# How readily available are Channa ornatipinnis in the UK?



## Harbinger (Dec 20, 2008)

So my tanks finally being set up, and i think i've finally decided what i want to keep in there. I think these snakeheads are one of the most stunning species i can reasonably keep. I want to get a small young group untill a pair naturally forms and hope to one day breed them. I've had people say my tank is not big enough but whenever i google C.ornatipinnis the most common and largest thread is about someone breeding them in a tank only a couple inches longer than mine.

How can i go about getting some?


----------



## iLoveFish (Mar 30, 2011)

im sure most LFS will be able to order a few in for you just ask


----------



## Railz (Oct 30, 2010)

they are common , but most shops will order in on request only


----------



## Ony (Oct 19, 2012)

Could you separate them in a hurry and/or upgrade the tank if things didn't go so well? Expect the best, plan for the worst and post pictures for the rest of us


----------



## Harbinger (Dec 20, 2008)

Well everywhere i've posted says i cant keep any except maybe the smallest most boring looking ones. I dont understand how i cocked up so badly, i thought i read a lot and a few different sources way before hand saying i could get away with keeping a pair in there.

I've had the equipment gathered up over a couple of christmas's and birthdays all in the hopes of keeping snakeheads. But apparanlty its too small for anything worth while. Going to have a look at Axolotl's, but im pretty sure its too small for them aswell.


----------



## Ony (Oct 19, 2012)

How frustrating : /

How big is the tank? I'm sure there is something unusual and interesting that you could keep even if its not a channa species.


----------



## Harbinger (Dec 20, 2008)

Its about 30 inches long, 12 inches deep, and 15 inches tall. Im hoping that i might be able to keep Channe bleheri in there, if not then im not sure -_-


----------



## Paul112 (Apr 6, 2007)

If you feel your tank is big enough, then just make sure your filtration is overkill. If your tank is highly planted and well filtered, I don't see why it wouldn't be suitable?

Best,
Paul


----------



## iLoveFish (Mar 30, 2011)

I have to agree with the over kill on filter. I use a 5foot tank as a sump under my 8footer with a 6000lph pump I could easily use. 300lph but the more the better


----------



## Far2lively (Sep 8, 2012)

dEsSiCaTa_UK said:


> Its about 30 inches long, 12 inches deep, and 15 inches tall. Im hoping that i might be able to keep Channe bleheri in there, if not then im not sure -_-


Im sure a pair will go in the nicely but 6-7 young ones to hopefully form a pair will probably end up with deaths, snakeheads are extremely aggressive toward eachother

Ornate snakeheads are easy to come by if you know where to look, some lfs will order them in some wont, try The Snakehead Forum • Index page theres a guy on there called rob always selling snakeheads does extremely good prices on them also, i bought 6 stewarti cf barca of him 

He is a a snakehead expert so i would listen to him rather than people with minimal experience,

Good luck



Paul112 said:


> If you feel your tank is big enough, then just make sure your filtration is overkill. If your tank is highly planted and well filtered, I don't see why it wouldn't be suitable?
> 
> Best,
> Paul


Snakeheads dont require extreme filtration, they need a serious amount of plants though and plenty of hiding spaces to stop them from killing each other


----------



## wilkinss77 (Sep 23, 2008)

dEsSiCaTa_UK said:


> Its about 30 inches long, 12 inches deep, and 15 inches tall. Im hoping that i might be able to keep Channe bleheri in there, if not then im not sure -_-


you can keep channa bleheri in there- i've kept one in a similar sized tank, with a pair of cichlids & a variety of synodontis catfish.


----------



## Far2lively (Sep 8, 2012)

wilkinss77 said:


> you can keep channa bleheri in there- i've kept one in a similar sized tank, with a pair of cichlids & a variety of synodontis catfish.


snakeheads are species only fish, this is not good practice


----------



## wilkinss77 (Sep 23, 2008)

Far2lively said:


> snakeheads are species only fish, this is not good practice


not true where dwarf snakeheads are concerned- they will mix with fish their own size or bigger.


----------



## Far2lively (Sep 8, 2012)

wilkinss77 said:


> not true where dwarf snakeheads are concerned- they will mix with fish their own size or bigger.


im afraid you are wrong, i have spoken to people how have breed these and have a lifetime of experience with them, they are a species only fish

1 because they will either kill or try to kill the other tanks makes, this may take seconds or months but it will happen 

2 they will become stressed out if sharing a tank with other tank mates, and will loose there colour due to stress

3 they will constantly hide if threatened by other fish if they are smaller

you dont have to take my word for it, this is a fact snakeheads are best kept in there own tank with the own species and same breed, even this can be difficult, they will kill eachother if a pair forms, the pair will destroy the others

The Snakehead Forum • Index page

all the information is on there


----------



## wilkinss77 (Sep 23, 2008)

Far2lively said:


> im afraid you are wrong, i have spoken to people how have breed these and have a lifetime of experience with them, they are a species only fish
> 
> 1 because they will either kill or try to kill the other tanks makes, this may take seconds or months but it will happen
> 
> ...


1. mine never bothered the other fish in the several years i kept it.

2. mine never seemed stressed to me, & always kept its colour.

3. mine never hid when there was food offered- it was one of the first fish to rush out & eat.


----------



## Far2lively (Sep 8, 2012)

wilkinss77 said:


> 1. mine never bothered the other fish in the several years i kept it.
> 
> 2. mine never seemed stressed to me, & always kept its colour.
> 
> 3. mine never hid when there was food offered- it was one of the first fish to rush out & eat.


I'm not going to argue about it it's a fact to on Monster Fish Keepers and see for your self there are people on there that have kept them and studied them for over 25years, they will eat you alive my newbie friend


----------



## Berber King (Dec 29, 2007)

Dwarf snakeheads mix fine with non-aggressive fish,too big for them to swallow.My "assam" has been with allsorts over the years,and I've kept plenty of others.


----------



## Berber King (Dec 29, 2007)

Far2lively said:


> I'm not going to argue about it it's a fact to on Monster Fish Keepers and see for your self there are people on there that have kept them and studied them for over 25years, they will eat you alive my newbie friend


Do you actually have any fish keeping experience? As you seem to think you know everything


----------



## Far2lively (Sep 8, 2012)

Berber King said:


> Do you actually have any fish keeping experience? As you seem to think you know everything


Yeah I do thanks, I don't think I know everything but I know quite abit about snakeheads as I have kept them for a few years, like I said I'm not going to argue on a forum, ask any experienced snakehead keeper and they will tell you and not one with 3 years of keeping


----------



## Berber King (Dec 29, 2007)

I've kept them more than 25 years and am a member of the forum you mention,just wondering why you state that dwarfs can't be kept with other suitable fish.


----------



## Far2lively (Sep 8, 2012)

If you are member of the forum you wouldn't keep them with other fish


----------



## wilkinss77 (Sep 23, 2008)

Berber King said:


> Dwarf snakeheads mix fine with non-aggressive fish,too big for them to swallow.My "assam" has been with allsorts over the years,and I've kept plenty of others.


yes, & all the care sheets on dwarf snakeheads say the same, as do several articles on them in practical fishkeeping.


----------



## ctarry (Jan 24, 2007)

far2lively

it is quite clear you don't have a clue on what you are talking about

like others on here, i have had dwarf snakeheads mixing with other fish without any problems

it is common knowledge in the oddball world that dwarfs can be kept with other fish, so why can't you just accept it?

you might also want to read this


----------



## Far2lively (Sep 8, 2012)

Like I said I'm not going to argue or further discuss this, good luck


----------



## wilkinss77 (Sep 23, 2008)

ctarry said:


> far2lively
> 
> it is quite clear you don't have a clue on what you are talking about
> 
> ...


i have read that article (i may have that issue of the mag). it makes a lot of sense to me. it was after reading about c.bleheri in PFK that i decided to get one- & i will keep one again, with other fish, as before. in fact, i've asked my LFS to get me one.


----------



## Berber King (Dec 29, 2007)

Far2lively said:


> Like I said I'm not going to argue or further discuss this, good luck


Your info comes from a US forum,coincidently a country where snakeheads are banned.


----------



## wilkinss77 (Sep 23, 2008)

Berber King said:


> Your info comes from a US forum,coincidently a country where snakeheads are banned.


good point. btw, are _all _snakeheads banned there, or just the large subtropical ones?


----------



## Berber King (Dec 29, 2007)

All species I believe,therefore stating they can't be kept with anything would be good propaganda.Still,what would those of us that actually keep them know...


----------



## Far2lively (Sep 8, 2012)

the info came from people that didnt live in the us, one guy was from germany and the other tokyo


----------



## Mynki (Mar 24, 2010)

Far2lively said:


> I'm not going to argue about it it's a fact to on Monster Fish Keepers and see for your self there are people on there that have kept them and studied them for over 25years, they will eat you alive my newbie friend


Monster Fish Keepers is frequented by large numbers of american adolescents who have kept fish for three days and consider themselves experts. Despite being a commercial success it is not regarded as a serious resource by pretty much anyone.

It is you who are completeluy wrong dwarf snakeheads will mix OK with others suitably sized fish in a suitably sized aquarium. 

Funnily enough they are stocked by a wholesalers I use, the ones they had in shared a large tank with some large Synodontis catfish. Maybe it's time to remove your head from your rectum and engage brain before trying to post as some kind of aquatic authority?


----------



## Far2lively (Sep 8, 2012)

Mynki said:


> Monster Fish Keepers is frequented by large numbers of american adolescents who have kept fish for three days and consider themselves experts. Despite being a commercial success it is not regarded as a serious resource by pretty much anyone.
> 
> It is you who are completeluy wrong dwarf snakeheads will mix OK with others suitably sized fish in a suitably sized aquarium.
> 
> Funnily enough they are stocked by a wholesalers I use, the ones they had in shared a large tank with some large Synodontis catfish. Maybe it's time to remove your head from your rectum and engage brain before trying to post as some kind of aquatic authority?


adolecents withs 25 years plus experience?? who have studied them in great detail?? great point there mate

No need for the pathetic mockery, im sure you wouldnt be saying thing like this to anyone let alone me if you were actually stood infront of them, coward


----------



## Mynki (Mar 24, 2010)

Far2lively said:


> adolecents withs 25 years plus experience?? who have studied them in great detail?? great point there mate
> 
> No need for the pathetic mockery, im sure you wouldnt be saying thing like this to anyone let alone me if you were actually stood infront of them, coward


I should be at all three IHS shows in Donny this year. Drop me a PM before the first in june if you're there I'll happily say whatever I want to you face to face or otherwise. 

If your big on years of experience I happen to have more than 25. As well as trade experience too. However I don't see the relevance seeing as you now have at least three people on this thread who've kept them with other fish, without issue. If you believe something because you read a thread on arguably the most idiotic aquatic forum ever and believed it, then you're a moron, as I'll repeat in june if you're that bothered. 

Best
Mynki


----------



## justarn (Mar 20, 2011)

lol, i wish i was about on here when all this was kicking off, what a bunch of muppets! of course people ignore the fact that snakeheads should be in species tanks but that doesnt make it ok.. 
when all you were mixing rainbow snakeheads with all these fish your on about im guessing it was with sub tropical fish? as with ornatipinnis they should be kept at about 20 deg so that would write off just about any lfs fish you can buy here in the uk lol! what about the special requirements of these fish changing ph and acidity once a yeah and dropping water level down low, were all you other 'allsorts' of fish ok with that? 
snakeheads will often get on ok with other equally aggressive fish but it should in no way be condoned, monsterfishkeepers is the forefront of fish advise, once you get to know who knows what... and this is the place where reptile keepers seem to think they know more pmsl pathetic. 
feel sorry for the guy who got shot down by a load of muppets for giving the correct advise, i know its an old thread but i searched it so i cant leave it with bad advise for any newbies to read. ive kept fish for 20 years and this has enraged me more than most of the swill you find online!
dwarf snakehead can mean alot of species, the only species im aware of that is considered communal are pleuro and lucius, then you need 100's of gallons for the fish to be kept alone let alone with other tropical fish with similar requirements....
hate to think what you vivs are like, tortoises and frogs wont kill each other doesnt mean than can be housed together!


----------



## Far2lively (Sep 8, 2012)

justarn said:


> lol, i wish i was about on here when all this was kicking off, what a bunch of muppets! of course people ignore the fact that snakeheads should be in species tanks but that doesnt make it ok..
> when all you were mixing rainbow snakeheads with all these fish your on about im guessing it was with sub tropical fish? as with ornatipinnis they should be kept at about 20 deg so that would write off just about any lfs fish you can buy here in the uk lol! what about the special requirements of these fish changing ph and acidity once a yeah and dropping water level down low, were all you other 'allsorts' of fish ok with that?
> snakeheads will often get on ok with other equally aggressive fish but it should in no way be condoned, monsterfishkeepers is the forefront of fish advise, once you get to know who knows what... and this is the place where reptile keepers seem to think they know more pmsl pathetic.
> feel sorry for the guy who got shot down by a load of muppets for giving the correct advise, i know its an old thread but i searched it so i cant leave it with bad advise for any newbies to read. ive kept fish for 20 years and this has enraged me more than most of the swill you find online!
> ...



Thank you someone who finally knows what they are talking about.

Dwarf species are mostly subtropical and require temp drops down to around 15degrees in the winter, and yes they require lower water levels, different Ph's and everything else you mentioned, not many fish with the same requirements as these.

Dwarf snakeheads are a species only fish SIMPLE, accept that fact and practice it and you will see you snakehead in all its glory showing its proper colouration, not a stressed washed out snakehead.

Thank you for this post, it does seem we have many aquatic experts on the wrong forum clearly. 

They wouldn't last 5 minutes on any other forum.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Far2lively (Sep 8, 2012)

Just to add the information I have tried to give you people came from a number of people, one of which has successfully bred Channa Aurantimaculata, only a handful of people have done this, and has also kept almost every species of Channa for a number of years.

Snakeheadfishkeepers 
Asian fish, barbs, channa's, loaches

Are both good Facebook pages to ask questions about on these fish, not on a reptile forum. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------

