Channa stiktos - Dwarf snakehead fish with a sparkling appearance

Channa stiktos (Indian Fireworks Snakehead), belongs to the dwarf snakehead family, originated from India, has eye-catching spotted appearance, semi-aggressive temperament, and is adaptable.

Channa stiktos (Indian Firecracker Snakehead), a dwarf snakehead of the family Channidae, is endemic to northeastern India, living mainly in mountain streams. They are quite small in size, but in return, their appearance is extremely eye-catching with spots spread all over the body, their temperament is somewhat aggressive, and they are quite adaptable to aquariums.

In today's article, let's learn more about Channa stiktos with ornamental snakehead fish to see if they are more outstanding and different from other snakehead fish in the family!

Basic information about snakehead fish Channa stiktos :

Origin of Channa stiktos snakehead fish

Channa stiktos or Indian fireworks snakehead fish.

Channa stiktos is a very special snakehead fish species, endemic to the state of Manipur, in the Northeast of India, bordering Myanmar. They were first discovered in the mountain streams of the Chindwin River system, a tributary of the Irrawaddy River flowing from India through Myanmar.

The name “stiktos” in Greek means “spotted” and refers to the distinctive blue-white spots on the body of this fish. After being discovered and described in 2010, it was considered extinct because no further records were made for the next 10 years. It was not until 2020-2021 that this fish was rediscovered by aquarium collectors in Myanmar.

Currently, due to limited distribution and difficulty in finding and exploiting Channa stiktos fish in the wild, they are highly valuable and quite rare in the ornamental fish market.

Channa stiktos snakehead fish appearance

Appearance and habitat of the dwarf snakehead fish Channa stiktos.

To distinguish Channa stiktos fish from other fish in the family, please learn more about their appearance shared below.

• Size : 10 - 13 cm in adult fish, belongs to the dwarf snakehead group
• Color : Body has a dark gray to silver gray background, head is ash gray.
• Turquoise spots : They have many small ivory or turquoise spots on their bodies, running along both sides of their bodies, reflecting sparkling light.
• Eyes : Large compared to head, usually reddish brown.
• Snout : Pointed. many small sharp teeth.
• Dorsal and anal fins : Extend from the back of the head to the caudal peduncle, with a clear black border, slightly blue when viewed closely.
• Caudal fin : Balanced, slightly rounded, in mature fish often has a V-shaped or faintly wavy pattern.

Channa stiktos snakehead fish behavior

An Indian firecracker snakehead fish is hiding in a crevice in the rocks.

Right below are the special habits and behaviors of Channa stiktos, let's find out if this fish is aggressive or has any interesting temperament.

Shy, reserved personality

Compared to many other snakehead fish, Channa stiktos are quite shy and timid, especially when they are young, they will often hide in caves, driftwood or places with many aquatic plants. However, when they get used to the environment, they will become bolder.

Territorial and slightly aggressive

Channa stiktos are territorial like many other fish in their family. They will always seek to claim a territory for themselves, especially when they are adults.

They can be ready to threaten or attack other fish that want to invade their territory, especially fish of the same species if the tank is not large enough.

Have social behavior

Although Channa stiktos are aggressive, when they are young, they can live in groups, but when they are adults, if there are signs of conflict or fighting, you should still separate them.

It is best to keep them singly or in pairs, provided the tank is large enough, with plenty of rocks, driftwood and aquatic plants to create hiding spaces for the fish.

Can breathe fresh air

Like many other snakehead fish species, Channa stiktos has the ability to breathe air through an accessory respiratory organ, so they can survive and adapt well to oxygen-deficient environments such as stagnant ponds.

The most detailed guide to raising Channa stiktos snakehead fish

Channa stiktos need a spacious, comfortable living environment.

If you want to successfully raise Channa stiktos fish in an artificial tank, please refer to the detailed breeding instructions shared below.

Set up the right aquarium

In order for Channa stiktos fish to quickly adapt to the artificial captive environment and grow healthily, you need to prepare an aquarium with conditions similar to the living environment in mountain rivers of this fish species. Specifically, you need to pay attention to the following points:

• Tank size : Minimum 50 x 35 x 35 cm for 1 individual or 1 pair, ideal 1m x 45 cm x 45 cm.
• Filtration system : Choose a light to medium filtration system, avoiding strong flow.
• Aeration : Required to help maintain stable water quality.
• Decoration : Add lots of driftwood, rocks, aquatic plants to create shelter for fish, you can add a few dry Indian almond leaves to create a more natural water environment.
• LED Light : Choose low or moderate light because fish prefer to live in a dark environment.
• Temperature : 22 - 28 degrees Celsius
• pH : 6.0 - 7.5, soft to medium water

What do Channa stiktos eat?

Like many other fish in the Channidae family, Indian firecracker snakeheads are carnivores, so when kept in captivity, you should feed them some of the following foods:

• Live food : Shrimp, bloodworms, crustaceans, insects such as crickets,...
• Processed food : Tom, small fish fillet, unseasoned
• Industrial food : Choose pellets specifically for carnivorous fish, but you need to practice them from a young age.

Polyculture with Channa stiktos

Channa stiktos is a semi-territorial and somewhat aggressive snakehead fish, so you should not keep it with small or gentle fish to avoid being eaten. But you can keep it with some large catfish or gourami of similar size, less territorial or some other bottom-dwelling fish.

Note that when pairing fish, you need to observe carefully for the first 1-3 days to see if the fish bite each other or show any unusual signs!

Regular tank cleaning

An equally important thing in the process of raising Indian fireworks snakehead fish is that you need to pay attention to cleaning the tank and equipment periodically, specifically as follows:

• Change 20 - 30% of water every week
• Periodically every 5 - 7 days, suck the bottom sediment once.
• Regularly check water temperature and pH to maintain stable quality.
• Clean filter and aerator every 2-3 weeks.

Health care, disease prevention and treatment for Channa stiktos

Below are detailed instructions on how to prevent and treat diseases for Channa stiktos snakehead fish to help them reduce the risk of common diseases and have the best health.

Principles of disease prevention :

• Keep water quality stable
• Do not keep too many fish in a tank that is too small or pair aggressive fish species.
• Manage food portions properly
• Newly purchased fish must be quarantined for 2 weeks to prevent disease.
• Add dry Indian almond leaves and driftwood to lightly antibacterial the water.
• Every 1-2 weeks, you should feed the fish crushed garlic or digestive enzymes to increase resistance.

Common diseases :

Channa stiktos snakehead fish price

Currently, the price of Indian fireworks snakehead fish - Channa stiktos in the Vietnamese ornamental fish market is fluctuating between 1,000,000 - 1,800,000 VND/fish, depending on the size of the fish, color, origin, and import store.

Note:

• Adult fish are more expensive than juvenile fish.
• Fish with bold, clear patterns are more valuable.
• Fish imported directly from India will cost more than fish bred domestically.

Through the content that snakehead.info shares above, hopefully you can better understand Channa stiktos snakehead fish from its origin, appearance to how to raise it. This is indeed a dwarf ornamental snakehead fish with an eye-catching appearance, interesting temperament and behavior, very suitable for raising in aquariums.

Don't forget to visit our Blog section to learn more about many other beautiful and impressive ornamental snakehead fish species!