Care
The Dwarf Synodontis Catfish is known from the Ivindo and Ntem drainages in Cameroon and Gabon, and from the Campo, Lobe, Nyong, and Sanaga rivers in Cameroon. Old records purporting to be from the Congo basin are likely to be another species, possibly M. christyi. The aquarium should be spacious with a soft sandy substrate in order to protect the sensory barbels. It should be decorated with a good amount of bogwood, rocky caves/PVC tubes, and robust planting to provide shady areas. Filtration should be efficient, but water movement not too strong. Frequent partial water changes are a must to help keep nitrate to a minimum. These fish are most comfortable in aquaria with subdued lighting, and the use of blue-moon type illumination is highly recommended so that you may observe a few hours of the nightly goings-on in an aquarium containing these catfish. A gregarious species, M. batesii should be kept in groups of 5 or more, and they may often be observed resting in strange positions amongst plants or decor. Ensure that heaters are covered with heater guards to prevent these catfish from being burned when looking for dark crevices to rest against. Companions should be of similar size and temperament, avoiding any large, boisterous species which may intimidate these retiring catfish. Good tankmates could include small-medium sized tetras, barbs, rainbowfish, or dwarf cichlids. May also be seen on sale as the African Bumblebee Catfish.
Feeding
Omnivorous. Offer a variety meaty frozen foods such as bloodworm, white mosquito larvae, vitamin-enriched brineshrimp, Mysis shrimp etc., along with some sinking catfish pellets/tablets/granules. Be sure to offer some vegetable matter along with occasional algae wafers. These are greedy fish, and are a little susceptible to bloating so take care not to overfeed, and go easy on the amount of dried foods given - avoiding all floating foods.
Breeding
This species has not been bred in the home aquarium. In the wild, these egg scatterers form distinct pairs when breeding, but exhibit no parental care.
