Red snakehead and tankmates?

[rumblesushi]

Oke - like I said in my other thread - my micropeltes and pbass appear to be friends, and right now at 6 inches my micro is not particularly aggressive.

The only fish he attacks is the clarias, which he just hates, but I've not seen him be aggressive to anything else.

Now what are the chances that when almost fully grown, he'd still be cool with a pbass, jardini and asian red tail cat? Being that he's growing up with them?

Have any of you successfully kept red snakeheads with fish when they are big?

I'm moving country soon, to northern Spain, and i have to decide whether to take my micro.

They are not into fish there, so I could not sell it to anyone, and it will be very hard getting another tank if necessary.

I need to decide now whether to take the risk, I don't want my pbass and jardini getting ripped in half.

(ps - I used to have a micro that grew from 4 to 30 inches, but was always kept alone, so I have no experience of keeping reds with other fish when big).

[clare]

I am sure that I will be corrected by someone who has kept red snakehead with other fish but reds undergo a drastic change at about 9-12"If youve ever been to wharf aquatics or read P.F.K magazine you will know Richard Hardwick,who describes the red snakehead as for anyone who wants the freshwater equivalent of a great white shark.Even other reds unless a pair will just be food,and they have the capacity to kill everything in their tank in one go.

[miro_red.D]

yeah, i know one guy that keeped his 2 giants with pacus red tail catfish. but as he says hes lucky it work and he has never feed his life food, so they are not aggresive...well they are but not as much as one who sees another fish as aggresive...ure pairing probably wont last and it probably wont work....but u never know...

[rumblesushi]

So bearing in mind it will be VERY difficult where I am to get another big tank if problems arise, OR sell my channa - do you think it's worth the risk?

I guess it's worth noting that the channa isn't in with dithers, all the other fish are fast powerful fish that can defend themselves. Jardini, pbass, asian red tail, and a clarias.

But even so, despite what anyone says on the contrary - snakeheads are in another league. It would probably be capable of ripping those fish to bits if it wanted.

[MarlboroMan]

this is a hard decision, depends how much you care about your other fish.

[rumblesushi]

It is hard. I would not be particularly upset if he beasted the 2 catfish, but I would really be upset if he killed the pbass or jardini.

I've had those fish longer, I had the pbass since it was just a baby and could barely swim, and the jardini is beautiful.

[Heppy]

i think the clarius would be first to go sitting around on the botton is such an easy target, it can't excactly defend itself not like an asian red tail, have you seen that pic of a wykii bit in half by a red, if you give the asian red tail a tube i reckon it will be alright, at least for some time. the jardini will be its main threat as soon as the red get 12" it won't wont it in its tank, so i think the jardinin will always have to be bigger even if say both fish were 18" the jardini would prob be stockier but aro's don't start filling out till there like 15" you should have got the jardini to 12" before adding the red in my opinion, the red gonna outgrow the jar an kill it, especially when aro's are so skittish when there young its either gonna bash its either gonna kill itself be bashing into the sides , or run outta energy an get bit in half. this is something i wuld like to try when io get a bigger tank a red in a com, pacu's a your best option, something that the red can take its aggresion out on and can survive a beating

[miro_red.D]

according to me reds shouldnt be keeped with other fish, mine are young but complete pigs and will try to swallow anything...including my diamond rhom thats behind a divider, and wouldnt get a tank for a full grown red, according to me they should be housed in a pond or a custom built tank, not a fish that needs two much height, so see if u can get ureself a indoor pond id say 8-4-1.5, should be good for the fish, its less costly, and he will be happier then in a tank...unless u have 10 grand speding on a tank big enought for them...but i dont so pond it is. and maybe with more space he might not be as aggresive...and would be able to live with other species, id have my best bet on the red tail cat....

[clare]

I think the real answer must be let the channa go before it gets too big and difficult to handle,also keep a good eye on the wykii because they can kill fish bigger and more powerful by sheer aggression,I certainly would only keep either of above as sub adult or adult in a single species tank,even dividers would be no good as they will burst through.

[zix]

i live in Portugal butt in spain you can get lots of sings to aquaria even a 500gl if you have money :drool: , and most sings cheaper than UK

[rumblesushi]

I looked on ebay spain, for the whole of spain, and there were like 91 items in the animal section, compared to thousands and thousands in just the fish section alone in the UK.

I don't think the spaniards are big on pets :)

I'm moving near Portugal btw, Galicia.

Are there any good fidh places in portugal that sell monster fish? :)

Cheers,
JR

[sgland]

tankmates for now.........

[RobD23]

tankmates for now.........

does the snake and the arow eat those little fish, what are those little fish?

[rumblesushi]

no way SG, you got another red :)

How has it been so far?

[sgland]

does the snake and the arow eat those little fish, what are those little fish?
those are tiger barbs, great for cleaning leftovers.
aro is only interested when REEAAALLLY hungry.
snake is just in tank, he be "fasting" for a while.

[sgland]

no way SG, you got another red :)

How has it been so far?
i spoke too soon, they were quite alright for couple of hours then they began to pick on each other. Both 15" monsters going at each other is heart-breaking to see so i did the same thing. Released the red again. Well at least i tried...........

[rumblesushi]

damn. Going at each other properly or just nips?

[sgland]

just nips, but split fins and bruised scales were appearing. HATE to see that! :swear:
I'll put off the thought of micro keeping till i can get a 2nd tank. They are happier in separate tanks :thumbsup:

[IoStrisciare]

just nips, but split fins and bruised scales were appearing. HATE to see that! :swear:
I'll put off the thought of micro keeping till i can get a 2nd tank. They are happier in separate tanks :thumbsup:

my red started hammering the channa too.

but nothing but dropped scales. So far so good.... :grinyes:

[rumblesushi]

Io - is your channa a micro?

WHat are their sizes?

I'm honestly surprised about this, I just didn't think aro's were that good at fighting. I didn't think they'd have the speed, power and ferocity to complete with a snakehead.

Right now my 8 inch jardini is giving my 6 inch micropeltes a beating :(

Though having said that, when my albino channa was 4.5 inches and my jardini 7 inches, he gave the jar a quick savage beating, jardini didn;t stand a chance. The scars have only just healed.

[Vince]

I kept three 18-20" reds by themselves, and they were OK. I introduced a catfish, same size with them, and they just ate that catfish. Thing is, they tore chunks of the catfish, like piranhas. They couldn't sneak behind the Peacock bass. But after seeing what happened to the catfish, I had to separate them from my community tank. They seem OK by themselves. Someone bought all of them, and decided he couldn't keep them because they are psychos. nearly broke is 180 when he came home wth a bag of large feeders. They acted like wild dogs, splashing the water inside the tank. They are definitely TRUE monsters. Experienced keepers required. :) I would take it with me, if i were you.

[rumblesushi]

And risk it killing my jardini, pbass and bichirs?

I do love them, I have to admit. Since I was a boy they've been my favourite fish.

But I am quite attached to all my other fish, that's why it's difficult.

[ice-dragon]

over here in Singapore they sell baby reds as feeders

[rumblesushi]

I know :)

[IoStrisciare]

Io - is your channa a micro?

WHat are their sizes?

I'm honestly surprised about this, I just didn't think aro's were that good at fighting. I didn't think they'd have the speed, power and ferocity to complete with a snakehead.

Right now my 8 inch jardini is giving my 6 inch micropeltes a beating :(

Though having said that, when my albino channa was 4.5 inches and my jardini 7 inches, he gave the jar a quick savage beating, jardini didn;t stand a chance. The scars have only just healed.

yes my channa is a micro tt is heavier than my red and has better dentition than my red.

now cowering in a corner of my tank.

[sgland]

my red started hammering the channa too.

but nothing but dropped scales. So far so good.... :grinyes:
i can't stand drop scales, gotta be perfect :D

[IoStrisciare]

i can't stand drop scales, gotta be perfect :D

not noticeable actually... but its pretty obvious who the scales come from... :grinyes:

[sgland]

I kept three 18-20" reds by themselves, and they were OK. I introduced a catfish, same size with them, and they just ate that catfish. Thing is, they tore chunks of the catfish, like piranhas. They couldn't sneak behind the Peacock bass. But after seeing what happened to the catfish, I had to separate them from my community tank. They seem OK by themselves. Someone bought all of them, and decided he couldn't keep them because they are psychos. nearly broke is 180 when he came home wth a bag of large feeders. They acted like wild dogs, splashing the water inside the tank. They are definitely TRUE monsters. Experienced keepers required. :) I would take it with me, if i were you.

They r ok among themselves. In the wild i seen them move in packs, like wolves.

[reefraymaster]

Snakeheads are ticking time bombs in a community aquarium

[zix]

in Portugal they are more into discos and reef not into big fish butt you can get somme SAC ,lots CA`S ,big on planted aquas