SnakeheadsUK

Channa Micropeltis  by Colin Bradbury

Minimum tank size 2.5m length x 61cm high x 91cm wide or 8' x 2' x 3'

 

They can reach easy 90cm or 3' in the aquarium but many grow larger !!

 

Channa Micropeltis is a tropical species and req's year round tropical temps.

they come from tropical parts of Thailand ,Laos; Vietnam Malaysia, south-eastern Sumatra and Borneo

and as such should have temperatures of 26-30 deg

 

They are capable of breeding year round and having several spawns a year.

they are make a nest from aquatic vegetation that holds there eggs in a raft type design , they will not

breed without aquatic vegetation provided...

Parents are very protective of fry , In the aquarium they can be fed baby brine shrimp and the like ,

Live food should be used for the first few weeks .

Although no reports have yet been confirmed of a successful breeding in home aquaria , this fish is

bred in large pools in Asia for the food industry. this suggests it is indeed feasible to breed them in aquaria

only size for the housing would be a limiting factor .

 

Channa Micropeltis needs floating cover to feel secure without which it can become stressed and not eat ,

even though an active swimmer when juveniles, it still should be provided with places to retreat.

 

Water changes should be kept to a minimum and even then, careful consideration should be taken to closely match the

temperature of the change water with that of the tank water , Micropeltis is prone to shock and can be easily lost

after a big water change !!!

 

It can adjust to every type of freshwater both soft and hard if carried out gradual , but always looks at its best

in softer water , I use Indian almond leaves to alter the water but any hard wood leaf would be fine. or one of the

many commercial products on the market

 

Although this fish can mix well with others as a juvinile fish (in fact it often gets bullied) it quickly becomes a solitary animal rarely accepting

any tankmates as it matures. Another consideration is the fact this is a greedy fish and will often try and eat fish

much to big to swallow ,often resulting in choking to death, for this reason I can only suggest this fish is kept

either on its own or with others of the same kind.

 

Feeding these guys is normally not problematic , keep it varied but will normally accept many items .

I normally use insects , items from the bait shop as well as all the normal frozen foods and even pellets.

if yours is not feeding ,this is normally related to stress..

Pictures by Colin Bradbury (juveniles)