Onespot Squeaker
Synodontis notatus
Freshwater West and central Africa Usually captive bred
Featuring a pale greyish body stamped with a prominent round black lateral spot, this catfish is an engaging addition to larger setups. It is generally peaceful but territorial towards other bottom dwellers, requiring ample cave hiding spots and shelter from harsh overhead lights.
Try it in the planner Opens a tank sized to its minimum with 1 fish added.
What it needs
| Item | Value | Because |
|---|---|---|
| Adult length | 22 cm | Used for the Space check: the tank must be long enough for the fish to turn round. |
| Smallest tank | 300 L, at least 120 cm long estimated | The least water and floor length this species is kept in for good, as a single fish or smallest group. |
| Extra water per added fish | 50 L estimated | What each further fish adds once the minimum is met. |
| Waste load | Class 4 of 5 estimated | How much waste an adult makes against its size. Feeds the Load check. |
| Temperature | 23 to 27 C | Stock sharing a tank need overlapping ranges. |
| pH | 6.5 to 7.5 | Compared with tankmates in the Water check. |
| Hardness | GH 5 to 15, KH 3 to 8 | Degrees of general and carbonate hardness. |
| Flow | Medium | Low-flow fish are stressed in a strong current. |
| Light | Dim | Matched to the lighting class on the needs sheet. |
| Group size | Single fish is fine | Not a schooling species. |
| Temperament | Semi-aggressive | Territorial: weak. |
| Swims in | Near the bottom | Fish that use different levels share a tank more easily. |
| Lifespan | About 12 years | A fish is a long commitment. |
| Experience | Suits a first tank | A guide to how forgiving the species is of mistakes. |
Tags marked estimated are judged from the size and habits of the species rather than measured, so treat them as a sensible default.
Diet and tank layout
Onespot Squeaker is an omnivore that swims in the lowest part of the tank. It is safe with plants. Give it plenty of cover. It will eat fish small enough to swallow.
Tankmates
Works with
- Freshwater Angelfish
- Siamese Fighting Fish
- Common Pleco
- Sailfin Pleco
- Three Spot Gourami
- Blue Acara
- Cockatoo Dwarf Cichlid
- Common Pleco
- Firemouth Cichlid
- Kissing Gourami
- Severum
- Siamese Algae Eater
- Striped Raphael Catfish
- Asian Bumblebee Catfish
- Banded Severum
- Black Ghost Knifefish
- Gardner's Killi
- Golden Wonder Killifish
Depends
- Black Skirt Tetra
- Bronze Corydoras
- Dwarf Gourami
- Green Swordtail
- Kuhli Loach
- Molly
- Peppered Corydoras
- Tiger Barb
- Bala Shark
- Boesemani Rainbowfish
- Clown Loach
- Pearl Gourami
- Rainbow Shark
- Red Tail Shark
- Rosy Barb
- Sailfin Molly
- Sterba's Cory
- Agassiz's Dwarf Cichlid
- Black Ruby Barb
- Bleeding Heart Tetra
- Buenos Aires Tetra
- Colombian Tetra
- Congo Tetra
- Denison Barb
- Dojo Loach
- Emerald Green Cory
- Flying Fox
- Ghost Catfish
- Gold Barb
- Lake Kutubu Rainbowfish
- Neon Dwarf Rainbowfish
- Pictus Catfish
- Reticulated Hillstream Loach
- Scissortail Rasbora
- Silver Dollar
- Tinfoil Barb
- Upside-Down Catfish
- Yoyo Loach
- Amazon Puffer
- Banded Rainbowfish
- Borelli's Dwarf Cichlid
- Bushynose Pleco
- Diamond Tetra
- Doctor Fish
- Featherfin Squeaker
- Fire Eel
- Giant Danio
Avoid
- Cardinal Tetra
- Cherry Barb
- Goldfish
- Guppy
- Harlequin Rasbora
- Neon Tetra
- Platy
- White Cloud Mountain Minnow
- Zebra Danio
- Black Neon Tetra
- Black Phantom Tetra
- Celestial Pearl Danio
- Chinese Algae Eater
- Convict Cichlid
- Discus
- Ember Tetra
- German Blue Ram
- Glowlight Tetra
- Honey Gourami
- Julii Cory
- Oscar
- Panda Cory
- Pygmy Corydoras
- Red Eye Tetra
- Rummy-Nose Tetra
- Variable Platyfish
- X-Ray Tetra
- Yellow Lab
- Asian Arowana
- Auratus Cichlid
- Bloodfin Tetra
- Clown Killifish
- Electric Blue Hap
- Emperor Tetra
- Eureka Red Peacock
- Fairy Cichlid
- Flame Tetra
- Forktail Blue-Eye
- Golden Otocinclus
- Golden Pencilfish
- Green Terror
- Jack Dempsey
- Japanese Medaka
- Julii Corydoras
- Kenyi Cichlid
- Lambchop Rasbora
- Lemon Cichlid
- Lemon Tetra
- Norman's Lampeye
- Paradise Fish
- Pea Puffer
- Penguin Tetra
- Red Phantom Tetra
- Red Zebra
- Rosy Tetra
- Salt and Pepper Cory
- Scarlet Badis
- Serpae Tetra
- Silvertip Tetra
- Spotted Blue-Eye
- Zebra Mbuna
- Adolfo's Cory
- Benga Peacock Cichlid
- Blue Dolphin Cichlid
- Blunthead Cichlid
- Brilliant Rasbora
- Calvus Cichlid
- Checker Barb
- Convict Julie
- Daffodil Cichlid
- Dwarf Chain Loach
- Dwarf Corydoras
- Dwarf Pencilfish
- Dwarf Rasbora
- Fiveband Barb
- Flavescent Peacock
- Frontosa
- Golden Julie
- Green Neon Tetra
- Head-and-Taillight Tetra
- Heckel Discus
- Hengel's Rasbora
- Ice Blue Cichlid
- Jewel Cichlid
- Johanni Mbuna
Compare any two fish on the compatibility page, or print the equipment for a stock on the needs sheet. How this is worked out: the method.