New snakehead set up

[Achilles1763]

hello, well I am finally in a position to change my 5ft tank from African cichlids to a species only snakehead tank! My lfs has been able to get me a WC channa aurantimataculata around 5 inches. He is still acclimating at the dealers while I re-scape the tank and sell off the Africans. He will be on his own with bogwood and rock caves with dense floating plant cover. I have keep channa before in comm tanks generally unsuccessfully so this time I want to do it right. Hopefully he will be eating mussels etc by the time I get him... but as this is a re-scape any pointers to maximise his colours and happiness? Thanks

 

[Madou]

I think you have it all covered.
Dense planting, thick floating layer of plants, wood.
I would personally not put rocks as it has a tendency to scrap off slime coat and leave bruises, but otherwise, it's all a good plan!

As for the mussels, get him insects, and he'll eat them right away.
Earthworms (not my favorite), morio worms, crickets, locusts, it's all going to make him go nuts, they love their wigglers.

Give us pictures soon!

 

[Achilles1763]

Cool I will scrap the rocks and add some extra bogwood and Anubis to give him a lair.. yep I will definitely get insects I have a couple of good reptile places nearby so I can get loads of live and frozen bugs.

As far as water temp is concerned what's the best option? I have heard some say to just take out the heaters all together and let the water change with the seasonal temp of the house... is this sufficent? Or will the summer/winter temp not get high/low enough?

On water changes what's the best schedule? 20% change every other week or 50% once a month? Obviously as he is on his own so while small the plants will balance the water chemistry fairly easily...

Thanks and pics will be post as soon as I get the tank set up... probably be about 2 weeks.

 

[Madou]

Water temps: 15-18°C winter, 20-24°C summer.
Basically, there has to be a cool period and a warm period.
Which in houses is usually not easily achieved, if it's a room like the living room. Bedrooms do best because you only heat them very little throughout the day.
But yeah, leave the heater out but be sure it's not a constant 25°C all year round.
Water changes: Here comes the good news. Aurantis dislike water changes, and any change all together. What I used to do was 50% every 6 months. You could do 10% every month, but with how heavily planted it should be, I find that to be mostly irrelevant. Make sure to syphon everything at the bottom twice yearly and you're golden.

 

[Achilles1763]

Ideal!! Thanks dude... nothing like getting quality advice from an expert on keeping the species... the pair in your avatar look immense!

 

[Madou]

Ideal!! Thanks dude... nothing like getting quality advice from an expert on keeping the species... the pair in your avatar look immense!

Hehehe thanks man. They certainly were my pride and joy.
I couldn't keep them because the house I was in didn't provide the ideal conditions, and right as I sold them off, I got a notice I had to move...

So I'm back in the game, talking to Devon to see what my options are. Aurantis take resources I don't have to get a pair formed, so I am hoping to get the smaller wigglers in a tank too big for them in hope for a peaceful group.

 

[Achilles1763]

Ahh that sucks... such an amazing pair as well. Hope your situation sorts itself out and the little wigglers turn into something as impressive.

 

[Achilles1763]

Okay finally have the tank set up and picked up the snakehead this morning, I was talked into getting 2 channa pulchra to go in with the golden cobra... and they al seem happy with each other and have been basking in the branches in a group close to the surface. Not tried feeding yet, but I saw all of them eat in the shop, the cobra is doing well on smelt and the pulchra like bloody worms.

Sadly the cobra managed to give himself an ouchy on his bottom lip over the last night in the shop and seems a bit depressed... it hopefully he will bounce back in his new digs.

As you can see from the set up I have gone with underwater rainforest one side and rocks the other (these have been placed tactically to allow burrows/caves). I am quite pleased with it considering I had only a small budget to play with and this has all been done with scavenging older bits of decour I had hanging about.... all I had to buy was the plants.

So including the fish I managed to do the whole thing for £170! Not too bad I think.

 

[-DC-]

Separate them asap !! Channa species cannot be mixed guaranteed that will end a brutal death match as soon as they aettle in.

What your seeing on that bottom lip is likely from them lockung jaws in a fight.

 

[Achilles1763]

The bottom lip injury was while in the lfs where he was in a tank on his own (think he tried to jump into the next door tank). I take your advice on board but I have personally had auranti and stewartii comm very nicely... but I will keep a close eye and if there is any issues I will move the pulchra out.