Snakehead “Golden Cobra”

The Golden Cobra snakehead, scientific name Channa aurantimaculata, belongs to the family Channidae (snakeheads). The fish is native to Asia. Considered endemic to the Brahmaputra River. The natural habitat is limited to the Indian states of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.

The fish lives in an area characterized by heavy monsoon rains, high humidity and temperature. Inhabits swampy areas of the tropical forest. The water level is not stable. During the winter months, the lakes dry up. During this period, snakeheads hide in deep burrows, sometimes reaching 200 meters in depth.

Description

Adult fish grow up to 40 cm in length. They have an elongated body in structure resembling an eel. The head is flat with a large mouth with many teeth and widely spaced eyes, which gives an external resemblance to the head of a snake. The dorsal fin stretches all over the body from head to tail. The ventral fin is shorter and starts from the middle of the body.

The coloration is dark gray on the back and most of the head. On the sides of the body is a pattern of alternating dark and yellow (orange) vertical stripes.

They are able to breathe atmospheric air and stay out of water for a long time under conditions of high humidity. This adaptability allows fish to survive in environments with a lack of dissolved oxygen and periods of drought, when they have to take refuge in caves.

Behavior and Compatibility

Territorial aggressive species. Behavior is unpredictable in relation to relatives. It is not uncommon for two fish to grow up in a place and have not previously shown signs of hostility towards each other. But at some point, an attack occurs, leading to serious injuries and death of a weaker snakehead.

In relatively small aquariums (about 300 liters for this species), it is recommended to keep only one adult fish without representatives of other species.

Brief information:

• The volume of the aquarium – from 300 liters.
• Water and air temperature – 10-28°C
• Value pH — 6.0–8.0
• Water hardness – 3–20 dGH
• Substrate type – any soft dark
• Lighting – subdued
• Brackish water – no
• Water movement – little or no
• The size of the fish is up to 40 cm.
• Nutrition – live or fresh/frozen food
• Temperament – can be aggressive, quarrelsome
• Single content

Maintenance and care, arrangement of aquariums

The optimal size of the aquarium starts from 300 liters, while the height of the tank does not matter. The minimum depth is from 30 cm. Shelters, for example, large snags, are placed at the bottom, and areas with dense aquatic vegetation are formed. The lighting is subdued. The presence of floating plants is welcome, for example, Pterygoid Fern, found in its natural habitat.

The aquarium should be equipped with a tight lid, otherwise the Golden Cobra Snakehead may leave the tank. It is worth remembering that between the lid and the surface of the water there must be air space for breathing.

Unpretentious, as noted above, in nature it can survive in extreme conditions for other fish. Basic water parameters such as pH and GH are not significant if they are within the acceptable range.

However, temperatures must be controlled to mimic natural seasonal variability. For example, in the summer months, maintain the temperature at maximum levels of 26–28 ° C, and turn off the aquarium heater in winter, bringing it to room values.

Food

In nature, it feeds on small fish, amphibians, insects, etc. In a home aquarium, it adapts to fresh or thawed foods, such as pieces of fish meat, shrimp, mussels. Large earthworms may be offered.

Dry food (granules, tablets) is acceptable, but only as supplements as a source of minerals and vitamins.

Sources: Wikipedia, FishBase