And to answer ur first question, NO a gar would not be ok with a lima shovelnose(though it might work) and a jaguar cichlid(this is a HUGE NO to this fish)
And to answer ur first question, NO a gar would not be ok with a lima shovelnose(though it might work) and a jaguar cichlid(this is a HUGE NO to this fish)
The catfish might work depending on the size and temperament of the two fish. I had a TSN with my previous Florida gar for a few weeks with no trouble at all; they would even lay on the bottom by each other. I made sure to watch for any signs of aggression, and I suggest that you do the same if you decide to house the two fish together. And please make sure that they are of similar size; catfish tend to think with their stomachs and sometimes attempt to eat fish that one would think are impossible for them to eat.
The main thing about having tankmates with a gar is to make sure that the tankmates will not eat/be eaten by the gar, and that they will not stress/kill the gar. You will also have to make sure that the gar is getting its share of the food rather than the tankmates stealing most/all of it, leaving the gar with little to no food.
I currently have the combo of lima with gars. The tank has 7 limas and 3 florida gars. If the sizes are similar you shouldn't have a problem. I would suggest multiple limas though instead of a single catfish. If kept on their own I have found them to be a lot more skitish and prone to freaking out, which will freak the gars out.
