getting gars off feeders

jworth

Jack Dempsey
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Sep 9, 2008
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he doesnt even seem to take notice of the shrimp though. just constantly swimming against the glass. he only ate 1 feeder last night so hes got to be hungry.
 

E_americanus

Penguin Lover
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Aug 14, 2004
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primitivefishes.com
joworth;2582822; said:
he doesnt even seem to take notice of the shrimp though. just constantly swimming against the glass. he only ate 1 feeder last night so hes got to be hungry.
if he's still constantly swimming against the glass it's likely environmental and less behavioral at this point. i'd point to tankmates bothering him or making him nervous. keep at the feeding attempts, but if he keeps rubbing against the glass isolation will likely be necessary--
--solomon
 

jworth

Jack Dempsey
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Sep 9, 2008
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well that could be but i have not even seen a fish looking in his direction and no one spooks him during feedings :confused:
 

jworth

Jack Dempsey
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Sep 9, 2008
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got a good meal in him and not rubbing on the glass anymore. in fact i hand fed him 2 feeders. then while feeding the pbass he ate a piece of shrimp and then i got him to hit a freeze dried krill but he spit that out. a good sign indeed.
 

catfishlover106

Jack Dempsey
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Dec 15, 2007
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joworth;2585833; said:
got a good meal in him and not rubbing on the glass anymore. in fact i hand fed him 2 feeders. then while feeding the pbass he ate a piece of shrimp and then i got him to hit a freeze dried krill but he spit that out. a good sign indeed.
Thats is indeed a very good sign. If he continues to eat shrimp and possibly krill it will be in no time at all that it shall try out and eat pellets and anything else yu throw into the tank. :) Good luck

-Christian
 

jworth

Jack Dempsey
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Sep 9, 2008
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just thought i would update. Now at 10" maybe he eats tetra jumbo cichlid sticks! they are a bit messy but I am pumped. he eats anything i put in there and lives peacefully with a pbass and paratalapia!
 

coelacanth3

Feeder Fish
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Dec 27, 2008
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Bellingham, Wa
Hi everyone! Just today I got my gar to take a thawed silverside.:headbang2
Basically, I had to just stop putting in feeders (or anything REMOTELY small enough to be a feeder). Every day I skewered a thawed silverside (a small one) on a fondue stick and "swam" it back and forth. Today was day six and the gar struck it and... down the hatch. I was ecstatic.

The bags of frozen silversides are much cheaper, last longer, and I don't have to feel bad about putting fish from fresh water into a fairly highly brackish tank.

My butis butis (I have a tank full of prehistoric fish) seemed to make the transition easier and immediately took the thawed fish from my fingers.
 

Hao

The Ancient
MFK Member
Oct 17, 2008
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my gar feeds on only mealworms and market prawns i starve my gar w/o feeder and i just throw in 20~40 mealworms for other fish and like 1 day he started too eat lol
 

dmopar74

Peacock Bass
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Mar 24, 2006
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Polypterus;2580130; said:
Exactly.. it is nothing but patience and persistence... I've never had a gar of any species that refused prepared foods or would not take them.... and I've kept a hell of a lot of gars...
so polypterus, do you just not offer any live foods, only prepared, untill they finally do eat?
 

Chelydra Serpentina

Feeder Fish
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Apr 11, 2008
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i've noticed that it is more about stress levels than what u are trying to feed the gar. if during feeding time there are more aggressive fish taking food out from in front of them, they dont try new things....its almost like gar need to think about it and size up a meal first. when they are secure in their surroundings its mostly about presenting them w/ something when they are hungry....put the food in, if they dont eat then remove it...try again tomorrow. gar are survivors. if they find that something is edible and easy to get....they will eat it. krill are a good transition because they float...being air gulpers gar do watch the surface and krill look like a food item. makes them curious. be more persistant than they are stubborn.
 
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