The problem arises when you have younger gars in longer (more swimming space) tanks. Younger gars spook fairly easily so that and a longer swimming area would get them up to speed to do quite a bit of damage when they run into the glass. If you have a really big tank then hopefully they will not run into the glass when they get spooked.
Broken backs
- Thread starter Proximus
- Start date
Thanks for the replies!
There is also a small Merodontotus tigrinus in that tank (about 7 inches).
Interesting theory, about the bacterial infection.
If i knew they had a chance i would have transferred them to another tank, and tried to cure them... It would definitely been worth the try.
I now have one left. He is 6" + and have no problem getting food. He actually already eats from my hand...
About tank size, i get the point... but i should mention that the first two gars i lost where keept in a 40 gallon. And this was the very reason i transferred them to the 160 gallon, thinking this may would be better for them. In the 40 gallon they had no tank mates at all...
wednesday13;4689527; said:
There is also a small Merodontotus tigrinus in that tank (about 7 inches).
Interesting theory, about the bacterial infection.
If i knew they had a chance i would have transferred them to another tank, and tried to cure them... It would definitely been worth the try.
I now have one left. He is 6" + and have no problem getting food. He actually already eats from my hand...
About tank size, i get the point... but i should mention that the first two gars i lost where keept in a 40 gallon. And this was the very reason i transferred them to the 160 gallon, thinking this may would be better for them. In the 40 gallon they had no tank mates at all...
gars can break their backs in any tank...it's a risk in keeping this type of fish in captivity. they seem to be less likely to do so at younger stages in smaller tanks...the exact reason is not perfectly clear, but we can make educated guesses. we do know that their range in the wild at these stages is pretty small (again, size is relative as is stage), but then again they don't have barriers after 2', 3', etc...it seems as if the gars in the smaller tanks "learn" the boundaries and are able to better control a fast-start (which is often what leads to a broken back when they hit the glass).
if you do a search in this forum you'll find plenty of information about this issue, so it's not worth repeating all of it here.
regarding the bacterial infection theory...ammonia toxicity can also cause what looks like a broken back...and can be cured by improving water quality. i've never seen a bacterial infection cause this in gars in my experience (doesn't mean it's not possible, just much less likely than physically hitting a hard surface or ammo-tox).--
--solomon
if you do a search in this forum you'll find plenty of information about this issue, so it's not worth repeating all of it here.
regarding the bacterial infection theory...ammonia toxicity can also cause what looks like a broken back...and can be cured by improving water quality. i've never seen a bacterial infection cause this in gars in my experience (doesn't mean it's not possible, just much less likely than physically hitting a hard surface or ammo-tox).--
--solomon
Sol, I've seen ammonia toxicity cause some very bent and messed up backs. So it's not a hypothetical scenario. Regardless, more often than not bent backs are broken backs caused by physical injury rather than ammonia toxicity
Posted on mobile.monsterfishkeepers.com
Posted on mobile.monsterfishkeepers.com
xander;4690944; said:
not sure you understood my post and/or i didn't convey my thoughts effectively...i HAVE dealt with "broken" backs due to ammo-tox before...i was saying that is the other main scenario where i have seen broken back syndrome and that one is curable...the bacterial/pathogen scenario, however, i have not seen and seems much more unlikely to me...but not impossible--
--solomon
