b> 6-11 years
<br><b>Maximum Size:</b> 4 inches
<br><b>Preferred Tank Size:</b> 30g
<br><b>Diet:</b> Omnivore
<br><b>Breeding:</b> Currently, the Upside Down Cat is not being successfully bred in the aquarium.
<br><b>Temerament:</b> Peaceful
<br><b>Compatible:</b> Compatible with most peaceful tankmates
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<br><b>Habitat:</b> The Upside Down Cat will appreciate a heavily planted aquarium of 30 gallons or more, with driftwood and crevices for hiding. Sensitive to nitrates, good water conditions are necessary. It prefers a current in the aquarium. It can be kept as a schooling fish or in an aquarium with other small Synodontis species.
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<br><b>In The Wild:</b> Rivers and lakes of central Africa around the Congo Basin
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Available From: www.liveaquaria.com