As controvsesial sa it may sound I had a channa pulchara which I only changed the water every 6 months as they hate water changes especially if you have a pair so yes I had to make the tank very heavily planted with lots of nitrate sucking plants I also used a chiller as being sub tropical my pulchara would also go through periods of not eating, also liked to lie on top of the spray bar for long periods of time.
My cobra snakehead has stopped eating
- Thread starter Chrislisk
- Start date
I'm hesitant to even respond again; I've stressed a couple of times that I am not trying to be argumentative...as entertaining as that may be in the right time and place...but rather that I am simply examining this fascinating notion that Channa are exceptionally tough fish that can withstand anything...but wilt like delicate flowers when their water changes. So many keepers claiming that their fish "don't like" water changes...showing washed out colours and nervous behaviour after a change. So, please, let's merely discuss and debate this...rather than argue.
Here's the thing: when you only change your water once or twice per year...then almost any fish will respond poorly when that framjabulous day actually happens. A couple hours of stressed behaviour and appearance is to be expected. Hell, ask any keeper of Oscars how their fish behave during their normal water changes done weekly; some of those fish pout and sulk and lay on their sides and roll their eyes like they're in agony; they're drama queens, plain and simple. And that is the reaction with weekly or even more frequent changes, so the water being removed hasn't really achieved parameters that are drastically different from the water coming in.
Now take a Channa that hasn't seen a bucket and hose for 6 months or more. He is "happy" and healthy and living the good life, because he is a tough and resilient SOB whose species has evolved to withstand such foul conditions without ill effect...which might mean that he prefers old stale water, but might also mean that he just doesn't care. Suddenly...bang!...he gets a water change. After that long, the old water has inevitably accumulated various stuff in it; not just nitrates, but various minerals that have been added with water top-ups over the months, various hormones, pheromones, etc. secreted by the fish, and who-knows-what other compounds. The alteration in the chemical make-up of a tank like that is much more profound; that's a change that is really a change!!!
So of course the fish reacts predictably and stresses for a bit, but being tough and resilient he bounces back quickly. Would he react that way to a typical weekly change as seen by many other species? I don't know; I repeat that I have almost no experience with Channas, so I can only speculate. But based upon a lot of experience with a lot of assorted fish, I am postulating that a Channa subjected to a weekly water change would behave just like virtually every other type of fish, i.e. it would thrive and show no ill effects whatsoever, or at most a mild fright for a short time during and after the change itself. Frequent changes mean that each change is a relatively slight alteration of water chemistry; the old water hasn't had long enough to degrade significantly before it is replaced by new. Most of my tanks are plumbed and outfitted so that a change is almost stress-free for the fish and for me; turn this valve, turn that valve, old water flows out, new flows in. Fish in a tank like that don't even bat an eye during a change, even if it is right down to fin-level as most of mine are.
So...my interpretation of this would seem to hint that Channa fish are less averse to water changes than their keepers are. Somebody in this thread stated that not needing to change water was one of the fun things about keeping Channa. I believe you when you say that they don't necessarily need all those water changes, compared to most other species. What I find difficult to believe is that they actually prefer and do better in polluted water; which again is a completely different idea than stating that they can tolerate it without difficulty. Pointing at a fish living in a polluted puddle and using that as a "proof" of its preference for such conditions is ignoring the fact that many more of them are living in much "cleaner" water as well; all that fish proves is that it is tough and can survive where most others can't. It certainly does not mean that the keeper of such fish should strive to imitate those conditions.
IMHO, the fact that a certain set of conditions is not enough to kill a fish...in no way qualifies as an excuse for subjecting it to those conditions...regardless of how many other keepers do it that way. Show me a species of Channa that lives only in poor water conditions in the wild, and will not move into "clean" water given the chance, and I will gladly eat my words. But it is not as though every body of water is either "good" or "bad", with a clearly-defined line dividing the two. There is a vast range of water conditions in nature, and some fish like Channa, are simply better adapted to survive in a broader part of that range than others. In this, as in most things...the extremes are never ideal.
"Everybody does it that way!" is not proof...or evidence...of anything.
Here's the thing: when you only change your water once or twice per year...then almost any fish will respond poorly when that framjabulous day actually happens. A couple hours of stressed behaviour and appearance is to be expected. Hell, ask any keeper of Oscars how their fish behave during their normal water changes done weekly; some of those fish pout and sulk and lay on their sides and roll their eyes like they're in agony; they're drama queens, plain and simple. And that is the reaction with weekly or even more frequent changes, so the water being removed hasn't really achieved parameters that are drastically different from the water coming in.
Now take a Channa that hasn't seen a bucket and hose for 6 months or more. He is "happy" and healthy and living the good life, because he is a tough and resilient SOB whose species has evolved to withstand such foul conditions without ill effect...which might mean that he prefers old stale water, but might also mean that he just doesn't care. Suddenly...bang!...he gets a water change. After that long, the old water has inevitably accumulated various stuff in it; not just nitrates, but various minerals that have been added with water top-ups over the months, various hormones, pheromones, etc. secreted by the fish, and who-knows-what other compounds. The alteration in the chemical make-up of a tank like that is much more profound; that's a change that is really a change!!!
So of course the fish reacts predictably and stresses for a bit, but being tough and resilient he bounces back quickly. Would he react that way to a typical weekly change as seen by many other species? I don't know; I repeat that I have almost no experience with Channas, so I can only speculate. But based upon a lot of experience with a lot of assorted fish, I am postulating that a Channa subjected to a weekly water change would behave just like virtually every other type of fish, i.e. it would thrive and show no ill effects whatsoever, or at most a mild fright for a short time during and after the change itself. Frequent changes mean that each change is a relatively slight alteration of water chemistry; the old water hasn't had long enough to degrade significantly before it is replaced by new. Most of my tanks are plumbed and outfitted so that a change is almost stress-free for the fish and for me; turn this valve, turn that valve, old water flows out, new flows in. Fish in a tank like that don't even bat an eye during a change, even if it is right down to fin-level as most of mine are.
So...my interpretation of this would seem to hint that Channa fish are less averse to water changes than their keepers are. Somebody in this thread stated that not needing to change water was one of the fun things about keeping Channa. I believe you when you say that they don't necessarily need all those water changes, compared to most other species. What I find difficult to believe is that they actually prefer and do better in polluted water; which again is a completely different idea than stating that they can tolerate it without difficulty. Pointing at a fish living in a polluted puddle and using that as a "proof" of its preference for such conditions is ignoring the fact that many more of them are living in much "cleaner" water as well; all that fish proves is that it is tough and can survive where most others can't. It certainly does not mean that the keeper of such fish should strive to imitate those conditions.
IMHO, the fact that a certain set of conditions is not enough to kill a fish...in no way qualifies as an excuse for subjecting it to those conditions...regardless of how many other keepers do it that way. Show me a species of Channa that lives only in poor water conditions in the wild, and will not move into "clean" water given the chance, and I will gladly eat my words. But it is not as though every body of water is either "good" or "bad", with a clearly-defined line dividing the two. There is a vast range of water conditions in nature, and some fish like Channa, are simply better adapted to survive in a broader part of that range than others. In this, as in most things...the extremes are never ideal.
"Everybody does it that way!" is not proof...or evidence...of anything.
After two months...again? Had to re-read this thread to refresh myself on it...
As I stated at least three times in this thread, I have virtually no experience with Channas, and none in the past 30 years or so. I was simply questioning what sounds like, to most fishkeepers, "odd" approach to water maintenance...i.e. hardly doing any.
Hey! I didn't get a notification when you mentioned my username a while back.
From my experience, other channa owners either do what I and most fish owners do: change the water once a week.
Other people change it once a year, or twice. And the latter group tend to be pretty... Adamant. That doing it any other way is wrong. But those owners are also the ones who tend to say that their channa do nothing, don't move around any and don't need a big tank. Owners who change the water very seldom are also the only ones who talk about their channa trying to jump out frequently.
I have not spoken to any owners who change weekly whose channa do this, other than if a fly is nearby, or similar.
Channa tend to jump when they want to change their environment, or hunt. If there is no prey about, one can draw their own conclusions as to why they're jumping a lot.
Doing it monthly was an in between I hadn't heard of.
Channas are very resilient. This also manifests through them being very adaptable and getting used to things quickly, such as weekly water changes.
The fact that they are still alive in filthy water, isn't indicative to me that they're thriving. They can survive for 5 days on land, so... Yeah.
My Channa did NOT like the water changes at first, the first few times he was pissed at me for a week, aka when it came time for the next water change he'd just started wanting to hang out with me again?
But since I've spoken to many people who have bred Channa and are very well educated aquarists, I kept at it. And after about a month and a half and since then(a year ago), he basically hangs out where he usually does during weekly water changes, sometimes comes out to try and start **** with the siphon?? or just check what I'm up to, and is a very very happy boy once it's done.
The times I've gone over a week without changing, he gets down, eats less and is less sociable.
I would also like to stress that those are the ONLY times he's tried to jump out of the tank. When the water is starting to get nasty.
He never does when the water is changed weekly.
So there are definitely different ways of doing things!
And again they can get used to anything, but that doesn't mean they should have to.
I wouldn't be happy and proud if my description of my Channa was "alive". I want him to be the happy boy he is!
And I agree with you about their natural habitat being full of choice for them.
I'm not saying my way is the right way or other people are doing it wrong, but for me and my Channa, this is what works the absolute best and seems to keep him healthy, interactive and stable. And not trying to jump out of the tank,aka likes his water quality.
From my experience, other channa owners either do what I and most fish owners do: change the water once a week.
Other people change it once a year, or twice. And the latter group tend to be pretty... Adamant. That doing it any other way is wrong. But those owners are also the ones who tend to say that their channa do nothing, don't move around any and don't need a big tank. Owners who change the water very seldom are also the only ones who talk about their channa trying to jump out frequently.
I have not spoken to any owners who change weekly whose channa do this, other than if a fly is nearby, or similar.
Channa tend to jump when they want to change their environment, or hunt. If there is no prey about, one can draw their own conclusions as to why they're jumping a lot.
Doing it monthly was an in between I hadn't heard of.
Channas are very resilient. This also manifests through them being very adaptable and getting used to things quickly, such as weekly water changes.
The fact that they are still alive in filthy water, isn't indicative to me that they're thriving. They can survive for 5 days on land, so... Yeah.
My Channa did NOT like the water changes at first, the first few times he was pissed at me for a week, aka when it came time for the next water change he'd just started wanting to hang out with me again?
But since I've spoken to many people who have bred Channa and are very well educated aquarists, I kept at it. And after about a month and a half and since then(a year ago), he basically hangs out where he usually does during weekly water changes, sometimes comes out to try and start **** with the siphon?? or just check what I'm up to, and is a very very happy boy once it's done.
The times I've gone over a week without changing, he gets down, eats less and is less sociable.
I would also like to stress that those are the ONLY times he's tried to jump out of the tank. When the water is starting to get nasty.
He never does when the water is changed weekly.
So there are definitely different ways of doing things!
And again they can get used to anything, but that doesn't mean they should have to.
I wouldn't be happy and proud if my description of my Channa was "alive". I want him to be the happy boy he is!
And I agree with you about their natural habitat being full of choice for them.
I'm not saying my way is the right way or other people are doing it wrong, but for me and my Channa, this is what works the absolute best and seems to keep him healthy, interactive and stable. And not trying to jump out of the tank,aka likes his water quality.
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