Gold spotted snakehead help

[JoeBore]

Hi all, Im looking for some help with my Channa Auranti.

I was looking for one for a while and I come across an advert for a 13 inch male. I went to go look at it and it was in a 2 foot tank with loads of other fish just sitting on the bottom. It had lost a lot of it's colour and didn't look the best. I couldn't leave it there so I took it

He didn't know about the seasonal changes they required so it was kept at 26 all year round

After a closer inspection it seems to be a female (the doral fin is a lot shorter than some images of makes I've seen)
I have her in a 4x2x2 with a lot of plants and cover and I'm gradually lowering the temp, 1C every few days.

I have a large plec in there which she doesn't seem to have any issues with.

She seems to sit in cover for most of the day and night and isn't very keen on any food.

I've got crickets, morio worms, grubs and earthworms ready for her for when it needs feeding.

Is there anything else I could do to make sure she's comfortable?

Thanks in advance! Joe

 

[chronick]

Looks like you're trying to provide a great home for this animal which i really respect and appreciate.

I have a few different takes here...
1. It'll need time to adjust. Eventually it will starve and get hungry enough to take whatever you throw in there; especially if you're dropping tasty stuff like earthworms. Sooner or later they'll be irresistible.

2. You could try adding some tiny fish like white cloud minnows to the tank to give the aquarium some movement and commotion. I've heard that pleco breeders often like to keep tetras in the tank because being in an environment with no other fish is unnatural and a sign of danger. It can make fish very uncomfortable when there is no other life in the tank.

3. Having a few white clouds for him to maybe munch on might make it more confident and more quickly bring out its personality.

4. If you're doing the subtropical temperature drop, the appetite may be reduced as many fish eat less during cold periods. Since this maybe be its first winterization, it wouldnt be unreasonable to expect this drop in appetite and behaviour.

 

[JoeBore]

Thank you for the advice, I really appreciate it

I will have a look for some small fish. If I can't get any from someone else's tank I might set up a quarantine tank and buy some from a shop. Last thing I want is for her to catch a disease.

I'm going away for 5 days for Christmas so it might actually be a good idea to have some snacks for her while I'm away

I have turned one light off to try make her more comfortable. I have noticed she will move a little if no one is around so I'm trying to spend more time near the tank to get her used to me being around