Gar fry quick question

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Steve_2

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Jun 2, 2008
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Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
I ordered four spotted gar fry from a local fish store this week, and I will be getting them in about two weeks.

My problem is that they are only 2" and are never available any bigger than this.

How hard is it to keep them when they are that small?

I really only wanted two, but since I figured I am likely to lose one or two along the way, I'd be better off buying a couple extra.

What do you guys think?

I am planing on growing them out in a small 5 gallon tank for at least 2 months before moving them to something bigger. In the end, they will be in my 180g with my few polypterus and red tailed giant gourami and docile jack dempsey.


Thanks.

Steve
 
at 2" they really aren't 'fry' and you won't have to worry about them as much as one might think. at this size they should be able to take down brine shrimp at the very least, but may already be able to eat small guppies. if they can take down the latter, then keep feeding them guppies until they get another inch or two on them...then move to rosies. i would suggest keeping a constant supply available to the fish and they will grow like weeds. once they are 5-6" you can start experimenting with offering non-live foods; silversides and chopped raw shrimp and other fish are a good place to start.

i would also suggest increasing their tank size in a step-wise fashion...keep them in the 5g tank for a while, and then maybe move them to a 10g or 20g...definitely not from the 5g to the 180g. i would wait until the fish are at least 9-10" before putting them in a 180g, and that doesn't account for the size of the tankmates. good luck!--
--solomon
 
Cools, thanks for all the info. I was planing on putting them in my second smallest(empty) tank after they get 4" or so. That would be a 20g tank. After that, all I have is the 180g. I could always buy a 40g or so though.

Maybe I should buy a half dozen of large female guppies and a couple of males to keep the guppy fry comming?
 
Steve_2;2023546; said:
Cools, thanks for all the info. I was planing on putting them in my second smallest(empty) tank after they get 4" or so. That would be a 20g tank. After that, all I have is the 180g. I could always buy a 40g or so though.

Maybe I should buy a half dozen of large female guppies and a couple of males to keep the guppy fry comming?
Click to expand...

the guppy plan sounds like a good one, although if the gars are already capable of eating guppies you'll need to buy them by the dozen to keep all 4 well-fed and growing.

as for an intermediate tank between the 20gL and the 180g...you could probably get away with it depending on the size of tankmates in the bigger tank. you can keep the gars in the 20g until they are about the same length as the width of the tank, then move them to the 180g (again, as long as they aren't too small compared to their tankmates). this would drop the need for another tank, but use proper judgement in the gars' size compared to the other fishes--
--solomon
 
Thanks. You have been very useful and I appreciate it.

I will do as you suggested.

I will probably have to buy another tank though as I have some polypterus in the 180 right now that will be pretty big by the time these gars outgrow the 20g.

I have an ornate, and endli and a lap.


Steve
 
Ya you should be fine I got my longnose when he was about 3" and now he is about 5 1/2" and growing fine, be sure to mix up the food though feeders sometime and prepared foods other times.
 
keep in mind these aren't really fry...fry are technically much smaller and at a much earlier stage of development.

the fish at this size are often seen at LFS and are generally considered early-stage juveniles as opposed to fry or larvae. just a technicality with the jargon :) --
--solomon
 
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