My first Florida Spottes Gar 4.5" currently feeding 1" feeder fish.

[uprisingjohn]

Anymore recommendations on raising this little fella on a pond?

 

[TheReefer]

Try getting him off of live food, now it's manageable, but when he gets much larger, it will be hard to keep him up on the demand, try to get him onto pellets and frozen/fresh food

 

[tlindsey]

I agree with TheReefer but like to add risky feeding live feeders if they are not been quarantine. The live feeders could carry harmful pathogens to the Florida Gar.

 

[TheReefer]

I agree with TheReefer but like to add risky feeding live feeders if they are not been quarantine. The live feeders could carry harmful pathogens to the Florida Gar.

Agreed, I love using live feeders and recommend them IF you can ensure they are gutloaded, disease free, and healthy. Ths problem is its hard to consistently provide live, healthy feeders, and as the fish gets larger he'll need more and more food and it will be harder and harder to manage.

 

[uprisingjohn]

Can I feed him chicken livers? I have a friend who owns an alligator gar 5 ft in size that eats pretty much any meat you toss in the pond. I live in a tropical country and my florida gar is housed in a pond.

 

[TheReefer]

Can I feed him chicken livers? I have a friend who owns an alligator gar 5 ft in size that eats pretty much any meat you toss in the pond. I live in a tropical country and my florida gar is housed in a pond.

No, definitely not anything mammalian or anything like that, feed it something fish or insect based, not amphibian or reptile or mammal or bird based. Those foods don't have the right amino acid profile and a different type of fat that fish cannot digest

 

[uprisingjohn]

No, definitely not anything mammalian or anything like that, feed it something fish or insect based, not amphibian or reptile or mammal or bird based. Those foods don't have the right amino acid profile and a different type of fat that fish cannot digest

Just tossed in a shrimp and he aint eating it. He's been lazy since I bought him yesterday.

 

[TheReefer]

Just tossed in a shrimp and he aint eating it. He's been lazy since I bought him yesterday.

View attachment 1375046

Just wait, he'll eat once he gets hungry, you can try taking slithers of shrimp and tilapia and tying it to a string to make it look like it's live food.