Alligator Gar Size
- Thread starter m245
- Start date
true!nitrofish1;3664918; said:
one issue man. no gar can reach 15ft. they rarely even reach 10ft(i think that is the largest ever actually recorded, it might be 8 ft though)
That's what I am concerned about. Incorrect/exaggerated/unrealistic info can scare away people who have a passion for this mangificent animal. Keeping any kinds of fish in a fish tank is cruel in itself and the fish probably can't grow to its natural size. The important thing is to find out a realistic figure that both the gar and the gar keeper feel happy with.Lepisosteus platyrhincus;3665222; said:
gator gars won't get to 15' long anywhere. ~10' is the record.
also, gator gars are by nature very aggressive, and this is beyond just predation...this is usually exemplified in the home aquarium/ponds, so you are dealing with an aggressive fish that will continue to attack tankmates regardless of the setting. some measures may dampen this, but gators in captivity will always be up for attacking tankmates. this info is quite prolific in the good gar threads/forums, so it should really come as no surprise if one does their research--
--solomon
also, gator gars are by nature very aggressive, and this is beyond just predation...this is usually exemplified in the home aquarium/ponds, so you are dealing with an aggressive fish that will continue to attack tankmates regardless of the setting. some measures may dampen this, but gators in captivity will always be up for attacking tankmates. this info is quite prolific in the good gar threads/forums, so it should really come as no surprise if one does their research--
--solomon
m245;3665264; said:
so i was off on my 15 foot mark, sorry..... 8 feet is still huge.Lepisosteus platyrhincus;3665222; said:
the point stays the same though, regardless of whether its 8,10,20, or 50 feet, is that unless you have a sizable indoor pond (or the 50k basement build), you could not comfortably house one of these in an indoor aquarium. thats as blunt as its gonna get.
it's definitely important to be responsible with the size of fish you choose to keep, and definitely to do your research on the fish before you purchase it. that being said, it is still difficult to predict how large a fish will get in the home aquaria due to many different factors. in most cases, fish in captivity just will not reach their wild max (at least in terms of most large predatory fishes, and quite frequently with gars), and may not even reach their wild average.
http://primitivefishes.com/Gator2a.JPG
this is a large gator gar from the belle isle aquarium and this fish was giant, yet still only 6-7' long. there aren't many giant gators (8'+) even in large public aquaria. the large end of average for gators in the wild these days is around 6-7' range.
again, difficult to predict and expect wild-comparable growth in the home aquaria...shortnose gars won't get to 33", spotteds unlikely to 44", so on and so forth--
--solomon
http://primitivefishes.com/Gator2a.JPG
this is a large gator gar from the belle isle aquarium and this fish was giant, yet still only 6-7' long. there aren't many giant gators (8'+) even in large public aquaria. the large end of average for gators in the wild these days is around 6-7' range.
again, difficult to predict and expect wild-comparable growth in the home aquaria...shortnose gars won't get to 33", spotteds unlikely to 44", so on and so forth--
--solomon
but id stick to the smaller varieties. if you want something that looks similar, go with a cuban gar. here's another monster pic of a gator. this one is about 8 feet.
I agree, Don't buy a fish to stunt it.
If you want to get it you should be prepared to sell it someday or buy a lap pool.
If you want to get it you should be prepared to sell it someday or buy a lap pool.
