Upside-down catfish care guide

Plan a tank with upside-down catfishSee all tank mates

Upside-down catfish quick facts

Tank setup

A group of four needs at least a 29-gallon (110 L) tank about 80 cm (31 in) long. Add driftwood, caves and broad-leaved plants so they can rest upside down in the shade. Dim light or floating plants help them come out during the day. Sand or smooth gravel protects their barbels.

How many upside-down catfish in a tank?

The smallest common tank that suits upside-down catfish is a 40 gallon. Here is roughly how many fit in each size when they are the only fish, based on adult size and waste output. Leave room if you want tank mates.

Water parameters

Keep the temperature steady at 24–27°C (75–81°F), with pH 6.0–7.5 and soft to moderately hard water (5–15 dGH). They adapt to a fair range of conditions but dislike sudden swings. Weekly partial water changes keep nitrate low.

Best tank mates for upside-down catfish

These popular species share upside-down catfish' water needs and temperament. See the full list of 81 good matches.

• Betta fish

  6.5 cm (2.6 in) · 24–28°C (75–82°F)

• Nerite snail

  2.5 cm (1 in) · 22–27°C (72–81°F)

• Guppy

  5 cm (2 in) · 22–27°C (72–81°F)

• Dwarf gourami

  7.5 cm (3 in) · 24–28°C (75–82°F)

• Bristlenose pleco

  12 cm (4.7 in) · 22–26°C (72–79°F)

• Bronze corydoras

  7 cm (2.8 in) · 21–26°C (70–79°F)

• Angelfish

  15 cm (5.9 in) · 24–29°C (75–84°F)

• Assassin snail

  2.5 cm (1 in) · 22–27°C (72–81°F)

Avoid keeping upside-down catfish with

• Cherry shrimp: Upside-down catfish eats small shrimp like cherry shrimp.
• Common goldfish: They need different temperatures: Upside-down catfish 24–27°C (75–81°F), common goldfish 15–22°C (59–72°F).
• Fancy goldfish: They need different temperatures: Upside-down catfish 24–27°C (75–81°F), fancy goldfish 18–23°C (64–73°F).
• Oscar: Oscar can eat upside-down catfish: they're small enough to fit in its mouth once it's grown.
• Celestial pearl danio: Upside-down catfish can eat celestial pearl danios: they're small enough to fit in its mouth once it's grown.
• Chili rasbora: Upside-down catfish can eat chili rasboras: they're small enough to fit in its mouth once it's grown.

Feeding

They are omnivores that eat almost anything. Use sinking pellets or wafers as the base, plus frozen bloodworms, brine shrimp and daphnia. Blanched peas or cucumber add plant matter. They often feed belly-up at the surface and are most active at dusk.

Behavior

This is one of the gentlest Synodontis, but it forages at night and can swallow very small fish such as chili rasboras, ember tetras and fry. Choose peaceful tankmates over about 1.25 inches (3 cm), such as African tetras, dwarf cichlids and medium-sized tetras, barbs and rasboras. A group rests together under wood or in caves. Avoid aggressive cichlids, and don't add dwarf shrimp.

Breeding

Home spawning is rare. A large, slightly cooler water change can trigger it, and pairs use caves or a pit in the substrate. Fry swim the right way up at first and start flipping over at around 7–8 weeks. Males are slimmer and darker than females.

Tips from experienced keepers

• Swimming upside down is normal for this species. Fry swim upright and flip as they grow.
• Keep at least four. A single fish tends to hide all day.
• Give them overhangs like driftwood or broad leaves to rest under, belly to the ceiling.
• Move them with a container instead of a net. Their fin spines snag easily in netting.
• Don't keep them with dwarf shrimp. They forage at night and eat small crustaceans.

Sources

We checked these references when writing this page. Values are for healthy long-term keeping, not survival limits. Last reviewed 2026-10-13. See our editorial policy.

• seriouslyfish.com
• fishbase.se
• aquariumsource.com
• fishkeeper.co.uk