SnakeheadsUK
The International Channidae website and forum by SnakeheadsUK
Channa spec Assam By Pascal Antler
This one real is dwarf snakehead........
At this time it is the smallest of all!
Fully grown it has a maximum size of 18cm!
You can keep this species in a tank of about 80cm in length!
They do not need a high water level.
20cm is enough!
They like to have a tank fully planted ,where they can hide between the plants.........no matter if you see them!
They have to feel comfortable...........
In their natural habitat they are living in flooded meadow, a clearing on a plantation
In the dry period there is nearly no water and the fish have some kind of hibernation in holes underneath the surface! These holes are dug y a species of fresh water crab
The native call this fish : Lal Cheng........this means : red gachua
As far as I know it is the most endangered snakehead species.......because most of them were wild caught and they only known from a small habitat of a length of maybe 400m (this was told to me by a friend who has visited the habitat)
It is often called blue bleheri in lfs but it has nothing to do with Channa bleheri!
Both species have no pelvic fins.....that is true!
But you can easily identify those two species!
Channa bleheri has a spotted caudal fin and Lal Cheng has not!
The caudal fin of Channa spec Assam is only surrounded by a red band.....as we know it from Channa gachua!
Also Channa bleheri is not a mouthbrouder ....Channa spec Assam is a mouthbrouder and an egg feeder !
Lal Cheng is subtropical and should not be kept in too high temperatures!
Best temperatures: 18-22°C
If you keep lal Cheng in warmer temperatures it might get bacterial infections that eat away parts of the fish.........I had to make this experience quite often in the beginning !
And the fish is going to die.........for sure!
No medication helps....I have tried it!
So to keep the fish in a good and healthy condition it is necessary to keep it cool!
Sexing them is very easy:
Males have a higher dorsal fin and more blue in the fins as the females have!
Also the cheeks are more wide (because of mouth brooding)
If you watch the fish from the top you can see it best!
But to sex them is not to breed them!!!
As all other snakehead you cannot just put a male and a female together!!!
They have to find themselves out of a group. Otherwise they will not harmonize!
And if they do not harmonize they will not breed!
We are not talking about breeding stupid guppies here!
About breeding:
If you have a pair it is best not to do no water changes for a long time!
Eventually do a cool water change and then they might breed!
And I think he will write some better advices for breeding them as I can do!
Lal Cheng prefers shrimps as food and insects!
It is not a real fish hunter........so please keep this in mind when choosing a diet!
Because of their natural environment they do not need much food!
I have "lost" one of my Lal Cheng in a filter...........for nearly half a year!
And because of cleaning the filter I found it after this half year without any food!
It was more beautiful than the others.........and well shaped.......not thin!
Feeding them every 2-3 days are enough!
A lot of people give too much food to their fish........
They become fat.........and their lifetime will be shorter!
Picture by U. Alsfasser
This one real is dwarf snakehead........
At this time it is the smallest of all!
Fully grown it has a maximum size of 18cm!
You can keep this species in a tank of about 80cm in length!
They do not need a high water level.
20cm is enough!
They like to have a tank fully planted ,where they can hide between the plants.........no matter if you see them!
They have to feel comfortable...........
In their natural habitat they are living in flooded meadow, a clearing on a plantation
In the dry period there is nearly no water and the fish have some kind of hibernation in holes underneath the surface! These holes are dug y a species of fresh water crab
The native call this fish : Lal Cheng........this means : red gachua
As far as I know it is the most endangered snakehead species.......because most of them were wild caught and they only known from a small habitat of a length of maybe 400m (this was told to me by a friend who has visited the habitat)
It is often called blue bleheri in lfs but it has nothing to do with Channa bleheri!
Both species have no pelvic fins.....that is true!
But you can easily identify those two species!
Channa bleheri has a spotted caudal fin and Lal Cheng has not!
The caudal fin of Channa spec Assam is only surrounded by a red band.....as we know it from Channa gachua!
Also Channa bleheri is not a mouthbrouder ....Channa spec Assam is a mouthbrouder and an egg feeder !
Lal Cheng is subtropical and should not be kept in too high temperatures!
Best temperatures: 18-22°C
If you keep lal Cheng in warmer temperatures it might get bacterial infections that eat away parts of the fish.........I had to make this experience quite often in the beginning !
And the fish is going to die.........for sure!
No medication helps....I have tried it!
So to keep the fish in a good and healthy condition it is necessary to keep it cool!
Sexing them is very easy:
Males have a higher dorsal fin and more blue in the fins as the females have!
Also the cheeks are more wide (because of mouth brooding)
If you watch the fish from the top you can see it best!
But to sex them is not to breed them!!!
As all other snakehead you cannot just put a male and a female together!!!
They have to find themselves out of a group. Otherwise they will not harmonize!
And if they do not harmonize they will not breed!
We are not talking about breeding stupid guppies here!
About breeding:
If you have a pair it is best not to do no water changes for a long time!
Eventually do a cool water change and then they might breed!
Brock ,a member of this forum ,is a real monster in breeding them!
I think he is the most successful breeder in Germany!And I think he will write some better advices for breeding them as I can do!
Lal Cheng prefers shrimps as food and insects!
It is not a real fish hunter........so please keep this in mind when choosing a diet!
Because of their natural environment they do not need much food!
I have "lost" one of my Lal Cheng in a filter...........for nearly half a year!
And because of cleaning the filter I found it after this half year without any food!
It was more beautiful than the others.........and well shaped.......not thin!
Feeding them every 2-3 days are enough!
A lot of people give too much food to their fish........
They become fat.........and their lifetime will be shorter!
Picture by U. Alsfasser
