Ocellated Snakehead
Channa pleurophthalma
- Care level
- Specialist
- Adult size
- 35 cm
- Minimum tank
- 864 litres
- Temperature
- 22–28 °C
Species profile
Giant Snakehead
Channa micropeltes
Common names: Giant Snakehead, Malabar Snakehead, Red Snakehead, Singapore Dalag
Recognized speciesSnakeheads
Adult size
Up to 130 cm
Up to 130 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 5760 litres for a fully grown fish
- You keep shrimp you want to protect
A striking red-and-black striped juvenile that grows into a 1.3 metre predator. Keep alone or in a small group in 5760 litres or more.
Appearance and Identification
A striking red-and-black striped juvenile that grows into a 1.3 metre predator. Only public aquariums or very large private tanks can house it, so please do not buy one for a home tank. 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 11,520–17,280 litres an hour
- Suggested heater
- About 5750–8650 W for this tank
- Minimum tank volume
- 5760 litres
- Minimum tank length
- 400 cm
- Minimum group size
- 1
- Recommended group size
- 1
- Activity level
- Moderate
- Flow preference
- Low
- 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 very large predator that grows quickly. Feed frozen fish, prawns and large carnivore pellets.
Feed small amounts, and remove anything left after a few minutes.
Breeding
- Breeding difficulty
- Not commonly bred
- Parental care
- Unknown
Little has been recorded about breeding this fish in aquariums.
Habitat and Origin
- Geographic origin
- Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Singapore, Southeast Asia, Thailand, Vietnam
- Natural habitat
- Lake, 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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Orange Spotted Snakehead
Channa aurantimaculata
- Care level
- Specialist
- Adult size
- 40 cm
- Minimum tank
- 540 litres
- Temperature
- 10–28 °C
Barca Snakehead
Channa barca
- Care level
- Specialist
- Adult size
- 90 cm
- Minimum tank
- 2430 litres
- Temperature
- 10–28 °C
Dwarf Snakehead
Channa gachua
- Care level
- Beginner
- Adult size
- 20 cm
- Minimum tank
- 243 litres
- Temperature
- 18–28 °C