Petting/Loving My Alligator Gar

Spatula

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Oct 22, 2009
359
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Under your bed
OK, I've been talking about posting a video of this for a while now so today was finally the day. My boy has been extra good lately and I've been training him on a few things as well. I keep telling everyone on here that my Alligator Gar is special and he understand ALLOT about what is going on outside the tank around him. I know the experts here will disagree but he knows the difference between feeding time and loving time. He only lets me and my girl pet/love him, no one else can even start to touch him because he actually recognizes us. I know the experts will disagree but it's true, he is really a smart fish.
He loves his belly scratched and his back rubbed, such a good Garfish


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxPeIqccHfo

Don't forget to rate 5 starts and leave a nice comment :headbang2
 

bahamaqt00

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Oct 7, 2009
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kirkland wa
That is awesome that he only lets you two do it! How did you train him to do this? Also, do you think this damages his slime coat or anything? Just curious, but that is one nice looking gar. What is his size and the size of the tank?

ashley
 

zippo300z

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Mar 17, 2009
86
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corpus christi
wow....i used to have an oscar that used to let me pet it.....but a FREAKIN GAR !!!! NICE......
 

Lepisosteus platyrhincus

Polypterus
MFK Member
Nov 9, 2008
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In the caiman den

Spatula

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Oct 22, 2009
359
0
0
Under your bed
bahamaqt00;3893472; said:
That is awesome that he only lets you two do it! How did you train him to do this? Also, do you think this damages his slime coat or anything? Just curious, but that is one nice looking gar. What is his size and the size of the tank?

ashley
We didn't train him to only let us do it. He just won't let anyone else touch or scoup him. Only in the last 2 months has he let my girl do it too but he's been letting me do it for almost 6 months or so. We mostly just rub his under belly and the top of his head so we don't fade the slime coat too much at all.
He's such a goooood boy, we LOVE our Garfish :grinno:
 

Crazyfish88

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Nov 6, 2009
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BC, Canada
Wow thats awesome. I hope I can train my Gator to be tamed like that. I just trained my 17" Gator to feed off a rod when I hand feed him.
 

Spatula

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Oct 22, 2009
359
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Under your bed
Crazyfish88;3897287; said:
Wow thats awesome. I hope I can train my Gator to be tamed like that. I just trained my 17" Gator to feed off a rod when I hand feed him.
Nice... I used to use chopsticks to feed my boy, however since we have been interacting with him more he doesn't like to take from the chopsticks anymore. I think it's cause when we put a shrimp on the chopsticks he isn't sure if it's food or our hand coming to touch him. He doesn't want to bite us so he doesn't snatch it from the chopsticks like he used to, now we have to throw the shrimp in, then he'll grab it as it's sinking or off the bottom.... freggin cool fish.
 

Polypterus

Fire Eel
MFK Member
Aug 17, 2005
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Detroit
I have used a baseball bat as protection and to "Love" my fish away from me... You might think it is all cute now. Just wait. Equally the fish will let anyone do that if they are trained to it. Gars are not at all hard to train to do many things. I have a Florida that swims into a tube for measuring and I have station trained Longnosed and tropicals to equally separate out for feeding.

And yes the experts are disagreeing because we know the fish and are not just placing human emotions or ideas to them. We respect them for their own individual worth and do not need to make them human. I think we have been over this a few times...

But anyhow yes I'm very happy that you are doing very well with this fish. Your so far doing way better than most with Gators. Often times very few if any keep them over a year. Your dedication to the fish is admirable. I'm going to repeat again though "do not think this fish is acting in a way that is equal to what you know as a human" It is not..
 
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