alligator gar size

[headbanger_jib]

Those are some exceptional and rare fish and massive tanks.

Beautiful!!!

But I have kept my fair share of A. Spatula, and currently keep two in a 6500 gallon pond.

I have grown one of them from 4", started it in a 180 graduated to a 220 and then to the pond.

Here's a video I took in July.

 

[Lepisosteus]

I doubt you can grow fish faster in a small tank, especially when you're trying to grow a fish to a size it actually reaches in 4-5 years, in a single year

I never said you can grow a fish faster in a small tank I made the exact opposite claim that a fish would grow much faster in a large tank. I believe the 4-5 year claim has just been diminished by Vincent's last 5 posts.

 

[Lepisosteus]

Those are some exceptional and rare fish and massive tanks.

Beautiful!!!

But I have kept my fair share of A. Spatula, and currently keep two in a 6500 gallon pond.

I have grown one of them from 4", started it in a 180 graduated to a 220 and then to the pond.

Here's a video I took in July.

why did you move them from a 180 into a 220? was it the 220 wide version?

 

[headbanger_jib]

why did you move them from a 180 into a 220? was it the 220 wide version?

As a t grew bigger moved it to a wider tank

 

[thebiggerthebetter]

I see no contradiction between the participants of this thread. With any fish, it's a bell curve and is subject to many variables.

With most keepers and average-gene gator gars, it looks like it takes 4-5 years to get to ~3'. With high quality care like that of the gar farm and Vincent's, and perhaps aided by good genes, it may take 2-3-4x shorter.

So what? That's what we have just learned. It's natural. And then there are others on the other, "long" side of the bell curve that take 5+ years to get to 3'.

The biology of any species is highly random and thus amenable to statistical treatment.

If we all would put together our data points and plot them...

... (number of gars on the y axis versus number of years to get to 3'..... or to get great many more points, gar size (or growth as in current size minus initial size) versus gar age (or time of possession))...

... we could produce a nice little write-up, a simple but useful scientific paper / study on growth rates of gator gars in captivity.

Anyone up for it? I volunteer to compile the data and plot them.

What'd be even cooler (but probably unattainable) is to compare a wild bell curve versus captive one.

 

[Lepisosteus]

As a t grew bigger moved it to a wider tank

that's what I was wondering thanks. Didn't know it was a 220 wide

 

[Lepisosteus]

I see no contradiction between the participants of this thread. With any fish, it's a bell curve and is subject to many variables.

With most keepers and average-gene gator gars, it looks like it takes 4-5 years to get to ~3'. With high quality care like that of the gar farm and Vincent's, and perhaps aided by good genes, it may take 2-3-4x shorter.

So what? That's what we have just learned. It's natural. And then there are others on the other, "long" side of the bell curve that take 5+ years to get to 3'.

The biology of any species is highly random and thus amenable to statistical treatment.

If we all would put together our data points and plot them...

... (number of gars on the y axis versus number of years to get to 3'..... or to get great many more points, gar size (or growth as in current size minus initial size) versus gar age (or time of possession))...

... we could produce a nice little write-up, a simple but useful scientific paper / study on growth rates of gator gars in captivity.

Anyone up for it? I volunteer to compile the data and plot them.

What'd be even cooler (but probably unattainable) is to compare a wild bell curve versus captive one.

nice thought. If I have the time I might give it a try

 

[Hasircoglu]

Conveniently I picked up 3 gators in November they were about 2.5 inches when I got them and I've been tracking their growth I'll keep you all updated

 

[Hasircoglu]

So here's my growth rates so far with mine
-Gar 1 in a 40b alone -3" to 7" in Nov to 10" in Dec to currently 12 as of yesterday
-gar 2 and 3 in a 40b alone from 2" to 5" in nov to 8" in Dec to currently 10" and 10.5"

They've been feeding on tilapia, shrimp, and gold fish guppies and Rosie's when small

 

[reptilerancher]

This is an interesting thread. we all need to consider that each fish is an individual some fish reach 14 inches in 8 weeks some don't reach that length in 8 months it is as thebiggerthebetter said about good genes.

all I can say for certain is my personal experience with my own gator gar that went from 3" to 15" in the first year and then slowed down greatly. I had him as a solo fish in a 150(48"x24"x31").
5 years later and moved to a larger stock tank he is now something like 28 inches and still growing at what appears to be a steady rate of about 2" a year. this used to concern me deeply but he is eating consistently and is incredibly healthy.

P.s. vincentwugwg amazing video and set ups. Thank you very much for posting it. It was very cool to see.