Snake heads

[adeyc]

A woman asked me today if I new anything about "snake Heads".
"What" I said and she said "fish".
Simple I haven't heard of them so I came home and did some checking I found one site snakeheads.org giving the common name(Channa micropeltes) but this is not the fish she described. To me she was describing what looked like a chinese algae eater or flying fox but wih a bigger tail, it was a scetchy description so aint sure I was inclined to think she'd got hold of two arrowanas but the size of then 2 1/2 inches and what she paid don't match for them.
If anyone can help I'd be grateful as she likes them and doesn't want to kill them. Whatever they are they've killed her tiger barbs and a few other fish(oh yeah she has two in a community tank). I'm going round to see what she has tommorow and need to find any info

 

[Rose]

I'll do some checking and post back to ya. But in the mean time this is what I do know. They get very very big (like Arowana big). They don't play nice with others and need a tank all to them selves. I believe they eat live foods. I'll get back to ya with a bit more if I can find it. Rose

 

[adeyc]

Thanks Rose.
I ment to add in she said they had big heads with slender bodies and two fins at the side. The lfs( established for a number of years) said they were freindly fish but the womans a bit simple so they may have taken advantage.

 

[FancyFins]

We used to sell them once upon a time when I worked in Ohio - when small they do look like a reddish colored algae eater - she has bought juveniles - most of the images I found were of adults - but finally here are some as juvis:

AquariumCentral

Here is a bit of info on them -

Red Snakeheads:
Badmans Tropical Fish - Red Snakehead

Spotted Snakehead:
NotCatfish - Spotted Snakehead

 

[adeyc]

Thanks V/much.
I checked the juvenile pics on the first link you posted and thats exactly what she had. I'm saying had as when I told her what I found she was going to flush them down the toilet, so, being me I decided to take them off her hands. At the moment there in an emergency set up tank. Looks like I'm going to have to silicon seal the spare room and turn it into a fish tank.

Davy & Rose, The construction of the monster tank has re-started.

 

[Rose]

Man I wish I could be there to see this thing go up. I love doing the work more than the end result. Take lots of pics on what you did and what stuff you use to make it with. Rose 8)

 

[Davy Reynolds]

Snakeheads aaaaarrrrrgggggghhhhh

Yeah big tank

 

[adeyc]

Lorts of 12mm glass and a ton of sealer :laugh: Not forgetting the obligatory cuss words. And thats just the laying out :laugh: Don't worry I'm taking pics of every stage indluding the leaks.
Just wish me luck. And here was me going to put in a Pangasius hypopththalamus in thing as well.

 

[pete]

Snakeheads........I LOVE THEM!!!!!

Large predators with a voracious appetite!!!!

If you should happen to tire or run out of room for them i'll take em in a jiffy

Do not irepeat NOT put them with anything less than equal to their size as they have a very large mouth and can easily swallow large prey they are also lightning fast when they strike!!!
I keep these fish in a species tank with large Polypeterus Ornatapinis (Ornate Birchirs) they are a really evil piece of work but by now you should of worked out that i love the big nasty predators of the deep lol

The main problem that ive found in keeping them is that they can be very reluctant to take anything but live food so if u have a nervous dispositon or cannot bring yourself to feed them feeder goldfish or similar they will wither away and die 9 times outta 10 other than that they can grow to over 3 feet in length so make sure youve gotta big tank ready for them in 6 months or so as they grow quite fast too

Hope this helps mate and like i said if u decide not to keep them i can give them a very good home :grin:

 

[adeyc]

Pete the tanks 8 feet in length so should be ok size ways.
I was toying with the idea of asking William for some livebearers as feeder fish but he'd kill me :laughsorry William)
I don't think I'll be getting rid of them as evil fish go I like them too. Violent ones are boring theres no skill involved.
I've seen their speed and yep it's fast. How would the do if I introduced an Arrowana of a simmilar size or is that a bad idea.

 

[pete]

8 FEET!!!! crumbs chief lol

I'll be getting my 8 footer within the next 6 mths as Oscar the Red Tail Cat will need moving out of his 6 footer by then as he is growing bigger by the day lol mine will be an 8x3x3 which is a very big tank lol

Should be fine mate but be careful they dont start tearing its fins........as a rule it should be ok as the Arrowana will stay "top water" and the only time the Snakeheads will be at close quarters with it will be feeding time and when they come up to take a gulp of air

I hope they bring you as many happy hours studying them as mine have me, they really are a facinating fish to observe but at the same time so are Arrowana's

By the way im also thinking of building an indoor pond for my larger species as they grow bigger so if anyone with any info or experience on this subject would like to leave a post on the subject it would be greatly appreciated

 

[adeyc]

8x8x3 aint a tank it's a swimming pool :laugh:

one of the local taxi drivers has a tank in his sitting room. well the sitting room just about surounds the tank 15' square or there abouts. Inside one fish, a four foot shark. I'm not sure what type though when I asked I was told, your the aquarist you tell me. I thought it might be one of them irridescent sharks that are actualy a catfish but it's not.

 

[William]

Maybe I will get a piranah after all my babies are taking ages to grow and I want to take them to the store

 

[adeyc]

William. Patience. Give it time and you'll get lots of new stuff from the lfs, get a piraniah and it'll get fat.

 

[pete]

8x8x3?? :0 :0

Not 8x8x3 8x3x3 lol

My missus would kill me lol

I would build my indoor pond if it ever came to needing a tank that size lol :laugh: