Channa belheri ? red rainbow snakehead help?

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EsoxPredator90

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Dec 11, 2011
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England
hey guys/girls been keeping fish for most of my life but only recently got my self a snake head (channa belheri) now its only 3 inches long and still a baby, i have got it in a 400 litre tank with lots of plants and wood it is living peacefully with 2 parrot cichlids . this is the only fish that everybody seems to know nothing about???!! the bloke in the shop where i bought it from told me to keep the water temperature at 28 degrees and that'll be fine? the other sites on the internet i look say keep it in 18-22 degrees ?? sub-tropical then somebody else tells me different, its like everybody is guessing and hoping for the best, so if anybody on here has any knowledge about this species of snakehead can you please help me out by filling me in on as much info as you know thank you! :)
 
First of all, you can't keep it with the parrot cichlids. Take them out first, then unplug your heater. Just let them cool off during winter, and heat up during the summer. Bleheris can tolerate a wide range of temperatures. It's that easy.
 
Hi.
Bleheri are SUB TROPICAL.
They need cooler water.
Mine thrived and bred in correct water temps of 18c for most of the year, and 21-22c for a few summer months.

And they like most Channa, need to be kept in species only tanks, that are VERY densely planted, with dim light.
Mine were always kept around ph 6.5 or lower.
 
thanks for the advice :) I lowered the temperature slowly over the day, from 26 to 21 degrees, now he's lost all his colour and not moving from the corner ?? ph is 6.5 exactly, 400 litre tank so hes got plenty of room, before i started lowering the temperature he was swimming happily around the tank? feeding out of my hand and the colours were good and fish acting normal this was at 26.5 degrees, now water is 21 degrees and hes lifeless and colourless :( im going leave it cool see if he comes back to how he was over next few days, but if hes how he is now im going turn my heater back up see what happens then, my friend used to have a 600 litre tank with 2 snakeheads in and they lived at 27 degrees for years and years, not 1 problem?? looks like its going be a waiting game too see how he is
 
Lower than 21 would be better, but at least it is cooler than you had them at.
Remember his living environment has just changed, so of course he is stressed! Could also be ph shock. Ph changes with temp.
Give it time to get used to it.
Sub tropical Channa kept at tropical temps run VERY high risks of columnaris.
Post a pic, you sure it's Bleheri?

Here is some pics of my breeding Bleheri kept in OPTIMAL sub trop conditions:

imagejpeg
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tokyo knows his stuff, you will get the best colors and behaviour at around 18-22C and despite your rainbow's behaviour now
 
Here are the pics that failed in my last post:

DSC09606.JPG

DSC09129.JPG

Compare these to yours. I have a small suspicion you may have something else sold to you as Bleheri.

DSC09606.JPG

DSC09129.JPG
 
that is the same colour and markings that mine was showing with the black spot on the fin, the water is now 20.3 degrees and he's slowly getting his colour back i think im going have to empty my tank of the other fish get him set up on his own as a species tank, see how he goes then, thanks for your help mate :)
 
Hi,keep in mind that channa species,mostly if not all require a species tank not only for their well being but for other species as well!
 
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