Feed gars with...?

[djr83]

I got two florida gars three weeks ago, one smaller (about 8-10 cm) and one a bit larger (about 10-12 cm). The bigger one I've gotten to eat small bits of herring and the smaller one only eats bloodworms.

Mr Big is growing pretty good and is healthy fat, but Mr Small is pretty much as small as he was when I got him. The problem is he wont take anything but bloodworms. I've even tried to put small bits of herring with the bloodworms, so he'll take the herring when he's trying to take bloodworms but he just spits them out. The bits are very small so he wouldnt have any problems eating it.

What are you feeding your new, small gars with? Can they grow big and healthy on only bloodworms?

 

[xander]

have you tried feeders? you could also try pellets (sinking or floating), cut shrimp or whole fish (of an appropriate size of course)

 

[floridagar]

^ I agree try feeders and other mix ups. i only feed mine feeders since thats all he will take at the moment he wont except blood worms or Frozen shrimp or silver slides nothing only wants the feeders. Good luck

 

[djr83]

I've tried 5 feeders in the first week but I think my hujetas grabbed 4 of them and the bigger gar took the last one.
The problem with feeders is the price. The cheapest ones (Danio rerio) are like 10 for $19.

 

[floridagar]

You could always try and breed mollys for them you might have to spend at least 10-15$ on the start and get some males and females and breed them. Then your feeders will be free, But you will also need to wait on them growing. And with Hujetas in there you will always have trouble feeding them feeders since they grab the feeders fastt!

 

[Lepisosteus platyrhincus]

ur gar eventaully gonna eat ur hujeta

 

[djr83]

ur gar eventaully gonna eat ur hujeta

I know. Guess I'll have to move the hujetas when the gars are too big. The store where I bought the hujetas told me that they would grow up to 70 cm... You should never buy fish you dont know

 

[Sidrock]

There is not much choice for food when they are about 4-6 inches except for live food (live blood worms and feeders).

I realize this might be expensive in your part of the world, but it'll only for a few weeks.

This is the regime I followed for my Florida and Gator Gars:

* From 4 inches to 5 inches: Live food (blood worms initially and then feeders). [About 3 weeks for FL Gars, 2 weeks for Gator Gars. Feeders are dirt cheap in Bombay: I got 50-60 goldfish for about 2 USD]

* From 5 inches to 8 inches: Jumbo krill and small shrimp

* From 8 inches onwards: assorted seafood (shrimps, silver sides, squid, etc etc.)

I eventually hope to get these fish trained on pellets.

Cheers,
Sid

 

[smartlove_518]

if you want your small gar to eat feeders only than just isolate the gar at feeding time..put the gar in a bucket and put the feeder in the bucket..if your gar is eating blood worms i dont see the problem in it..it is eating something atleast...as the gar grows you can start feeding it prawns and pellets and other frozen food. good luck

 

[djr83]

if you want your small gar to eat feeders only than just isolate the gar at feeding time..put the gar in a bucket and put the feeder in the bucket..if your gar is eating blood worms i dont see the problem in it..it is eating something atleast...as the gar grows you can start feeding it prawns and pellets and other frozen food. good luck

So it will survive on bloodworms only?