Pairing the Channa gachua

[NativesMan]

Hi Madou

I'm afraid a larger tank isn't an option for me right now. I was planning on getting a couple of 4 footers later on, but that's still at least 18 months away.

On another note, these fish are from Kolkata, in the southern part of West Bengal. About a 100 km south of the tropic of cancer. Doesn't that make these guys technically tropical?

 

[Mazhar26]

Hi Madou

I'm afraid a larger tank isn't an option for me right now. I was planning on getting a couple of 4 footers later on, but that's still at least 18 months away.

On another note, these fish are from Kolkata, in the southern part of West Bengal. About a 100 km south of the tropic of cancer. Doesn't that make these guys technically tropical?

Don't worry these are tropical fish , I told u about my frnd who breeded them actually live in Kolkata, hey y dont post some pics ?

 

[Madou]

I believe Gachuas indeed have a tropical variant depending on collection point.
But their breeding behavior does not change based on their temperature habits, as far as I know. So what I said still applies.

 

[NativesMan]

Hey Mazhar, that's great. I'm actually from Kolkata too.

I'm sorry about the pics though. My camera has not been working for quite some time now. Guess I'll have to get a new one.

I did try and take a few shots with my crappy phone camera this morning, but it was an unqualified disaster. It's hard enough to take a decent snap of a channa when it's all jumpy and excited to see you, but when your camera would rather focus on everything else in the tank except for the fish, it becomes practically impossible. I kept trying for 2 hours straight before finally having to concede defeat.
It's a real pity because I was rather hoping you guys could help me sex them. And some of them are really beginning to colour up too.

 

[Mazhar26]

Ha ha ha , GUD best of luck

 

[Madou]

Have they settled down, or are the skirmishes not diminished?

They should have established a pecking order by now.

While unlike other fish this pecking order is only temporary, it still does matter to a point.

 

[NativesMan]

Yep Madou, that's exactly what they've done.

There's one dominant fish who rules the tank and snaps at anyone who comes near it, but it's generally content to leave the others alone so long as they stick to the margins or the surface.

The others have also established a pretty definitive pecking order among themselves. Each fish seems to clearly know who's above and below it in the dominance stakes, and behaves accordingly. So know, when any 2 of them cross paths, one simply chases the other away.

 

[NativesMan]

Madou , does the pecking order have any significance with regard to the formation of a pair?

 

[Madou]

Madou , does the pecking order have any significance with regard to the formation of a pair?

I don't believe so, though the top "dog" is usually the most suitable partner.
When a pair forms, if there is another top "dog", they'll fight it together, so it really is not that important from what I've observed.

 

[NativesMan]

Finally managed to get a few decent pics.