Atractosteus in saltwater?

[SimonL]

Anyone ever tried moving their A. spatula into brackish/saltwater? I know they tolerate it and I've seen them in full marine exibits in public aquariums...

I have this idea about keeping mine in the shark tank at work once he's bigger...It's fairly lightly salted, almost brackish (1.017). I had a pair of asian Megalops I mixed into the tank which worked pretty well, straight out of freshwater.

 

[demjor19]

i strongly would not recommend it.

 

[Weylin]

I dont think it would work..

 

[SimonL]

Uh...I was asking if anyone has experience with it, as it does work. Read a little about the natural habitat they are found in. It's not common, but Atractosteus do venture into full strength coastal marine environments.

I was mostly wondering if anyone had info on if/what size they need to be.

 

[demjor19]

ALL Lepisosteids are freshwater by nature and should be kept in fresh water. why try forcing the fish into a habitat in which is unatural...just for the sake of experimenting.

 

[Stone Like Fish]

I've heard of them tolerating salt water as well and have heard of them kept in full salt public aquariums fine.

Need Sol to chime in here (E_americanus)

 

[SimonL]

Demjor19, please do a little reading about Atractosteus. Their natural habitat includes brackish and marine environments. Cuban gar are found in saltwater even more often than Alligator gar!

"Macrohabitat: Large rivers, bays, and coastal marine waters (Suttkus 1963)."

"The species is able to tolerate greater salinities than other gar species and feeds heavily on marine catfish when available."

"Compared to the other gar species, the Alligator gar is highly capable of adapting to changes in salinity and Alligator gars are found in freshwater, brackish water and saltwater. The do however seem to prefer freshwater conditions."

"Most species inhabit brackish water in parts of their range, but only relatively few, most notably Atractosteus tristoechus, are regularly found in fully marine conditions."

"The gar is primarily a freshwater fish but sometimes ventures into saltwater or brackish water."

"Alligator gars commonly found in swamps, backwaters and slow-moving pools of water, as well as in bayous, lakes and larger rivers. They can survive in both brackish water and saltwater, and compared to other gars they adapt quite well to saltwater conditions. It is however not very common for Alligator gars to venture into brackish and saltwater environments."

 

[demjor19]

Demjor19, please do a little reading about Atractosteus. Their natural habitat includes brackish and marine environments. Cuban gar are found in saltwater even more often than Alligator gar!

"Macrohabitat: Large rivers, bays, and coastal marine waters (Suttkus 1963)."

"The species is able to tolerate greater salinities than other gar species and feeds heavily on marine catfish when available."

"Compared to the other gar species, the Alligator gar is highly capable of adapting to changes in salinity and Alligator gars are found in freshwater, brackish water and saltwater. The do however seem to prefer freshwater conditions."

"Most species inhabit brackish water in parts of their range, but only relatively few, most notably Atractosteus tristoechus, are regularly found in fully marine conditions."

"The gar is primarily a freshwater fish but sometimes ventures into saltwater or brackish water."

"Alligator gars commonly found in swamps, backwaters and slow-moving pools of water, as well as in bayous, lakes and larger rivers. They can survive in both brackish water and saltwater, and compared to other gars they adapt quite well to saltwater conditions. It is however not very common for Alligator gars to venture into brackish and saltwater environments."

please do not start quoting people to try and make yourself look better!!! i never said they do not enter brackish/salt water...i am saying a large majority of them in fact spend there lives in fresh water. dont try to make me look like a fool! i actually have experience w/ these fish and dont appreciate people telling me to "read" about them. trust me....i have "read" plenty. BTW...if you are so full of brilliant info...just put the fish in salt water! it's a no brainer right!? youve "read" about there "natural habitat".

 

[demjor19]

I've heard of them tolerating salt water as well and have heard of them kept in full salt public aquariums fine.

Need Sol to chime in here (E_americanus)

dont count on that! we (richard, solomon, and myself) are all just about fed up w/ how people conduct themselves on this forum. he may reply though...i wont speak for him.

 

[SimonL]

Ok, I am not arguing about this like a child...thanks for your input everyone.