Broken backs

[Proximus]

Hi.

This is the 4. time i loose a gar couse of a broken back..
I have one question; Are they more exposed to this when they are juveniles, or do they break their back just as easy as adults? I know many animals that have undeveloped cranial as youngsters... so could make sense that this somehow also goes for gars...

 

[mrwinkle]

how big is your tank? gallon and dimensions.

 

[Proximus]

It`s about 160 gallon - 23" x 23" x 63" (growout).
The gars have been between 4 and 6 inches.

 

[wednesday13]

Tankmates? They could be getting chewed on they are very peaceful. From my understanding this is a bacterial infection though and they can be cured. I've seen it in person and own a longnose that once appeared to have a broken spine. He is straight as could be. "bigrich545" can tell you how he cured a batch of gar like this, I believe he used melafix but not sure if that's all that was in the cocktail.

 

[pharmaecopia]

The tank seems way to big to use with gars that small. The size should be stepped up with thesize of the gar.

 

[mrwinkle]

^^^^^ my thoughts exactly, not seems IS to big for them get a 55g and use the step up method.

 

[Brian_Indiana]

Are you guys saying the tank can be too big and that you need to keep the tank and gars relatively similar in size. Is this just with Gars? I have never heard of such a thing.

 

[pharmaecopia]

Relates to gars mainly because of how the spine is designed. Coliding with the side of the tank can cause a broken back. With any fish though a tank that is to large can result in trouble regarding feeding.

 

[Brian_Indiana]

I get the feeding part.....but on its face, that concept seems weird to me for most fish (never had a gar). I guess I had never thought of it. So often its always the other way around....not a big enough tank.

 

[KNH]

I've had people tell me the same thing but I keep my gars in a 750 without a problem.