Hi there fellow pred lovers.

I recently got a new addition to my freshwater predator collection, a Snakehead. Its latin name is Channa Punctata.

I have had it for about 2 weeks now but it hardly ever moves (just occasionly going up for air), it just stays under a cave i made from bogwood, but what bothers me more is that it never eats. In the whole time i have kept it, it has eaten one earthworm (but it wont take anymore). I have tried everything from live fish, dead fish, cockles, mussles, prawns and shrimp. Whats up. :wtf: Does it really take this long for the fish to etablish it self or am i not breaking it in right. How long can these fish go without eating? Im getting worried here.

Ph is around neutral. Temperature about 25c. Tank water is very mature (been running this tank for over a year). The water is fairly hard. The baensch atlas (volume 3 page 676) sais that this fish has very little water chemistry demands and will except all types. Its tank mates are a polypterus delhezi and a pleco.

If i got another snakehead ( i like the channa asiatica) would that wake him up a bit.

Can anyone who keeps or knows alot about this fish please tell me whats up.

Cheers

Steve

i know nothing about snakeheads cause they are illegal here but where abouts did the earthworm come from that he ate, maybe it has something to do with the behaviour

We have a Moderator here called Oddball, he takes care of this section, but is off training. I will see if I can get someone for you..

another snakehead is out of the question for large species of channa, only the true dwarf ones will tolerate the same species, and then its got to be a large tank and of the opposite sex!

Most channas like to stake out a spot and do ram raid attacks, plowing into the victim from a hidey hole and tearing off a chunk and finishing it off. Try putting in a shoal of feeders, if he dosent get them the dhelzi will. Most channas hunt at twilight, so a dim light at feeding time may encourage him.

be vary wary when keeping channas, they can do a lot of damage to a fish, even if they are unprovoked and it can happen at any time, please be very careful when doing tank maintenance as well!

Very well written oddball ;)

My mate had a 50cm Red Snakehead, he rips apart anyfish that you put with him. Very dangerous fellow.

hey what is the most aggressive fish?? like eva? tropical water

Define aggression for it comes in many forms, appetite, ease of epanse, lack of tollerance of others, etc.

I have to agree with oddball, put some feeders in there and get him used to eating. Snakeheads once they taste something they don't like it is very hard to get them to eat that again. Once you have him eating feeders which should not be very hard, start giveing the feeders one at a time so that he knows that the food is comming from you , then you can start thinking about giving your snakehead other foods like earthworms.