Dwarf snakehead - Channa gachua blue bengalen - DNZ 8-10cm

The dwarf snakehead fish, also called Asian small snakehead, belongs to the spiny finfish and is counted among the perch relatives. The "blue bengal" is one of several subspecies of predatory fish scientifically called Channa gachua. Similar to labyrinth fishes, the dwarf snakehead fish is dependent on atmospheric oxygen, which makes it a very special aquarium fish that belongs in experienced aquarist hands .

You will receive our Channa gachua bengalen blue as German offspring in a size of 8-10 centimeters.

The complex of the Channa gachua includes areas of Asia, but also Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Si Lanka, Thailand, Indonesia and  others. Thereby, depending on the locality, different species exist, some of which differ greatly in appearance and size from 10-30 cm final size, but also in behavior. Therefore the knowledge of the locality is essential for the keeping in the aquarium, because animals from different origin cannot be socialized necessarily with each other.

Purely externally a sex differentiation is only difficult. Males develop more intensive colors and larger fins in some places. The Blue Bengal reaches in about 25 cm final size and has a round and elongated body with a large and wide mouth. This has many small teeth, in the throat are also gullet teeth - a typical predator mouth. With its huge eyes, it accurately captures its surroundings. The dorsal and ventral fins extend almost over the entire body, the anal fin is round. Unlike one of its relatives, the Channa orientalis, the Channa gachua has paired ventral fins.

The reproductive behavior of the dwarf snakehead fish is unique and may seem extremely brutal to squeamish aquarists. The pair is extremely rough with each other during spawning season, and also vehemently drives away potential competitors. Thereby it comes to mouth fights and biting, which can end under circumstances also in fin and scale injuries and sometimes even fatally. Therefore, it is advantageous to set up a breeding pair separately to prevent such failures. The mating itself takes place in a close embrace, where the female delivers the eggs, which are fertilized directly by the male. Subsequently, the small eggs drift to the surface, from where they are collected by the male with his mouth Channa gachua are mouth brooders, in which the male takes over the care. After up to two weeks the young hatch, which have already grown to sexual maturity after a few months if the food supply is good.

Dwarf snakeheads are absolute character fish that should preferably be kept in pairs in a species aquarium with an edge length of 120 cm or more. It is also possible to introduce several juvenile animals, from which pairs crystallize independently, but the remaining animals should then be moved again. Outside the spawning season the "blue bengal" is usually peaceful.

Nevertheless, a socialization with other fish often turns out to be difficult, smaller invertebrates are definitely considered as snacks by these nimble predators, crayfish could in turn become dangerous to them. The aquarium should have a very good infrastructure in the form of Roots and stone caves secured against falling over, which function both as territory markers but also as visual protection. Many hiding places serve the retreat and reduce aggression and stress. As a lurking hunter it also likes to retreat into darker corners, which is why a dark substrate and floating plants, as well as dimmed lighting are advantageous. Since the Channa gachua tends to jump and find even the smallest cracks to squeeze through, your aquarium should be really completely covered - also openings for the cables of technology should be sealed with filter wadding if necessary. It has hardly any demands on its water values, so that it can be maintained in practically any water and can even cope with polluted conditions. Since it originates from standing waters a current in its aquarium is not necessary the further planting plays rather a subordinate role, should be however in places densely verkraut, since the animals tend partially to the mutual chasing.

The dwarf snakehead fish is a pure carnivore that is not particularly picky, but prefers to eat larger live foods. Since it tends to overeat and grows accordingly fast, it should be fed in a controlled manner and deliberately only 3 times per week to prevent growth damage. For example crickets, mosquito larvae, but also mealworms and smaller fish are suitable. However, he can also be accustomed to perch food, such as our CichFeed.

Our food recommendation: NatureHolic Cichfeed is a great staple food for all carnivorous cichlids in the aquarium, which perfectly meets their requirements for food composition. The tasty pearls are also very well eaten by larger cichlids. Thanks to their soft texture, NatureHolic Cichfeed food pearls are gentle on the mouth and can be eaten very well by the fish.

Our plant recommendation: Use for planting NatureHolic InVitros. These are free of snails, planarians and other unwanted co-inhabitants. Also free of algae spores, bacteria and fungi.

Expert Tip: We recommend for fish keeping the NatureHolic 3 Phase Liquid. The care set offers the best all-round protection for your animals. It ensures optimal conditions for successful breeding and keeping.

Picture: Enrico Richter - exclusively for Garnelio