Channa Micropeltes and Diplogramma

**jvlz** · 25th May 2014, 02:58

Hey guys,

I'm pretty much a noob at rearing snakeheads, but I recently got hooked watching YouTube videos of these amazing fishes.

More specifically, I fell in love with the striking markings of the giant snakehead (channa micropeltes). Problem is, I don't know anywhere that stocks them. Did a bit of research online, spoke to some people, and I found myself at C328 today looking for C. Micropeltes.

Unfortunately, I found myself running into another stumbling block: the shopkeepers at the aquariums along the block weren't really very forthcoming with information. I ended up purchasing a bag of feeder fish that looks suspiciously like the C. Micropeltes fry I see online, but I cannot be sure, and thus would like the opinion of the veterans here.

Are these fishes C. Micropeltes?

Also, I'd like to know how big Channa Diplogrammas can grow, and exactly where can I get them? Do they grow as big as their cousins, C. Micropeltes, or are they smaller? I'm thinking of getting a pair as I find them really beautiful. As I mentioned earlier, I've had rotten luck with aquarium shop owners with regards to my enquiries. Would really appreciate if anyone can help!

Thanks in advance!

**jvlz** · 25th May 2014, 03:09

Okay, just throwing this in as well: how big does the channa aurantimaculata get and where can I get it?

Urgh, they're all so gorgeous.

**_kai_** · 25th May 2014, 16:09

Those are C micropeltes, anyone selling C diplogrammas like they sell micropeltes is literally throwing away money

C diplogramma are not in 'season' now, so they will be rarer now, they grow to 60cm and sexing/breeding them is difficult, don't think they've been captive bred as of yet.
Plus you probably need a huge pond/tank, as you would with your new pickup of C micropeltes.

All these care and information are already on the web, just google and you can find it easily.

Channa aurantimaculata gets to 40cm, strictly subtropical, if you keep them in warm water, they will slowly die away. Fin rot/fungus and so on. So you probably need a chiller/aircon for those guys.
They are also not in 'season' now, but you can find them at pasir ris.

**jvlz** · 25th May 2014, 16:57

Thanks, Kai! I must say your pictures of your own channas have been an inspiration. May I know where you got your Diplogrammas? They're lovely!

**stormhawk** · 26th May 2014, 03:58

Occasionally you may find aurantimaculata at one or two of the LFS along the stretch at C328. I've seen it once at C328 itself, in the big tank with all the predatory fishes at the back of the shop. Also, just in case you end up with a tank full of tankbusters, I'd suggest you work with specific species depending on the space you have on hand. Young micropeltes are always available for sale as feeders.

I did see several bags of sp. Fire and Ice at C328 in the lower tank at the end of the store, right below the tank that usually contains bags of different cheap shrimp. Good size too.

**jvlz** · 26th May 2014, 15:46

Yep they definitely had some channa there in the area you mentioned. But I didnt' buy them because I couldn't ascertain the exact species. They were about 6 - 8 inches long, with a single ringed spot on the dorsal fin near their heads.

I didn't know auranticulatas are sub-tropical fishes. I'd prefer to rear tropical channas for now as sub-tropical fishes might be a bit too much for me to handle right now.

**Mir** · 27th May 2014, 00:48

Plenty os channas at Qian Hu. Cant remember the species but there were several kinds in the place where they house the cichlids etc. Bottom row tanks at the corner

**delhezi** · 30th May 2014, 21:38

Diplos and micros are tropical if I'm not wrong. Fire and ice are subtropical.

**jvlz** · 10th Jun 2014, 17:14

HELP!

All my channa micropeltes keep dying! One day they'll be okay, and the next they'll be floating at the surface like they're ill or something. Then invariably, I'll see them at the bottom of the tank, quite dead, the day after. I'm quite worried. The body count is currently 30 and counting. What could be happening?

At first I thought that maybe I could be overfeeding them. So I cut down the feeding to 3 times a week. Then I thought that it might be the filter current that's too strong, so I angled it up and towards the surface and the side of the tank. Still no luck.

Right now I've got about 10 baby tomans floating at the surface, and if experience serves me well, they're going to perish. Would appreciate some advice really quick!

**jvlz** · 10th Jun 2014, 17:59

Just to add on, I do at least a 30% water change every week. I've lost about 30 babies over the course of the past 3 weeks. The fastest (and most dramatic) fish death occurred maybe about 15 minutes after they've been introduced into the tank. I spotted the little guy floating near the surface and the next thing I know, he's doing circles around the tank and spinning as he's swimming. After about 3 minutes of this, he sinks to bottom and dies.

**Adrain** · 10th Jun 2014, 18:05

In my opinion, you have to keep them in "feeder" tank condition before slowly adapting them to good filtered and quality water. That's what I did when I started keeping feeder goldfish last time. It seems like the water in my tank is too "clean" for them. After all they are living in "feeder condition" before packaging and sold as feeders.

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