Snakehead confusion!

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T

tokyogasmask

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Mar 1, 2009
2,285
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Japan
Hi!
New to the forums, new to snakeheads but been into aquaria for a while.
But now i'm asking for a little help. (just a little)

I have a very well established empty 55g tank with 3 newly purchased Channa Bleheri.
I was told to get a number of them to hopefully get a pair that will live well. This may not have been good advice I am now thinking.

The 3 have been in the tank for about 2 weeks now. And the last few days there has been a little aggresion between 2 of them.

I have 2 paler colored ones with big black dots on the fin and 1 slightly darker one with no big block dot. The latter is the one that is getting picked on by one of the paler ones. (the other paler one just minds it's own business.)

The picked on one has a little fin damage. (will this grow back?) So I am now seeking advice from you guys.

Any help would be very cool indeed cheers.

Here is a pic of the aggressor:
snakehead.jpg


snakehead.jpg
 
Hi,for a 55 gallon tank 3 to 6 is a good number of bleheris ,as I see you have a planted tank which is important for them,dont worry to much for their aggressive nature its typical of them,my bleheris behave pretty much in the same way.
 
fins will indeed grow back , and as gigas stated upto 6 would be a good number for a 55g , 3 can work ok but there is no way of telling the diferance detween male and female , the diferance in colour has no bearing neither does the spot , they are all born with a spot some just take longer for it to go , the colour of all rainbows is highly variable.

with two of them fighting its likly to have at least two males in there , but you need to make sure you have at least one female and not three males , they are too young to be pairing up at the stage they are now , so no real way of telling ,

i would add anouther 2/3 fish and let pair up , to be sure you get a good pair bond.


cheers col
 
Cheers for the warm welcome guys!

And I think I might have to take your advice and get a couple more.
The only thing that is stopping me really is that if I get a couple pair up, I really don't have anywhere to put the others. (bit of a "funds" problem)
My fish shop to not take fish back, so I may have to wait and save for another tank.

But thanks again for your help.
 
if funds are really tight , you can indeed try it how you have it now , there is nothing to say it will not work , just simply the more fish you start out with the higher the chance of getting a pair bond . i have known it done with 3 fish , but then i have also had a tank i started out with 5 five in that never bonded and suspect all where male. having to rehome the other fish is the main down side of breeding channa , and very often the fish do not give us they chance to rehome the spare fish , sometime they kill the other fish in a matter of days once the pair has formed , hence why a true bonded pair of snakeheads is worth so much more than 2 single fish.

good luck on what ever you decide.

cheers col
 
Col knows his stuff head the advise
 
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