Channa Bleheri tank set-up?

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snakefin

Candiru
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May 31, 2010
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I've wanted these for a while now but there have been some issues that have stopped me from getting them thus far.

Firstly temperature. The natural temperature where I am is about 29-30 degrees easily year round. My only cooling device to this end is the air conditioner that works through the night and early morning about 24 degrees celsius. Saw an interesting comment by chronick that suggested the use of items with high specific heat capacity to cool down the snakehead tank. Does anyone else know how I can possibly maximise the efficiency of the air conditioning on the snakeheads?

Secondly, I recognise that snakeheads prefer well sheltered, likely planted enclosures. For the reasons of temperature, I am hesistant to add yet another light source that will support plant growth. This begs the question of how I can possibly make a tank that suits channa bleheri. Low light plants?

Lastly, I don't have a ton of money to throw on the snakeheads but I'm looking to get a pair as far as possible. Is there a way to do this without buying a group of at least six individuals and waiting for them to pair out? Any ways to identify different genders?
 
- you dont need much lighting, just use lowlight plants like javafern ore anubias, or floating plants like water lettuce. If you cant find these use lots and lots of wood, caves,tubes,....
- I think the temperatures were you live at make it not really possible to keep bleheri to fit their needs without a proper water cooling, not only at night but for several weeks
- you can identify genders by headshape (works good with most bleheri) but havin a femal and a male bleheri doesnt mean to have a pair . In most cases it doesnt work this way
 
I agree with Brucki on all 3 points .
 
I see. What I've noticed is that people in tropical countries like India have had success cooling down their snakeheads but in any case I'll be setting up a tank and trying out the temperatures first before going ahead. What kind of light construes low light? Is ambient room light sufficient?
 
I use neon pipes 18 Watt
 
Would an LED be better in the sense that it provides a greater amount of light without producing nearly as much heat?
 
Led's will produce the least amount of heat short of no lights at all and in your situation in sure any bit of heat reduction will help !

I use t5 floro's on most of mine. 2 of them have no lights at all and the low light plants are growing just fine on ambient background light. One tank in the basement is overrun with java moss and java fern and the only light it gets is ambient from a 25w cfl in the ceiling about 6' away!

I do find that most Floating cover plants require lighting though , it does not take a lot since they sit so close to the bulbs but floating cover plants typically like high light so the more you put the faster and thicker that cover gets .

With bleheri I'd recommend using a light and getting floating cover like anacharis or hornwort something that sits below the water line . They seem to enjoy building nests in the thick tangled plants under the surface . The rest of the tank is best decorated with lots of wood and attach your ferns/mosses/anubias onto that wood .

Hope that helps
 
-DC- said:
Led's will produce the least amount of heat short of no lights at all and in your situation in sure any bit of heat reduction will help !

I use t5 floro's on most of mine. 2 of them have no lights at all and the low light plants are growing just fine on ambient background light. One tank in the basement is overrun with java moss and java fern and the only light it gets is ambient from a 25w cfl in the ceiling about 6' away!

I do find that most Floating cover plants require lighting though , it does not take a lot since they sit so close to the bulbs but floating cover plants typically like high light so the more you put the faster and thicker that cover gets .

With bleheri I'd recommend using a light and getting floating cover like anacharis or hornwort something that sits below the water line . They seem to enjoy building nests in the thick tangled plants under the surface . The rest of the tank is best decorated with lots of wood and attach your ferns/mosses/anubias onto that wood .

Hope that helps
Click to expand...

Yes that does help a lot. What I may do is go for the look of leaf litter and driftwood with floating cover.
 
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