picking up my second channa

[headbanger_jib]

will be picking up a 3"ish channa aurantimaculata
have gone thru most of the data found on the WWW

have a 55g planned for it
with sand as substrate
lots of driftwood and plastic plants
black backgorund
and a 90g/hr filter
will have a heavy lid for the tank just like all my other tanks

any other advice will be greatly appreciated

 

[odalisay]

If you can try to at least throw some live plants in there. You going to lfs to pick up or you going to a local body of water?

 

[headbanger_jib]

If you can try to at least throw some live plants in there. You going to lfs to pick up or you going to a local body of water?

was keeping away from live plants as they need lighting and from what i have read(no true experience) channas don't like lighting and prefer hiding most of the time

actually it is going to be wild caught and sent to me in south of india

 

[cich-boi]

Well i have been keeping my first pair of channas since a month only, but here are somethings i've noticed about them

~ LOVE to eat and eat and then some more
~ Not that much affected by the light
~ love hanging around in floating plastic (fake) plants
~ Like the fast current produced by the filter
~ Quite the jumpers
~ Sometimes even like to bury themselves under the fine gravel

Hope this helps, and plz let me know if i have mis-read some of there behavior.
And good luck with them

 

[bignootch]

Man, i'm so envyous!!

 

[Aircut64]

Where in India do you live headbanger_jib ?

Becouse floating plants can be found almost everywhere in India, just look in some corners of some fishponds or something..

 

[headbanger_jib]

i can get floating plants
but i am not putting them as i don't want to have a bright tank for the channa
i want to keep it as low lighted as possible

 

[headbanger_jib]

Well i have been keeping my first pair of channas since a month only, but here are somethings i've noticed about them

~ LOVE to eat and eat and then some more
~ Not that much affected by the light
~ love hanging around in floating plastic (fake) plants
~ Like the fast current produced by the filter
~ Quite the jumpers
~ Sometimes even like to bury themselves under the fine gravel

Hope this helps, and plz let me know if i have mis-read some of there behavior.
And good luck with them

feed them only once in 2-3 days as their metabolism is slow and overeating will kill them early

their proper colors will be present when they have more hiding places and have a low lighted tank

they live in slow moving streams so fast current is not good for them
yeah they love to hide
give them more caves and they will stop burrying them selevs under substrate

 

[tropheus]

yes channa prefer defused lighting , but the best way to provide that is through floating plants only one fluresant tube is needed for most of the floating plants you will find in india. the massive plus of this is it help keep the water quality good , if you still do not want light use floating plants but floating cover should be provided

an auranti likes cave but should rearly use them if they feel secure, aurantis should not burry themselves under the gravel if they do the do not feel secure . a secure auranti will hang out most of the time under the floating cover .

a 55g will not be any good for any more than 1 auranti and even will look crammped when adult .

they do come from rivers but the river they are found in is subject to a wet and a dry season , so 6 months they have it fairly slow moving and 6 months they have a fast flow. in the cooler season they will only eat every 3/4 days in the warmer season they will eat every 1 to 2 days without getting overweight is fed correctly.

there is some more info in the species guide ,in the sticky section

cheers col

 

[headbanger_jib]

ok then i am scrapping the 50
how about a 90g for life
can i keep more than one in this tank or should i stick to one only