Alligator Gar and Red Tail Catfish
- Thread starter swomley93
- Start date
swomley93
has a Florida gar, Lepisosteus platyrhincus. It's not a striped gar. That name isn't relevant to any member of the Lepisosteidae, or at least not commonly applied. Striped gar refers to a type of South American pike characin, Boulengerella lateristriga. These fish bear a passing resemblance to true gars when young, but aren't related. They're an example of convergent evolution.
As for the Florida gar, it is a completely different beast than a gator. It won't get eight feet long and it won't grow 2" or more per month like the gator (or your RTC) would. It'll top out at two feet or so. It makes a GREAT wet pet if you can care for it, but it will still need a 300 ish gallon tank as a bare minimum as an adult in a year or so.
This is one of those threads that's just...................
How does this still happen? OP you said you would get a bigger tank when needed.......they don't make one big enough for those two fish. It disappoints me to see this.
How does this still happen? OP you said you would get a bigger tank when needed.......they don't make one big enough for those two fish. It disappoints me to see this.
People come here to ask questions about the fish they have, you don't know what I'm working with in future plans for my tank size, people like you disapoint people in the forums by just commenting negatively. chicxulub is helpful and makes suggestions in a positive way. But If you wanna be a "forum troll" go right ahead...lolThis is one of those threads that's just...................
How does this still happen? OP you said you would get a bigger tank when needed.......they don't make one big enough for those two fish. It disappoints me to see this.
I really appreciate all that information, extremely helpful. In a way I'm happy it's a Florida gar, haha
Striped gar refers to a type of South American pike characin, Boulengerella lateristriga. These fish bear a passing resemblance to true gars when young, but aren't related. They're an example of convergent evolution.
As for the Florida gar, it is a completely different beast than a gator. It won't get eight feet long and it won't grow 2" or more per month like the gator (or your RTC) would. It'll top out at two feet or so. It makes a GREAT wet pet if you can care for it, but it will still need a 300 ish gallon tank as a bare minimum as an adult in a year or so.
Regardless of future plans, you said you would upgrade as needed and I will never, never condone keeping a RTC and what you believe to be an Alligator gar in a 55 gallon tank. If that is your definition of a troll so be it. I don't want to be negative but after seeing so many of these threads and the dismal out come and the death of the beautiful fish it does disappoint me.
Just keep fish that are suited for the tank you have or get the large tank and then stock it appropriately.
My pleasure.
You realize that
Aquanero
is a staff member, right? He's not someone to antagonize. That's you're first free pointer for the night.Your second free pointer for the night is that he's absolutely right. He jsut said what everyone here, myself included, has been thinking but not saying. In a sufficiently large aquarium with filtration that can keep the water clean enough to allow the fish to do so, a RTC can be almost two feet after the first year. This growth pattern can continue until after five or six years, your fish is approaching four feet long. Guess what? It won't stop growing. That RTC of yours will need a tank of about 10,000 gallons to be properly cared for for life. You have a fish that can get six feet long and 150 pounds. The only reason that it may fail to get there is poor husbandry on YOUR behalf.
A fish like a RTC is called a tankbuster for a reason. Maybe one in ten thousand members here can truly care for one.
