Polypterus_36's Cuban gar thread

[thebiggerthebetter]

I too thought that maybe I am overfeeding and hence mine may be (or may be not, remains to be seen) curving... but Brad says it's okay. The more he feeds, the less aggressive they are to each other. Otherwise, they bite each other mercilessly, especially during feedings... but not only. Brad feeds daily the tilapia and seafood and used to do arowana sticks daily too but now only 1-2 a week.

It doesn't sounds like the little guys could be hurt with too much (quality, balanced) food. So this explanation can be discarded.

 

[Hao]

I too thought that maybe I am overfeeding and hence mine may be (or may be not, remains to be seen) curving... but Brad says it's okay. The more he feeds, the less aggressive they are to each other. Otherwise, they bite each other mercilessly, especially during feedings... but not only. Brad feeds daily the tilapia and seafood and used to do arowana sticks daily too but now only 1-2 a week.

It doesn't sounds like the little guys could be hurt with too much (quality, balanced) food. So this explanation can be discarded.

Feeding them more should make the bend less obvious. They usually straighten out in my experience unless the bend is too severe. But hopefully you guys keep updating the cubans. I know monster aquarium imported like 100+ Cubans like 4 years ago but almost no one has them anywhere. Curious to what happened to them.

 

[koltsixx]

koltsixx how are yours, Josh?

Ours: https://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/...-florida-gar-12-15.679353/page-4#post-8374649

No bend in my two but I haven't had mine long and mine haven't eaten yet. I tried floating pellets but round cichlid pellets to no avail. Earlier today I bought some frozen krill to try and entice them. Though they haven't eaten I do use vitamin supplements on my fish food and garlic when fish are being stubborn and not eating but I haven't tried the garlic yet. I wanted to try the Krill with garlic and then try the pellets soaked in garlic after.

My water is on the soft side and I have driftwood, I believe it's Mopani driftwood but it's old and any tannins it might be giving off would have to be very minimal in my opinion. I also have Black Pagoda stone which I believe has slight buffering capabilities and red shale which I think has none.

 

[thebiggerthebetter]

This morning ours look fine to a quick glance. No time to stare them down yet.

... and mine haven't eaten yet...

That concerns me. All the ones we received were ready to snap up everything already in their shipping bags, acclimation tub, including my fingers. I've never seen such healthy zealous hunger in my short fish-keeping life. All 7 ate immediately and with great gusto 10 minutes into the new tank and continue wanna eat and eat.

Perhaps your water is way too different from Brad's in some regard.

I'd make sure your KH is sufficient to buffer against pH swings, like at a minimum 3 degrees/droplets but more is much better. If KH is low, I'd place crushed coral mesh bags in the filter - one of the usual ways to raise and maintain KH. The coral will be consumed very slowly, so this needs infrequent monitoring.

 

[koltsixx]

This morning ours look fine to a quick glance. No time to stare them down yet.


That concerns me. All the ones we received were ready to snap up everything already in their shipping bags, acclimation tub, including my fingers. I've never seen such healthy zealous hunger in my short fish-keeping life. All 7 ate immediately and with great gusto 10 minutes into the new tank and continue wanna eat and eat.

Perhaps your water is way too different from Brad's in some regard.

I'd make sure your KH is sufficient to buffer against pH swings, like at a minimum 3 degrees/droplets but more is much better. If KH is low, I'd place crushed coral mesh bags in the filter - one of the usual ways to raise and maintain KH. The coral will be consumed very slowly, so this needs infrequent monitoring.

Dang, now I'm worried. I had planned to do a water change today. I usually do them more often but I have been really sick for the past couple of days to the point of being basically bedridden. I'll do a test before I do my water change, I actually do one on the tank and double check the new water when ever I do a change. I will consider some coral for the tank. I usually use seachem to buffer my water in my tank with my Kamfa and the coral would be less maintenance, just have to make sure I watch so it doesn't swing too much to fast.

 

[thebiggerthebetter]

Just be careful with the WC. Same applies to Polypterus_36. If KH is low, a WC can produce a significant pH jump. Bad for fish. If cubans are more sensitive to this than other fish, could be a double whammy. Of course you know this, Kolt. I am typing it up for the overall sake.

On ours... I've looked at ours again and they look ok, straight. They start hunching their backs when they make awkward movements or get into a tight spot or turn around clumsily or approach a wall head on or back into a wall, they start rowing with all their fins to change position and to straighten out and this is when they may hunch their backs the most.

I will continue observing. It is still possible that my picture is incomplete yet.

 

[stingrayguy]

Dang, now I'm worried. I had planned to do a water change today. I usually do them more often but I have been really sick for the past couple of days to the point of being basically bedridden. I'll do a test before I do my water change, I actually do one on the tank and double check the new water when ever I do a change. I will consider some coral for the tank. I usually use seachem to buffer my water in my tank with my Kamfa and the coral would be less maintenance, just have to make sure I watch so it doesn't swing too much to fast.

Your gar have not eaten yet?? Have you tried cut fresh/frozen shrimp?

 

[Polypterus_36]

This morning ours look fine to a quick glance. No time to stare them down yet.


That concerns me. All the ones we received were ready to snap up everything already in their shipping bags, acclimation tub, including my fingers. I've never seen such healthy zealous hunger in my short fish-keeping life. All 7 ate immediately and with great gusto 10 minutes into the new tank and continue wanna eat and eat.

Perhaps your water is way too different from Brad's in some regard.

I'd make sure your KH is sufficient to buffer against pH swings, like at a minimum 3 degrees/droplets but more is much better. If KH is low, I'd place crushed coral mesh bags in the filter - one of the usual ways to raise and maintain KH. The coral will be consumed very slowly, so this needs infrequent monitoring.

Mine ate right away as well. Definitely strange behavior for yours not to eat.

 

[koltsixx]

Your gar have not eaten yet?? Have you tried cut fresh/frozen shrimp?

Just to update, mine haven't had a strong response to eating but I tried frozen krill and they are eating now. I am still worried since they aren't having the aggressive feeding response thebiggerthebetter or Polypterus_36 have observed.

 

[thebiggerthebetter]

They don't like strong current at all.