Has this been asked yet?

Yes to everything you ask, with the following caveat: I do not like to mix them with Rays.

And I've always seen them cohabiting in groups ( not, mind, functioning in packs )though a lot of people have solitary Gars.

1. Both my Florida lived by himself for 6 months t'ill I found a true Spotted and know they are always together, never fought or nipped at each other.

2. I really wouldn't say they ambush they just kinda swim around wait for a feeder and line up then strike. As for pellets or sticks they have a thread about it on here let me see if I can find it...

3. They don't ever really spook but it happens seldomly. You want to try and avoid this to because Gar are prone to snap their own backs.

4. Mine are in a community tank and never attacked anyone else except for Rubber Plecos... I don't know why but it's always the same fish heck I have a 1" clown pleco in there they've never messed with. Watch other aggresive fish though Gar aren't great when it comes to Defense

5. Yes for hours then they'll swim for hours.

Gr8KarmaSF;2641649; said:

So how does one tell the difference between a FL and Spotted gar?

Click to expand...

very carefully!!! lol
oh and the ray thing some people will and some people wont try it
i probably will

Are gars solitairy or pack animals?

Click to expand...

This depends on species for the most part. In all reality they are really neither but somewhere in between. They are not really truly solitary animals but not at all "pack" animals. They tend to be gregarious and found in groups outside of the spawning season but this truly may just be because they tend to go where the habitat is that suits them. Therefore they congregate. The more openwater fish such as Shortnosed and Longnosed are the ones most frequently seen to form up into small mobile "schools" or groups. Flordias can be seen in loose groups but not really anything like a school. Spotted and gators show little interest in grouping or schooling and are more often than not Solitary. Does not mean numbers of them will not be seen in an area but they show none of the same type of complex social behaviors as Shortnosed and longnosed.

I know they ambush things, but how are you suppost to ambush a pellet or stick?

Click to expand...

Gars are not really ambush predators at all. They are active or oppertunistic.

Do they spook easily?

Click to expand...

Yes... yes they do....Some moreso than others