I would like to get a gar.

[bcblair]

Are they legal to keep in Georgia USA.

[piranha45]

Yes.

[Oddball]

Georgia

Exotic Animals
The animals listed below are examples of the exotic species regulated under Georgia Law. The Department should be consulted before any exotic animals which are not normally domesticated are acquired. Hybrids or crosses between any combination of domestic animals, wildlife, or regulated wild animals and all subsequent generations are regulated in Georgia and may not be held without a license.

Banded tetra
Piranha; all species
Grass, Silver and Bighead carp
Air-breathing catfishes; all species
Parasitic catfishes; all species
Giant walking catfishes; all species
Snakeheads; all species of genera Ophicephalus and Channa
Fresh-water stingray; all species"

See Also:

27-1-1.

This title shall be known and may be cited as the 'Game and Fish Code'.

27-5-5.
( a ) The following animals are considered to be inherently dangerous to human beings and are subject to the license or permit insurance requirements provided for in subsection ( f ) of Code Section 27-5-4

( 3 ) Class Osteichthyes:
( A ) Order Cypriniformes (Suborder Characoidei) : Family Characidae (tetra, piranha): Genera Serrasalmus, Serrasalmo, Pygocentrus, Taddyella, Rooseveltiella, Pygopristis (piranhas) - All species;
( B ) Order Siluriformes: Family Trichomycteridae (parasitic catfishes) : Genera Vandellia (candiru) and Urinophilus; and
( C ) Class Chondrichthyes (cartilaginous fish) : Order Rajiformes : Family Potamotrygonidae (freshwater stingray) - All species

( b ) Except as provided in this Code section, a license or permit is required for the following wild animals and any others as specified by regulation of the board:

( 4 ) Class Osteichthyes (bony fish)
( A ) Order Cypriniformes (Suborder Characoidei): Family Characidae (tetra, piranha) :
( i ) Astynax faciatus (banded tetra);
( ii ) Genera Serrasalmus, Serrasalmo, Pygocentrus, Taddyella, Rooseveltia, Pygopristis (piranhas) - All species:

( B ) Order Cypriniformes (Suborder Cyprinoidei) Family Cyprinidae (carp, grass carp, orfe, etc.)
( i ) Ctenopharyngodon idella (grass carp);
( ii ) Hypophthalmichthys molitrix ( silver carp);
( iii ) Aristichthys nobilis (bighead carp):

( C ) Order Siluriformes:
( i ) Family Clariidae (air-breathing catfishes) - All species;
( ii ) Family Trichomycteridae (parasitic catfishes) - Genera Vandellia (candiru) and Urinophilus - All species;
( iii ) Family Heteropneustidae ( giant walking catfishes) Genus Heteropneustes - All species;

( D ) Order Perciformes (Suborder Channoidei) Family Channidae (snakeheads): Genera Ophicephalus and Channa - All species;

( 5 ) Class Chondrichthys (cartilaginous fish) : Order Rajiformes : Family Potamotrygonidae (fresh-water stingray ) - All species; and

( 6 ) All exotic fish which are not held in aquaria or tanks, provided that, as used in this Code section, 'aquaria or tanks' means containers for holding fish from which no water is discharged, except through periodic cleaning, and which discharged water is passed through a filtering system capable of removing all fish and fish eggs and is disposed of only in a septic tank permitted by the County or in a waste-water treatment system permitted by the Environmental Protection Division of the department. For purposes of this paragraph, exotic fish are all fish species not native to Georgia. This paragraph shall not apply to any species of fish regulated by any other chapter of this title.

[freeform]

Are they legal to keep in Georgia USA.

well its legal...... what are you waiting for?? go get it dude. and post the pixs here. :)

[beblondie]

How big is your tank? Since the smallest true gars exceed 2 feet in lenght and due to their scalation need extra room to turn you're looking at a minimum of 30-36inch wide tank-Anne

[piranha45]

How big is your tank? Since the smallest true gars exceed 2 feet in lenght and due to their scalation need extra room to turn you're looking at a minimum of 30-36inch wide tank-Anne
definitely a valid point

[fishnthings]

i have a 220 gallon that is empty right now. im looking for the perfect fish. i want one that will get big and very mean. is a gar what im looking for? im open to any suggestions

[piranha45]

i have a 220 gallon that is empty right now. im looking for the perfect fish. i want one that will get big and very mean. is a gar what im looking for? im open to any suggestions
Gars are passive and docile towards anything but that which will easily fit in their mouths (ie small fish). If you want something more territorially aggressive that'll fit in a 220g, look into cichlid species such as managuense (jaguar), festae, and trimac/(flowerhorn). Also, a fahaka puffer would fit the bill.

[dsmith1000]

Hello folks, first post. :)

I've got a longnose gar that's rapidly growing out of my tank. I caught him when he was about 2 inches long, but he's upward of 7 inches now, and in a 44 gallon. So he's going back to the river soon. But if a fellow fish keeper in Georgia will give him a good home I'd be happy to let that fish keeper take him off my hands. Just let me know. :)

[evilfish]

gars are not docile or passive at all!! my long nose is crazed and angry nd eats rats!!!

[BGG]

Hello folks, first post. :)

I've got a longnose gar that's rapidly growing out of my tank. I caught him when he was about 2 inches long, but he's upward of 7 inches now, and in a 44 gallon. So he's going back to the river soon. But if a fellow fish keeper in Georgia will give him a good home I'd be happy to let that fish keeper take him off my hands. Just let me know. :)
NEVER realease a fish that's been kept in a home tank back into the wild, it can release pathogens and decimate it's ecosystem. I know that you don't want to intentionally do this, so I needed to let you know. That being said, I have a contact in GA that has a couple of gars and I think he would be willing to take it. Or, if you can find somewhere that would ship him, I would take him for sure. :)

[BGG]

gars are not docile or passive at all!! my long nose is crazed and angry nd eats rats!!!
Any gars that I have are pretty passive (I have 7 right now, including 4 longnoses), and even large ones like yours typically are. If he truly is that aggressive (and just because he eats rats dosn't mean he's at all aggressive), then it would be an exception to their normal behavior. But, generally gars are pretty peaceful... still, I don't doubt that you have an aggressive one. :)

[dsmith1000]

NEVER realease a fish that's been kept in a home tank back into the wild, it can release pathogens and decimate it's ecosystem. I know that you don't want to intentionally do this, so I needed to let you know. That being said, I have a contact in GA that has a couple of gars and I think he would be willing to take it. Or, if you can find somewhere that would ship him, I would take him for sure. :)

I've never kept anything but locally caught wild fish in my tank. The only store bought fish ever in it are fishing shiners, which would have wound up in the local rivers and lakes anyway. Is there still a chance of my released gar carrying a decimating disease out of the tank?

[BGG]

Yes. Any fish kept in aquariums for any amount of time, no matter where's it's from, that is released can and likely will be detrimental to the ecosystem that it has been released into.