GOLDEN COBRA SNAKEHEAD

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swordtail

Candiru
MFK Member
Mar 21, 2008
155
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united kingdom
HI Guys

i saw a gcsh today for £45. his about 7 inchs. my questions are:

-is it a decent price for the UK

-its looks abit drab but does have nice fins with blue dot. as it ages-read it grow upto 16 inches- will it increase in colour and look like the pics on the internet

-is it a sought after snake-rare to find

-can it live with large cichlids.

any advice will be great

ibby
 
I've seen this common name use for 2 species ,channa aurantimaculata and channa marulius ,

Both have different care requirements from completely different habitats. Marulis isn't all that rare (not that any channa are all that common) Aurantimaculata is highly sought after, has been easier to find for the last couple years and price has dropped but still fairly rare in collections.

Neither species should be kept with cichlids, Both will be best kept solo and need a very large tank with a very secure lid. Would need to know what species to provide more advice then that!
 
thank you for your resposes

i definiantly don't want marulius. i think its a drab golden cobra because it has beautiful fins with a single blue dot where the fin meets the head/body.

am i right?
 
That's a decent price for London although 5-10 quid lesser would be better.

Species only tanks are the best way to go.

And don't go by colour, there are no grades or types but most times these Channa are stressed in shops and only show their best colours when happy and settled.

Not rare but it is caught seasonally in my home country, India.

Cheers,
Tabby
 
So you think it's channa aurantimaculata ? Juvies look similar to adults, although they do start off with much less color, and as they age the color and pattern intensifies into very attractive adults . The a description of nice fin with blue dot on it doesn't sound like them to me. Lot's of species have dorsal spots but auranti are not one of them. Can you show us a picture I'm sure i can ID the species.

Here's my Aurantimaculata comparison :

Male @ ~10"
IMG_1548_zps46b1a6e8.jpg


Female @ ~10"

DSC07251_zpsd7e6242a.jpg



If it is Autanti then it cannot be kept with cichlids, Best kept solo IF you can find a tankmate that will withstand the temps then it would need to be mid level/top level dweller, large enough not to get eaten , and docile enough not to challenge the snakehead or compete with it for food or territory. Even if your lucky enough to find a tankmate that work out and isnt killed the first day keep in mind that it's not unusual for a snakehead to just have a bad day and kill a tankmate for simply being there to kill !

(keep in mind i've seen them rip fish into pieces to make it fit lol). They also require subtropical cold tanks 17-18c in the winter, 22-23c in the summer. hey will tolerate warmer for short times but kept long in warm temps long term will lead to health problems and then death.

For a healthy, active attractive Snake head keep it solo !
 
swordtail said:
just one more question, does all goldens end up beautiful or there are different types/grades?

thanks
Click to expand...

Missed this post,

They all have potential to become stunning adults. Proper care will lead to nicer fish. When it comes to looks their are a few factors that seem to separate the stunning ones from the more "normal" ones.

One factor is age and maturity, mature adults have more intense color , animals that have paired and have had a chance to breed in the past also seem to display nicer colors another would be diet, improper diet leads to duller colors better diet leads to healthier fish with nicer colors, and of course having a proper setup , especially temperature wise will make a big difference. To be happy auranti need floating cover, lower subtropical temps and LOTS of hiding places otherwise they will be stressed out and dull colored. Also there are some color and patter. The differences between males and females are not major however males tend to have nicer fins.

Hope that helps!

let's see some pics!
 
thanks guys for all the responses. have learn't alot about snakeheads from you guys.

i am not going to get this particular snakehead because i feel i cannot give it the environment it needs-solo tank, lower temps. hopefully i have grown out of that throught process where i get a fish just because and hope for the best. not good for the fish or me.

however if it was a barca and i could afford it-oh so exspensive-i would definatly make the right conditions for it in a heart beat. hehe
 
I paid £100 for my old 13" one did have it living with cichlids till I found out they need cooler temps. Real nice fish to own in species only tank not to good to mix though.


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