I plan on housing a Shortnose, Longnose, Florida, and Alligator Gar all in the same tank. I know that the Alligator Gar is one of the most aggresive fish in the hobby but I have read over and over again that if you raise it with it's tank mates from when it's young that it'll get along fine with everyone it was raised with. Does anyone have any advice with this?
Insertion of a Alligator Gar
- Thread starter ViperCLKGTR
- Start date
It would probably work in the right size tank that is setup properly. I don't think it really matters what tankmates a gar is raised with...when it becomes small enough to be food...it may very well end up as food.ViperCLKGTR;2514377; said:
What size tank/pond were you planning on doing this in?
i'm wondering where you have read "over and over again" that if a gator gar is raised with its tankmates that it will get along fine with them later...i have kept several gators and know a few others with even more extensive experience with the species and have not seen this phenomenon take place. generally a gator's growth rate will exceed that of its tankmates (especially other gars) and when it does surpass them in size (or even when it's similar size) it will start beating up on them and things only get worse as it ages. THAT is what happens over and over again with very few exceptions.ViperCLKGTR;2514377; said:
that being said, i think jordan brought up a good point in that it's not just an assemblage of fishes you should be concerned with, but the place you will house them. all gars will grow to around 12" in their first year, several species will grow a bit larger than that. a gator usually will...and since the best way to get gars raised for bigger tanks is in a step-wise progression of tanks, you'll have to have at least 2 (preferably 3) tanks to move them into if you are starting with young-of-the year fishes.
if you can better outline your plan we can better advise you with further strategy--
--solomon
i have a long nose,2 spotted,and a gator in a 450 all doing great.i do not notice the gator to be very nasty at all so far(he is now 17 inches).I also do not think at least mine did not grow 12 inches in a year.
If the gator didnt grow 12" in one year its either not a Gator gar or its not being fed properly. And keeping a Gator gar in a 450 is an eventual death sentence by the gator for the other fish and the Gators own death before its time. My longnose is over 13" and I've had him since the very end of June this year.
To the OP:
My advise is skip the Gator Gar
To the OP:
My advise is skip the Gator Gar
Hers is a Gator Gar, but something's definitely not right...it should be growing much more than that.Gator;2514693; said:
I agree with your last statement. It would be easier to just skip the Gator...unless they have some pretty big plans.
I've kept adult sized gator gar in with other species of gar, but it only works if they all have room and a good environment. I would never suggest something like that be tried at home. The gator gar will end up killing the rest.
i generally agree with jordan's and the selected comments by gator as well.
MsPoly, if yours is a YOY (young of the year) alligator gar, it should have grown 12" in the first year...if not, that fish is stunted. now, keep in mind that doesn't mean the fish will grow 1" each month...growth before piscivory (predation on fishes) is not quite as fast, but once the gar switches to eating fishes and other similar prey items, growth is extremely fast.
how often are you feeding the gar and how often do you do water changes? sorry to derail, but these are basic issues which can drastically constrain the first-year growth of a gar. again, a healthy gator, even accounting for genetic anomalies should be around 12" at the end of it's first year if properly cared for. a good thing you have going in your tank (and reason why you're not seeing a ton of aggression yet) is that the tank is quite large...this will buffer aggression a bit. the mysteriously small size of the gator is the other big factor lowering aggression...most 12"+ gators are going to knock around gars of similar or smaller sizes, and should be well on their way to outgrowing them--
--solomon
MsPoly, if yours is a YOY (young of the year) alligator gar, it should have grown 12" in the first year...if not, that fish is stunted. now, keep in mind that doesn't mean the fish will grow 1" each month...growth before piscivory (predation on fishes) is not quite as fast, but once the gar switches to eating fishes and other similar prey items, growth is extremely fast.
how often are you feeding the gar and how often do you do water changes? sorry to derail, but these are basic issues which can drastically constrain the first-year growth of a gar. again, a healthy gator, even accounting for genetic anomalies should be around 12" at the end of it's first year if properly cared for. a good thing you have going in your tank (and reason why you're not seeing a ton of aggression yet) is that the tank is quite large...this will buffer aggression a bit. the mysteriously small size of the gator is the other big factor lowering aggression...most 12"+ gators are going to knock around gars of similar or smaller sizes, and should be well on their way to outgrowing them--
--solomon
