Channa Sp. Assams

[dave_oddballs]

hi i have a group of 6 assams, well 5 as 1 was removed for trying to eat another!
from what i can work out I'm pretty sure i have 3 males and 2 females in the tank. i came to this conclusion due to the coloration, head shape and general behavior. the 3 i am sure are males are always squabbling, well more often than not the 2 smaller ones get chased by the big one. and the ones i think are females just mind their own business and are generally the ones in the caves and hiding.
i'll just go through the points that have made me decide on the gender of these fish,
the 3 i think are males have intense blue coloring on the dorsal and anal fins are a very intense metallic blue as well as the tail, the more dominant one having a clear white edging to the dorsal, anal and caudal fins. they have the wider jaws, more pronounced and visible on the larger one.
the ones i think are females, smaller in overall body size, as said they are quieter and generally stay out of trouble, they have a blue anal fin but a more or less body colored dorsal and caudal fin and tend to have more red to the body as opposed to the males.
now to the point!
i have the fish with all intent of breeding them, they have to harmonize, form a pair from a group, about a month ago it was looking promising with the largest males and one of the thought to be females spending a lot of time in the plants near the surface, nothing came of it!
i don't no what to do, as far as extending the group to increase the chances of a pair forming is concerned.
i personally think they will not take too kindly with the addition of more assams and am worried it could end in massacre!
i know there are people on here that no a fair bit about the dwarf snakeheads so hopefully someone will be able to provide me with some help!!

thanks
David

 

[simonas]

I was going to post Dave asking the differnece between the sexes as I'd like to breed them as well


in my three I too have a dominant bigger individual which is much darker and intensely coloured than the other two. The other two appear redder as the whole body is lighter and the red shows more than the blue ( if that makes sense) I've had no signs of pairing up though although I noticed some wear to one of the caudals fins today

 

[dave_oddballs]

yeah it makes sense! The females do show more of the red/orange specs on the side of the body. But saying all this, the ones a think are female are noticeably smaller as you said too, but reading the information that is available on the assams it says the females are built bigger than the males which is not the case if i am right in the sexing of the 6 i have!
Also i dont no about yours but as yours are from the same place and possibly the same batch and even possibly siblings to mine, mine have the blue anal fin but the dorsal fin is more turquoise/green. Is this normal? You just cant get the information you need! I just need more, in depth, information on the breeding of them!
Also just thought id let u no i got an email of andy at bas today saying the delivery of the snakeheads has been re-arranged for the 16th of this month which meens they wouldn't be for sale until 24th of this month at the earliest! Just thought id tel ya as you said you might go.
Hopefully someone might be advise the both of us on the breeding of the assams.
And when bas finally get the new 'rare' channas in i'l be enlarging my collection, aswel as some more channa bleheri and dependant on information provided, some more assams!
Im going to bas next friday to pick up a wild caught pink tailed chalceus, to replace my one that seemed to have had a heart attack! Also last time i saw some white seemed bettas which i liked, might be tempted!
And also a snakehead labled 'black and gold snakehead' which resembled the golden cobra snakehead! It was really nice but would have to be compatible with my other fish as it would have to go in the big tank because it was getting on for a foot long!
Sorry for babbling on! Hope a get info on the assams!

David