Gars update...

Yah, so now I've got all 9 gars in the same tank... a 125g. I decided to move the smallest shortnose and the true spotted over so that they would start learning to take krill and pellets, as they were being really stubborn in only taking live in the other tank. Neither of them were very enthused about the move (the shortnose took a flying leap out of the net and met something new called the floor), but they seem very happy about the larger tank and all their new, big gar buddies.

Here's the stock list of my 125g tank now:

2x Florida Gars
6x Shortnose Gars
1x True Spotted Gar
1x Albino Channel Catfish
1x Parachromis friedrichsthalii
1x Indo Datnoid
1x Venezuelan Pike Cichlid
2x Climbing Perch
1x Bluegill
2x Procambarus clarkii (crayfish)

So it sounds like its a little crowded, but everyone seems to be doing ok so far. Water quality is great and everyone eats like pigs.

Photos (first couple will be the spotted gar, then rest of the gars/tank pics):

E_americanus;3696037; said:

wow conner that spotted is looking great! nice job! holding on to the speckled belly too, and also showing a lot of adult patterning already. great to see the updates and that the fish is doing well.

all the other fishes look great too!--
--solomon

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Thanks! I forgot to get an accurate measurement on him when I transferred him over to the larger tank . Oh well. He's definitely the shortest gar in the tank, but not by much. He's 10-10.5" for sure.

I 'm really glad he seems to be keeping his belly speckling. I really like that look on him. We'll see how his color changes with being on the black sand. most of the gars seem to darken up a bit, and he's always been a nice silvery color with green accents to his spotting. We'll see how he changes.

jworth;3696048; said:

nice tank conner. great looking gars.

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Thanks! Sure you don't want a shortnose or two ?

Jakob;3711790; said:

o, ver, STOCKED. But i like it, what filteration are you running Conner?

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It looks more overstocked than it really is I think. The pictures make it look really crowded, but if you saw it in person it seems much less so.

I'm running a 30g sump filled about 3/5 with bioballs and half full of water, and a 100 or 200 micron filter sock (don't remember exactly). I've got two Quiet One 4000's running, so there's about 1600-1800 gph running through the system. That's like a 13-14 times turnover rate. Gives a good current in the tank, but doesn't blow the gars all over the place either.