CHANNA SPECIES GUIDE : UPDATE IN PROGRESSION

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i see theres no id thread or anything about these monsters here
i guess they arent that popular..im bored so instead of wasting my time ive decided find infos of several species of snakeheads and post them hope this thread could be useful.

ok i think i should start with the more common species in my area

updated and information added too 11-oct-08​

commen name: giant snakehead , toman snakehead , red snakehead , redline snakehead

scientific name: channa micropeltis

maximum size: reports upto 5ft or 152cm - these until proven otherwise are to be discredited as fishmens tales the average size recorded is around 3.5ft or 106cm but in homw aquaria a very large specamin would be around 3ft or 91cm , which is still a lot of responsability for any owner / keeper

native range : thailand , malay peninsula , sumartra and borneo

please note , the suspected introductions in india on the map refer to channa diplogramma ,work is still being carried out by dna samples to confirm if diplogramma is in fact a seperate species to micopeltes ,until proven either way we shall continue to class drplogramma as a seperate and valid species

introduced range: usa including - maine , massachusetts , rhode island ,baltimore, los angeles , several captures throughout florida

temperament: one of the few social channa species ,is know to hang out and hunt in groups , in aquaria they do well in groups as youngsters but soon start squabling amoung each other as transformation from juvinile to adult takes place , however many people have succesfully housed a group together into adulthood , temperament between the micropeltis and other fish is very good when in juvinile stages but as the fish grow they tend to become mpre aggresive , and any addition to the allready established tank is useally killed very swiftly , strangley fish that have grew up with the micropeltis are sometimes ignored and accepted as part of the group ,but if this fish is anything it is unprodictable ,and it would be foolish to house anything you where attatched to or indeed was expensive with this fish

tempreture: the tempreture range of this fish is from upper sub-tropical to tropical and is best maintained at around 25-30deg

breeding: no reports from private breeders although comercial breeding is frequient , clears a area of vegitation at the surface where the eggs are deposited and subsequently hatch out as fry . parent guard and protact the eggs , only the very largest of aquaria would be possable to breed such a monster fish

habitat: rivers lakes canals and resivoirs ,useally found in still water , unlike some of the dwarfs this species is thought to very rarley if at all leave the water and try to move accross land

feeding: this is a very unfussy feeder , but stomach samples have shown that this fish mostly feeds on other fish , other contents where mainly frogs and birds , in the aquarium the fish will take all the useual fair .frozen foods cuts of fish ect , the teeth set-up on this fish mean that very little will not be taken without problem

mixing: should only be mixed with others from an early age and even then with extreame caution , do not keep anything with this fish that you will be upset by if you lost it , due to the final size of this fish most hobbiests will only have room for this fish alone when adult ,so mixing should not really be a concern

set-up: even though they are big and mean , they still need to feel comfortable in there suroundings , as young fish set up as most channa with floating cover and heavy planting and wood use , the fish will thank you for it by being much more active and courious , as adults this type of set up may not be acheivable for most people due to the size of there aquaria , this is one of the reason this species id not really suited to the home aquaria , if you are to keep then as a bare minimun you should use floating cover as this will help settle the fish and reduce the hazzard of the fish breaking through the lid of the aquariam

why you should not keep: becausea fish capable of reaching 2.5 to 3 ft in the home aquarium needs a tank of at least 3ft wide and at least 8ft long , how many people do you know with that size tank ,even more so , how many people with that sized tank are willing to dedicate it to one fish (yes one fish ,this is the minimum size for one micropeltis to feel at least a little bit of security in)
micropeltis are very frigile when in juvinile stages , they do not tolerate swings in water perameter very well and many are lost to both beginers and more advanced aquarists
micropeltis at a large size are dangerous , if you have children would you ever forgive yourself if your child stuck its hand / arm in there ?
sadly most people who this bit refers to ,will be sat reading this now trying to research what that little cute orange fish is that they just could not resist

unfortunatly we see far too many people with a tank as follows : 4ft x 2ft x 2ft or smaller and in that bare tank they have micropeltis , rtc ,tsn , large bass ,wolffish . and when its pointed out to them that they are going to need a much bigger tank ,you get the reply yep i have one planned , 9 out of 10 of these planned tanks never happen ,and when they do happen they are nowhere near big enough to house the inhabitants still . just think about for a second , the micropeltis needs a 8x3 min to its self , the red tail cat want at least that to its self , the bass want half of that each the wolf fish wants half of that , and so on and so on , there are less than 20 people on this forum that could house a mixed micropeltis and freinds tank

why you should keep one: because you have reached the next level and have in place a tropical pond in place ready for them as they grow , because you are one of the lucky few who have a tank big enough to house for life , because you are lucky enough to live in the natural range where you can safely release them when they out grow there quarters (please not not mix with anything from the lfs if you do this as you can spread deseise from lfs fish into wild stocks) , because they are the top freshwater preditor , and are a facanaiting fish to grow and study

notes: probably the most available snakehead on the market , most shops will either stock theese or have them on there order lists , extreamly cheep to buy , in asia used as feeder fish

 

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UPDATED TO ADD PICTURES OF BLEHERI FROM TROPHEUS and UPDATED DESCRIPTON FROM JELLY AKA Steve Cousins - THANK YOU STEVE FOR THE GREAT UPDATE
note smaller insert picture shows sp. assam
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Name: Channa Bleheri

Size: Usually 15cm/6 inches

Description: Described in 1991 by Heiko Bleher. One of the smallest and also one of the prettiest Snakeheads. No pelvic fins. Dorsal ray count 36-37; anal ray count 24; predorsal scales 6-7; lateral line scales 45-46

Juvenile differences in colouration: From a small size the sides of the body are yellow, with a dark bar on the head, angled from the tip of the lower jaw, through the eye. This then develops into adult colouration as the fish grows.

Sexual Differences: Males are more brightly coloured and larger, males also grow quicker than females.

Geographical location: Brahmaputra River basin, northern Assam, India

Maintenance: Snakeheads are known to live and survive in quite inhospitable conditions naturally so water quality is not paramount, but this doesn’t mean its ideal. Because of their high protein diet ample filtration is required and regular weekly water changes are best. Snakeheads do not cope with rapid water parameter changes as well as some other fish I.E a large PH change so its best to try and match the water as best as possible.

Compatibility: One of the most peaceful Snakeheads, Territorial disputes can occur with other Snakeheads but it is rarely serious. Can be kept with other fish as long as they are not small enough to fit in their mouths.

Hazard scale: Not considered to be hazardous in anyway.

Water Parameters: Coming from the Assam region Channa Bleheri have a Winter temp of 19 C and Summer temp of 22-28 C/72-82 F; they prefer the cooler side of that range, pH 6-7.5,

Tank size: One of the advantages of Channa Bleheri is its small size and peacefulness. These Snakeheads can be kept in a relatively small aquarium. 36” for a pair, groups can be kept in larger setups.

Aquarium setup: The aquarium should be well planted with open areas to swim in. Make sure hiding places are provided. All Snakeheads breath air and can suffocate if they are prevented from reaching the surface to breath. A secure top should be in place as they are excellent jumpers. Channa Bleheri are excellent escape artists and can escape from the very smallest of holes. Do not underestimate their escaping abilities. They can survive for sometime out of water as long as their lungs don’t dry out but the impact from the height of the tank to the floor may cause injury they cannot recover from.

Behaviour: These are one of the most peaceful snakeheads although territorial disputes can occur. It is possible to keep a number of these snakeheads in a relatively small aquaria.

Breeding: These snakeheads have been breed many times in captivity. As with many snakeheads from the Northern Assam region it is necessary to lower the water temperature for a period of time then raise it to stimulate breeding. As with all snakeheads putting a male and female together is no guarantee that a pair will be formed. The best practice is to get a group and let a pair form from that group and then separate them as if breeding is successful the others will eat the fry. They should be provided with a cave which will make them feel comfortable and spawning will start from there. The male will select the site and the female will start the spawning, This will continue for a couple of days before the eggs are laid. The eggs are deposited and then float to the surface then collect as a floating raft. Hatching can take as little as 30 hours. They will be guarded by both parents and supplied with feeder eggs initially. They should be provided with small brine shrimp, and other small live food to begin with but they will quickly adapt of frozen and artificial foods

Feeding: Accepts most meaty foods, Mussels, Shrimps and artificial foods.

Misc. Information: This snakehead is commonly referred to as the Rainbow Snakehead, common names can be confusing and their use can cause issues with correct identification.
There is also another snakehead sometimes referred to as Blue Bleheri, for some time it was thought that they may have been the same species, They are now described separately and named Channa Sp. Assam.

notes: used to be very common site in lfs , not so much now ,pattern and colour vary greatly between two fish ,and colourfull ones are getting harder to find , a fair few shops will have this fish on order lists ,a few will stock , prices starting to rise for these and expect to pay around £18-£20 for a good example in the uk

 

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UPDATED TO ADD PICTURE BY JESTERX626
update -information added 11-oct-08​

commen name: dwarf snakehead , brown snakehead , frog snakehead

scientific name: channa gachua

size: as a species complex the size of gachua is highly varible ,from around 7inch to around 12" useally

tempreture: again as a species complex the range in indeed far and wide, upper range is 36deg in some hot springs in sri-lanka to 13deg in parts of afganistan , it is therefore important to try and find out the oragin country of your fish , as this lets you set up the aquarium to the best possable situation for your fish.

prefered ph: varies between where fish is found , it is know to tolerate from 3.1ph to 9.6ph with 100% survival , for best results aim toward neutral or slighly lower between 6-7ph

natural range: wide spead accross india ,sri-lanka ,thailand , cambodia ,laos ,bangladesh, afganistan ,iran ,myanmar, malay ,borneo ,vietnam ,afganistan and china

introductions: taiwan and the greater suda islands

prefered habitat: pools, shollow river and streams

breeding: as with all member of the group channide ,you are best to sart out with a group of 6 or more fish , from this a pair shoud form ,when a pair has formed it is advisable to swiftly remove all other fish from the aquarium , gachua are mouthbrooders in the male sex ,and take excelant care of there young , one a a very few channa that will breed in tanks without plant cover , breeding has triggered by long periods without water change then a large change with fresh cooler water seems to initiate a spawning responce.

sexing: sexing gachua is very hard and the only realiable way to get a pair is by letting the fish pair up from a group

tank set-up: even though this species can breed in a bare tank , for best result a well structered tank with plant wood and rocks should be used , floating cover helps a lot as this fish can be very shy and if it does not feel secure it will spend most of its day hiding ,

feeding: feeding in the aquarium is simple and the fish will happly consume all the normal foods used from frozen fish food to fresh shrimp ,prawns and even pellets , it is important not to overfeed this fish as they can quickly become over weight ,every other day is enough and you may find you can cut back to once every 3 days , in nature they are nocternal feeders stomach contents reveiled the diet to inclue ,mouse ,rat, fish , tadpole, prawns ,crabs ,and other crustaceans

temprement: very sociable channa, outside of breeding they are quite happy to live along side each other ,and rarely bother other fish ,however if a pair forms in the aquarium aggression level will raise dramaticuly

mixing: mixes quite well with other fish as long as its basic needs are catered for , avoid overly aggresive fish and fish small enough to be seen as food , fish that have been tried and tested include angles, rainbow fish and some of the more docile cichlids , please bare in mind that if you keep this fish with other the chance of breeding will be greatly reduced as the gachua sometimes do not see the other tank inhabitants as a threat and any fry are swiftly eaten by other tank mates , avoid useing plecos that are easly bred because if they breed the channa will eat the babies and there bristles can get stuck in the channas mouth .
also try and reserch where your fish has come from ,the gachua from china and afganistan would not do well in full tropical tempretures and fish should be chosen to suit

notes: the easiest dwarf channa to find in shops , a lot of the more specalised shops will carry these ,and nearly all shops will have them on there order lists , expect to pay around £5 for juvies upto £20 for specamins in the uk , other countries may be cheeper

 

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updated - information added to - 11-oct-08
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commen name : golden spotted cobra snakehead , orange spotted snakehead

scientific name: channa aurantimaculata

size: upto around 16 inches or around 40 cm

tempreture: 19deg in winter and upto 25deg in summer

prefered ph : between 6 and 7ph but know to tolerate a wide range

natural range: Brahmaputra River basin, northern Assam, India - same area as bleheri and sp turqoise

habitat: ponds swamps and streams ect

introductions : none known at this time

breeding : only known breeding sucsess is reported by a german aquarist , from this we know they are mouthbrooders and also egg feeders , practice spawning can be whitnessed year round but activity hightens as tempretures drop for winter , we belive the trigger tempreture to be around 20deg , as with all channa you are best to start out with a group and let the fish pair up for them selves .

sexing: it is very dificult to tell the sexes apart ,but there are some pointer that will help with this , female has less spots / freckles and wider more defined orange bars , females head is more rounded when looking from a profile shot male has more slope to head ,

tank set-up: floating cover is a must for this species as they like to hang out umder it , also a cave of some description is prefered ,without a cave they useally dig into the substrate to try and burrow, tank should be well structured with plants and wood ,to enable less dominant fish an escape route , sand substrate is prefered and they have been know to eat small pebbles rocks ect which most of the time they through up but they may get stuck and cause problems , like most sub-tropicals from india they seem to prefer the addition for powerheads are the surface during winter ,which can be removed around april in time for summer

tank size: even though this is a medium sized channa keeping any more than one req's a very long tank ,otherwize fights will break out constantly and will often result in the death of one of the fish , i would advise 7ft or longer for a pair of group , single fish kept as a specamin can be housed in smaller quarters

feeding: all the useual foodstuffs are taken ,but seem to show a preferance for prawn shrimp ,small cuts of fish ,ect but are quite happy with most frozen foods ,can be train to eat pellets but when eating pellets they are very messy so an excelant filteration system is a must

temprement: towards there own kind they are amoung one of the nastiest channa around ,they simply can not stand each other unless they have formed a pair , even then fights can break out at the drop of a hat and they are capable of infliction great damage on each other , strangly when mixed with other fish they seam to ignore all but the smallest fish ,if they dont see it as food they are useally ok .

mixing: firstly these fish are best kept as a pair ,a bonded pair and as the availability of true bonded pairs is nearly non existant and if they do come up the prices reflect this ,so it is best to keep in a species tank in the hope to get a pair from the group , you should have no problem in moving on any fish you end up with extra as they are allways in demand ,
if keeping a bonded pair of group it not for you , this speices can be housed with other fish ,but choose carfully robust fish that are not overly aggresive , as these fish are sub-tropical you need to house with fish that will tolerate the lowest end of the tropical range , i would not suggest keeping long term at tempritures above 24-25deg , keeping in mind this fish does need floating cover to feel secure it is probably beast to also avoid fish that eat plants

notes: one of the most in demand of all the channa and low avalability means that this fish comands a high price even at small sizes , for the smallest size imported expect to pay £45-50 for a medium to large fish £75-85 and for a top quality specamin £100 and up within the uk , again other countries may be cheeper , if the channa ban goes ahead in 2010 with lack of tank bred specamins prices will no doubt sore , and in time could be lost from the trade , it is impotant for any owner to try to breed there aurantimaculatas to keep this fish in the trade

 

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updated and information added 11-oct-2008
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Species name: Channa marulius complex

Common name: Great snakehead, Bullseye Snakehead,indian snakehead, pla chon

Maximum size: 180 cm / 70 inches is noted as largest specamin but belived to be uncomfirmed , the largest confirmed at present is belived to be 122cm or 48 inches , in the home aquarium finding a specamin over 90cm or 36 inches would be exceptional , it is noted as one of the fastest growing snakeheads about equal with micropeltis , average growth is around 7cm per month , and starts to fill out in the second year

Origin :Pakistan India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, southern Nepal , Myanmar, Thailand, Mekong basin of Laos , Cambodia, and southern China

Introduced range: Tamarac, Broward County, Florida,

Temperament: being a species compex the temprement varies widely , from moderatly aggressive to very aggresive depending on location

Company: being a species complex this is allways going to be hit and miss ,i advice you use extreame caution , we have known some i.e. pseudomarulia to be very peacefull but others that will not tolerate a single fish in the aquarium with them. also important is to try and find out where your fish was caught , some of this complex are temperate to sub-tropical and some are tropical so any tankmates would need to suit theese requirments, it is also noted that at a size of 25cm+ this species becomes a lot more aggresive toward anything housed with it


Water parameters: Temperature range is very wide ,this species ranges from temperate to tropical regions , lowest known temp is 10 c ,again finding out the region your fish is from will help provide the best transition from wild to captive pH 6-7.5


Feeding: It is predatory species its prefered food is 60% other fish and 40% crustations , in the aquarium it will take all the useual things .

breeding: this is going to be beyond all but the most dedicated aquarist sine the size of aquarium that would be required to acheive this will be beyond most peoples budgets . as with other members of the group ,start out with a small group of 5-6 fish , the fish will choose there own partner ,at which time any other fish should be quickly removed from the aquarium , breeding can happen throughout the year , the pair will build a nest out of vegitation where they will deposit there floating eggs, the eggs hatch in around 30-50 hours depending on the tempreture of the water , the higher the tempreture the quicker they hatch, the resulting fry , parents guard the fry up until around 10cm and any maintanance in the aquarium should be kept to a bare minimun at this stage, young can be fed newly hatched brineshrimp and shortly after finely chooped other foods . brood sizes are reported from 400 to 3700

aquarium : the lenght of this fish is to be taken into account when choosing an aquarium , it can and does reach 3ft in an aquarium setting so the minimun width should therefore be 3ft , with a length of around 9ft being a bare minimun , the aquarium should be set up with sand as the substrate ,and floating cover an important feature , caves and large roots to hide under will be enjoyed

notes: there are many pictures around the internet of this fish in juvinile stages , however pictures of this fish in adult stages in home aquaria are very few and far between ,which would suggest that most people do not realise the full extant of what they are taking on when buying this fish and most in the trade sadley do not reach adulthood

this is probably the second most commen snakehead offered for sale ,and prices should be low , for a juvinile expect to pay around £3 to £9 mark a fully grown adult would fetch a much higher price in the uk but is very rarly seen ,again prices in other countries may be cheeper

 

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UPDATED TO PICTURE PROVIDED BY jjdsplace
information update 11-oct-08
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Species name: Channa asiatica

Common name: Chinese Snakehead ,green snakehead

Maximum size: 34 cm / 14 inches , growth is rapid in the 1st two years then slows very much thereafter

Origin: China, middle and lower Chang Jiang (Yangtze) basin, and Xun River basin in Guangxi and Guangdong provinces.

introductions: Taiwan ,Japan, Ishigaki Shima Island in the Ryukyu Islands and occasionally found in florida - usa

Temperament: Very Aggressive to others and there own kind , this is amoung the most aggresive snakeheads , often removal of one of the fish is needed after spawning to prevent the partners killing each other , this fish does not take any prisioners and victims often appear to have been skinned.

Company: very rarely accepts company in the long term and company should be sub-tropical which excludes most aquarium fish , should be kept in species tank , even bonded pairs have been known to kill each other

Water parameters: Temperature 18-24c another sub tropical species pH 6-7.5

Feeding: thrust preditor , feeds on other fish crustations and small mamals , in the aquarium can be trained to accept all the commen offered fair

breeding : as allway start out with small group and allow the fish to choose a pair , once paired remove all other fish from the aquarium , floating cover should be used in the aquarium , breeding starts at around 18 deg , eggs will float to the surface where they are guarded by parents ,eggs hatch out in around 48 hours depending on tempretue ,the higher the tempreture the quicker they hatch , new born should be fed with newly hatch brine shrimp , then offered finely cruched other foods as they grow ,


aquarium: well structured tank ,set out with plants wood ect , it is important they have lots of escape routes , do to there aggresive nature i would not recomend any tank smaller than 4 foot long by 20 inches by 20 inches ,but bigger tank is much better for them , floating cover should be used and if breeding still water at surface as eggs float to surface .

notes: this fish is found in the trade from time to time , it is fairly rare to find in lfs or on order lists , to find this fish you will probably need to contact a specalist shop or breeder direct , when in stock prices are fairly high ,expect to pay around £30 for young fish and anywhere from £40 to £80 for larger fish within the uk , if you are lucky enough to find a breeder with them prices will be considerably cheeper

 

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updated 15-oct-08 to add information
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Species name: Channa striata

Common name: Chevron Snakehead,Striped Snakehead, haruan ,toman paya

Maximum size: 90 cm / 35 inches

Origin: Pakistan, most drainages of India, Southern Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Southern China, Malay Archipelago.

introductions : Hawaii ,Madagascar( theese are suspected mis-identifacation of maculata) , Philippines, Vogelkop Peninsula, Papua, Indonesia, Sundaland, Sulawesi, Lesser Sundas, Moluccas, Mauritius, southern China.

Temperament: striata is another suspected complex and so aggression levels vary between location , although in genral most straita are aggresive and grumpy fish that do not tolerate other very well at all

Company: often passed off as a tropical species the complex ranges through temperate to tropical areas , to ensure best care try and find out from where your fish has come from so you can choose tempretue and company to suit , straita is often considered one of the hardest species of channa to mix with other fish

tank: due to the size and aggresivness of this fish only the largest of home aquaria should be considered , if keeping more than one in a tank a lot of cover at surface and structures to break the line of sight between the fish should be used

Water parameters: Temperature 16-28˚C another wide ranging complex that covers areas that are from temperate to tropical , try and verify where your fish has been imported from pH 6-7.5

Feeding: main food in nature is frogs worms prawnsbut most of all other fish ,in the aquarium It will accept all living food that is appropriate for their size in aquaria can be trained to eat dead foodstuff. Fry eat on algae.

note: can be found in the trade from time to time but fairly rare , its importance as a source of food means it stays fairly rare for most in the trade , when available they are relitivly cheep to purchace , most albino straines of snakehead are straita ,the albino strain will comand a higher price than the standard pattern

breeding: acheived in aquarium , eggs float to the surface where guarded by both parents ,some time deposited in floating vegitation but know without any vegitation , can breed twice a year and all year round , parents can be canabalistic on fry if food is in shortage and fry can be canabalistic amoung each other , find a pair through the normal channa way of starting with a small group of 6-8 juviniles and let pair off

 

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updated to add new information
15-oct-2008
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Species name: Channa stewartii

Common name: Golden Snakehead Assamese snakehead

Maximum size: 30cm approx 11inches although varients reported larger

Origin: Endemic to Brahmaputra (upper, middle, lower) River basin of India and Bangladesh, Ganges River basin from southern Nepal southeastward . In southern Nepal, it occurs in the Kamala, Bagmati, Koshi, Gandaki, and Karnali River basins

introductions : not know at this point

Temperament: often sited as one of the more aggresive snakeheads ,they belong to the same group as aurantimaculata and barca and have the same sort of temprement,

Company: as a sub-tropical species tankmates should be chosen to suit , if this fish takes a dislike to any tankmate it will swiftly kill them , even its own kind are not tolerated very well ,and this fish is probably best left to the more experianced channa keeper in a well though out species tank
Water parameters: Temperature 18-24c ranges from warm temperate to sub-tropical ; pH 6-7.5

Feeding: this snakehead will accept all the usual fare , feeds well on insects worms ,frozen foods, market shrimp and prawn also bits of fish

breeding: start out with small group and allow them to chose there own pair , this fish is mouthbrooder in the male sex , they are very good parents and fry should be left with parent until upto 10cm in lenght

tank: even though this is a dwarf species you can not get away with a small tank , in small tanks they will fight constantly and that will result in many deaths , as allways floating cover is needed to feel secure and the tank should contain many hiding places and be well planted , this is another species that really does prefer older tank water and live plant will help keep nitrates under control in such tanks aswell as providing much needed cover and hiding spots for the fish and breaking up the line of sight

notes: this fish is offered from time to time in the more specalised stores and from time to time on order lists , although they have become harder to obtain in recent years , because of the colouring of this fish and the relative small size ,esp of some of the newer varients ,this fish often comands a high price , expect to pay around £20-£30 for a small sized normal variant and upto £150-£200 for a small one of the newest most colourful variants in the uk , agian prices in other countries may vary

 

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updated to add more information
15-oct-2008
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Species name: Channa marulioides

Common name: Emperor Snakehead, darkfin snakehead, toman bunga, flower snakehead ,blue snakehead ,blueline snakehead ,green snakehead , sumatran cobra snakehead

Maximum size: 65 cm / 26 inches

Origin: Rivers of southeastern Sumatra, Kapuas basin of western Kalimantan , Bangka, Belitung , Samarinda, eastern Kalimantan, peninsular Malaysia, Pahang , southern Thailand

introductions: none confirmed at this time allthough unconfirmed reports are comming out of florida usa

Temperament: this channa is very rarly aggresive toward other fish or its own kind outside of breeding time , it is often said to be one of the more passive snakeheads.

Company: this fish is a fairly good candadate for mixing with other fish ,so long that its requirments are met , you need to bare in mind that this fish alone will need a huge tank as an adult ,and as a juvinile it can be bullied by more aggresive fish , mine got bullied by some angle fish that where suposed to be there as dither fish . it will eat smaller fish given the opertunity , but looking at its teeth structure would suggest that it eats more crustations ect in nature and its lack of aggresion against other fish also goes to suggest this

Water parameters: Temperature ,found in tropical areas 22-28˚C / 72-82˚ F; pH 6-7.5 it is though that lower ph and softer water have a direct influance on the development of the flower patterns that develop along the flacks of this fish , many in the aquarium do not fully develop these ,as of this time no scientific test have been carried out

Feeding: Will like most other snakeheads eat almost any meaty food you give them or can be trained to do so. but do show a preferance for prawns shrimps ect , will also eagerly accept worms insects ect

breeding : breeding has only been acomplished a couple of times in the aquarium both by the same person , it is reported to spawn in november and on both occasions spawned on exactly the same day of the month in november , we know from this that floating eggs are produced and are procected by a raft made out of vegitation that the parents make , at this time the parents become very aggresive and will attack anything in or near the tank , they also aggresive to each other and you may need to seperate them , for obvious reasons breeding should anly be attempted in a huge tank that is very well though out

tank: this is a very large fish and req's a very large tank to suit , i would not recomend any thing less than 7ft long and 3ft wide , height is not so important , the tank should be very well thought out , even though they are big fish they still need hiding places and floating cover is a must as they like to hang out at the surface , tropical tempretures should be maintained

notes : these are quite often found ,and are useally not very expensive , they come up quite oftem on order lists and can be found in some of the more specalist shops , expect to pay around £3-£15 for a juvanile in the uk , however a large specamin will fetch a considerably higher price and are extreamly rare to find , expect to pay over £100 for and adult fish

choose fish with six or more dark bands along there flanks , seven bands are seen as the best and have the most potential of becoming fully patterned adults , five bands are the most commen found

 

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updated 25 oct 2008 to add
further information and keep upto date
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Species name: Channa barca

Common name: Barca Snakehead

Maximum size: up to 35" or 89cm

Origin: Brahmaputra river near Goyalpara , the ganges , from india and bangladesh

introductions: none known at this time

Temperament: reported as very aggresive to its own kind and others , said to share the same temprement of other channa most closley related .i.e aurantimaculata and stewarti

Company: has been mixed with other fish ,but great caution is advised ,this fish would be best at home living in a bonded pair . and anyone lucky enough to own one or several should do there most to try and breed this very rare fish.

Water parameters: another sub-tropical species , the area of the brahmaputra river system that this fish is found ,does experiance near tropical temps during the hot season and can get fairly cold in the cooler season , i would suggest setting your heater at 16-18deg as a low point and letting ambiant tempretures take care of the warmer temps , if you live in an area that is cold year round where the tank is situated slowly raise your tempreture to 24-25deg throughout the summer months , water in the brahmaputra river is genrally soft to neutral ,samples taken show nitrate levels vary between 0 and 35ppm

Habitat preference: inhabits larger rivers ,and is found in holes in the bank of the river ,the hole are not thought to be dug by the fish but rarther by either local birds or crabs , the hole genrally go upto a couple of feet into the bank and end in a round area ,where useally two fish can be found laying in a circle like a wheel , it is though the fish sits with its head poking out of the hole in the riverbank waiting for fish and other food to swim past where it can strike and then retrete back into its hole where it can eat its prey in safty

Reproductive habits: unknown , the way this fish lives in the wild will certainly make it dificult to reproduce the conditions needed for reproduction in the home aquaria , but never the less with enough creativity anything it possable , anyone who manages it will have the honor of being the first person to acheive this and would no doubt make a lot of money from it , channa barca is without doubt one of the most expensive freshwater fish in the trade , and by far the most expensive channa ,at least until channa amphibious is re-descovered

aquarium: a very large fish at the 3ft mark so a relativly large aquarium is also a must , they live in a riverbank so that is what you need to think about when aquascaping your tank , some sort of cave as a bare minimun but with a bit of creative flair anything is possable , the vast majority of channa req floating vegitation to breed ,i would add this as it genraly helps calm the fish down and feel secure also

other information: remains the single most sought after channa available in the hobby, there is still only a few in captivity , pairs being even rarer with only one confirmed pair and another pair rummored to exsist. the price of this fish varies greatly depending on supply and demand , i have seen for sale at £5000 for a pair down to £600 for a single fish , the average price for a single fish is between £2000 and £2500 ,no doubt now that we know where about to look for theese fish more and more will become available and prices will hopefully fall (anyone remember the days when red tailed catfish fetched over £400 ? ,yes iam showing my age lol)
most specamins that have been offered for sale have turned out to be
channa aurantimaculata so allways insist on a picture of the actual fish before handing over any of your hard earned cash ,there is allway someone waiting to realive you of it.