I planned on either doing a 55 gallon QT or just putting them directly into a 300 gallon, but do any of you have trouble getting them off of live foods?
Also see "this is just a tribute" by our Canadian Brother Lepisosteus
Have you looked into the proper husbandry on gar? There is a terrific thread on this in the sticky threads. Also IMO shrimp still need to be QT. What is going to be your starting tank for your gar. It is suggested you do step up tanks. It is a very common issue of gar getting to much speed with chasing a fish or getting spooked and slamming into the glass, which in result can break their backs. Also be sure to leave your tank an inch or two low as gar like to gulp air. Also remember when planting or putting objects in your tank gars strike with a side motion, which can result in cut of there are sharp edges, or in my case since i have a planted tank the occasional instance with having to replant some grass. I hope this helps. i have only had mine for about two months so this is just based on my limited experience.
Hey thanks for the nice words, love how into the gars your getting. Once you get the 150 up post some pics, I'd love to see it. Blocking the walls of a tank do help so a fish doesn't spook and break its spine but in a 55 gallon at 9" it would be tough for it to build up the speed. In terms of the live feeding I feel you want them off of feeders. I had mine only eating pellets, tilapia, other fish fillet, and shrimp. Sure I would toss a big sucker minnow, gold shiner, perch, or Rudd in there every now and then just so the fish has to go back to its natural methods on feeding, I feel they get lazy if always hand fed that's why I move from one side of tank to other when feeding. What part of Canada are you in? If you were in Ontario I would have given you my gars when I sold them off if I knewI don't plan on ever getting mine of of live food.
I do plan on getting him hand fed and on to dead stuff. But not off of live food. Studies show that fish that hunt in the wild do better when they can hunt on their own. I have a year round supply of minnows and they are free in the summer, I fish a lot.
If you look @ the pix in my thread "pix of my gar" you will see how bare the 55 G tank is. it's to keep him with enough room..
And not to hurt his self thrashing around when he does hunt. He's way faster on a side swipe then any Oscar or Jack Dempsy I ever had.
OHIOMFK gives great advice here.
Also see "this is just a tribute" by our Canadian Brother Lepisosteus
And my thread "pix of my gar" to see what OhioMFK is talking about with tank setup.
I keep it bare and open so he can have room to strike. The Gar side swipes faster then any Oscar or chichlid strikes period.
I also have 3 sides of the tank blacked out with a garbage bag. both sides and the front. this is so he knows where his space starts and stops.
Also The tank is located next to the entrance between the dinning room and kitchen so there is a lot of foot traffic. I don't want him spooked as there are 4 kids the wife and me.
So far the bag is working, no one has seen him dart once, he just glides around.
He also spends over 50% of his time up top in the floating plants.
These fish don't need magical care, just the right environment to live in.
Another great tank setup is Lepisosteus's 220 tank he had them in.
good cover but lots of room to move. ( I hope my 150 looks 1/2 that good)
I did a metric ton of reading on these guys before I sought one out.
Then found this place and did what you are doing.
Sought real world advice from the guys that have them.
Rich
Nice gar