Barca Snakehead
Channa barca
- Care level
- Specialist
- Adult size
- 90 cm
- Minimum tank
- 2430 litres
- Temperature
- 10–28 °C
Species profile
Orange Spotted Snakehead
Channa aurantimaculata
Common names: Orange Spotted Snakehead, Goldspotted Snakehead
Recognized speciesSnakeheads
Adult size
Up to 40 cm
Up to 40 cm
Countries of origin
Good fit for your tank?
Good fit for
- A keeper with room for a large aquarium
- A dedicated tank built around this one fish
Think carefully if
- You keep smaller fish, which it may eat
- You cannot provide about 540 litres for a fully grown fish
- You keep shrimp you want to protect
A dark snakehead with bright orange markings, from the Brahmaputra basin. Keep alone or in a small group in 540 litres or more.
Appearance and Identification
A dark snakehead with bright orange markings, from the Brahmaputra basin. It prefers cooler water than most, and it needs a very secure lid. Snakeheads are illegal to keep in some countries, including the United States, so check your local law.
Check the scientific name when buying, as common names vary between sellers and countries.
Sexes are usually hard to tell apart.
Tank Requirements
- Suggested filter
- About 2,160–2,700 litres an hour
- Minimum tank volume
- 540 litres
- Minimum tank length
- 150 cm
- Minimum group size
- 1
- Recommended group size
- 1
- Activity level
- Moderate
- Flow preference
- Low to moderate
- Planting preference
- Moderately planted
- Hiding places
- Yes
- Lid recommended
- Yes
- Jumping risk
- Moderate
Allow plenty of room, use a very secure lid and fit strong filtration. Predators produce a lot of waste, and many are strong jumpers.
Behaviour and Tankmates
A predator that spends much of its time watching and waiting for prey.
Usually best alone, or in a very large tank with others of its size.
Many are intolerant of their own kind.
It will eat any fish that fits in its mouth, so keep it with fish too big to swallow, or alone. It is likely to eat shrimp. Choose its tankmates with care.
Water Parameters
Fairly tolerant of different water, if it is clean and stable.
Parameter caveat
Keep up regular water changes, and acclimatise new fish slowly.
Feeding
- Diet types
- Carnivore, Predator
- Feeding frequency
- Daily
- Preferred foods
- Quality carnivore pelletsWorth training it onto these, as they are balanced and clean.
- Frozen prawn, mussel and fishUse a variety. Avoid a diet of feeder fish, which can bring in disease.
- EarthwormsA good food, and most predators take them readily.
A predatory snakehead that eats invertebrates and small fish. Feed frozen foods and earthworms; some take pellets.
Feed small amounts, and remove anything left after a few minutes.
Breeding
- Breeding type
- Mouthbrooder
- Breeding difficulty
- Moderate
- Parental care
- Mouthbrooding
- Baby foods
- Newly hatched brine shrimpThe fry can usually take this from the start.
- Crushed flakeA simple addition as they grow.
A mouthbrooder. The female usually holds the eggs and young fry in her mouth for a few weeks, and releases free-swimming young. Give her cover, and avoid stressing her during this time.
Habitat and Origin
- Geographic origin
- India, South Asia
- Natural habitat
- Freshwater Stream, Pond, River, Swamp
- Aquarium contexts
- Large Freshwater Aquarium, Planted Aquarium, Species-Only Aquarium
- Audience level
- Specialist
Classification
- Profile type
- Recognized species
- Genus
- Channa
- Family
- Channidae
- Species group
- Fish, Snakeheads
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Dwarf Snakehead
Channa gachua
- Care level
- Beginner
- Adult size
- 20 cm
- Minimum tank
- 243 litres
- Temperature
- 18–28 °C
Forest Snakehead
Channa lucius
- Care level
- Specialist
- Adult size
- 40 cm
- Minimum tank
- 540 litres
- Temperature
- 20–30 °C
Giant Snakehead
Channa micropeltes
- Care level
- Specialist
- Adult size
- 130 cm
- Minimum tank
- 5760 litres
- Temperature
- 20–30 °C