Chinese Snakehead
Channa asiatica
(Linnaeus, 1758)
What are they and how big do they get?
Channa asiatica is a medium-sized fish that is often referred to as the Chinese snakehead.
It is an Asian species that naturally occurs in China, Vietnam, Taiwan, Sri Lanka, Japan, and Hainan Island.
A size of around 14 in (35 cm) is possible. However, a captive size of around 10-12 in (25-30 cm) is typical.
What temperature can they be kept at?
This is not a tropical species. It is a subtropical species that requires seasonal variation for health, longevity, and breeding purposes. When maintained at a constant temperature, they're susceptible to health issues and a reduced lifespan—such a situation must be avoided.
Often, seasonal variation can be applied by simply running their aquarium without a heater. This will allow the water temperature to drop during autumn and winter and then rise again in spring and summer. A wintering temperature of around 10°C (50°F) and a summer temperature in the mid-20s (around 77°F) work well.
How many can be kept together?
A single specimen, a pair, or a group with caution.
Chinese snakeheads may cohabitate as a group, but things can soon escalate, especially if/when a pair forms. In the event of a pair forming, ensure that any other fish are removed or deaths can be expected!
If you're planning to establish a pair from a group of juveniles, a group of 6 is often a good starting point. As above, when a pair has formed, intervention is needed.
Please note: Bonded pairs can occasionally experience a fallout, and unless caught early, it can often result in death to one of the fish. The fallout is sometimes referred to as a divorce. If a divorce happens (and unpredictably, it can), be prepared to split the pair. An attempt to reintroduce the pair should happen in late winter/early spring, as that is when the fish will be looking to find a mate and breed. Pairing out of season is not advised!
Water parameters?
Chinese snakeheads are hardy fish that tolerate a wide range of conditions and parameters.
pH – 6.0-8.0
dGH - up to 20 degrees.
What do they eat in captivity and how often should they be fed?
Snakeheads will accept many food items. However, to provide a well-balanced and healthy diet, we recommend the following foods:
Dried foods: Crushed flakes may be fed to fry. Pellets (such as Hikari Cichlid Gold) can be fed to juveniles and adults, increasing the pellet size in accordance with the fish's size.
Dendrobaena/Earthworms: They're a delicious treat that can often be purchased at pet shops or angling supply shops. They can also be locally harvested, but make sure they're not contaminated with any insecticides or pesticides. Such contaminations could be detrimental to your fish.
Insects – crickets, locusts, etc. These can be purchased at pet shops. Insects are a fantastic food, and to increase their nutritional value, they can be gutloaded. To gut-load them, simply ensure that the insects have been fed some nutritious greens before using them as a food item.
Feeding frequency is heavily dependent on the time of year. During the height of summer, foods may be offered several times a week. During the depth of winter, there will be periods where no food is required at all. To coincide with the seasons and natural food availability, a snakehead keeper should increase/decrease feeding accordingly.
It is important to note that snakeheads are gluttonous, making them prone to obesity. Monitor their weight, and if they appear to be carrying excess weight, cut their feeding back until they return to a healthy state.
Which tankmates are recommended?
None. We do not recommend any tankmates.
Given their care requirements and unpredictable nature, a species-specific aquarium is by far the most sensible and safest approach.
The aquarium?
The aquarium should be spacious and enriching.
Wood and rocks can be used and arranged in such a way to provide areas of refuge and rest. The aquarium can be generously planted, although Chinese snakeheads are known to dig and may uproot plants.
Floating plants are great in an aquarium containing snakeheads, as they provide shelter, help diffuse bright lighting, and go some way towards restraining a particularly jumpy snakehead.
On the subject of jumping, snakeheads can be masters of escape. Therefore, it is imperative that the aquarium be secure. A tight-fitting lid (possibly weighed down) is essential.
Snakeheads are obligate air-breathers, meaning that they must surface for air; otherwise, they'll drown. Be sure to leave a sufficient gap between the lid and the surface of the water.
Will they breed in captivity?
Yes, Chinese snakeheads are frequently bred in captivity.
To breed, conditioning is essential. If they haven't been wintered, they will not breed in spring. In late winter and into spring the daylight hours increase, as does the temperature. Now is the time when golden cobra snakeheads will be looking to find a mate and breed.
During pairing, there may be squabbles, bite marks, torn fins, and chasing. It is to be expected, and it is often referred to as the balancing act. Essentially, the female will challenge the male, and provided that he rises to the challenge, a bond may form.
A bonded pair may be witnessed circling their bodies around each other—this is the embrace. A successful embrace will result in milt and eggs being released, which float to the surface. The eggs will remain at the surface until they hatch.
Chinese snakeheads are not providers of trophic eggs; instead, their fry are highly cannibalistic.
Initially, newborn fry resemble black tadpoles but soon develop to resemble miniature snakeheads. During development, some fry grow quicker than their siblings. Less-developed and weaker fry are at serious risk of predation by larger and stronger siblings.
To reduce initial cannibalism, it is imperative that fry be fed as soon as they become free-swimming (crushed flakes work well).
To maximize fry survival, removing and relocating larger siblings and placing them into another aquarium will help ensure the safety of smaller siblings. This process can be repeated as deemed necessary.
Successful breeding may result in well over 1000 fry, and finding homes for all of them may be a challenge in itself. It is far too easy to oversaturate the market. A sensible approach to breeding may be to rear fewer fry that meet limited demand.
Other notes
The discovery of an escaped snakehead is concerning. Often, our initial reaction is to panic and put the escaped snakehead straight back into the main aquarium. Doing so may prove to be a fatal mistake!
We often don't know how long the snakehead has been out of the water for, and if it is exhausted, it may be too weak to surface for air and will drown.
An escaped snakehead can be placed into a bucket containing just enough aquarium water to cover its back. This way, the snakehead can easily breathe from the surface and have time to rest and recover. When sufficiently recovered, it can be placed back into the main aquarium.
Conclusion
If you're looking for a snakehead that is medium-sized, Chinese snakeheads are a great choice. They're available in many colour forms, including perhaps the most striking of them all, the "red-stripe" variant, such as the one used in this species profile image.
Are you now considering adding a Chinese snakehead to your collection? Go on, you know you want to!