Rainbow snakehead (Channa bleheri) care guide

Group
Freshwater fish
Other names
Dwarf snakehead, Bluefinned snakehead
Family
Channidae (snakeheads)
Origin
Endemic to the Brahmaputra River basin in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, north-eastern India.
Water
freshwater
Maximum size
17 cm
Temperature
14–28°C
pH
6–8
Hardness
Soft to hard, 2–20 dGH
Minimum tank
108 litres
Care level
intermediate
Temperament
aggressive

Care

One of the most colourful snakeheads: juveniles are yellowish, and adults develop orange to red spots and blue-edged fins. At about 17 cm it is one of the dwarf snakeheads, and suitable for a tank with a base of at least 120 × 30 cm (around 108 litres), with water at least 30 cm deep. A very tight-fitting lid is essential; snakeheads are notorious escape artists and breathe air, so leave a gap of air between the water and the lid. Provide plenty of cover with plants, roots and caves, and dim lighting. This is a subtropical fish. It should not be kept at one constant temperature but given a seasonal cycle, with a cooler winter (down to about 14 °C) when it eats less and the water level can be allowed to drop, and a warmer summer up to about 28 °C. Many keepers run the tank unheated indoors. pH 6–8 and a wide hardness range are fine. UK law: only the northern snakehead (Channa argus) is listed as an invasive alien species of special concern in Great Britain, so Channa bleheri is not banned in England and Wales. Rules in Scotland are stricter for non-native species; according to the trade body OATA, keeping Channa species there needs a licence, so Scottish buyers should check with NatureScot first. It is illegal to release any snakehead into the wild. Its possession, import and sale are banned in the USA. The IUCN lists it as Near Threatened. Most fish in the trade are wild-caught. Sources: Seriously Fish (seriouslyfish.com/species/channa-bleheri/); FishBase (fishbase.se/summary/Channa-bleheri.html); Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Channableheri). Checked October 2026.

Diet

A strict predator. Accepts frozen and dead foods such as bloodworm, earthworms, prawn, fish flesh and shrimp. Do not use live feeder fish or mammal or bird meat.

Breeding

Unlike most dwarf snakeheads, which are mouthbrooders, it lays floating eggs at the surface, and both parents guard the eggs and fry.

Compatibility and tank mates

Best kept on its own or as a pair in a species tank. Young fish can live together but become aggressive as they mature; a pair gets on together but will attack others. Any fish small enough to eat will be eaten.

Last updated 5 October 2026. Community-edited care guide on Aquatic-Auctions.

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