Gar ID and a few questions

[tianfu89]

My bro and I decided to keep 2 gar fish in a 2 ft tank for a month now. The two gar I got it from different LFS
and was wondering what kind of gar are we looking at.

Another question is how to get my gar to feed on both dried food and life fish. Is that even possible? Feeding the gar alone on life food is burning my pocket.

So far I've been feeding him small fishes, prawn, small frogs all alive. Any cheaper food source?

Also how to check their gender sorry guys really new keeping these ancient fishes. Thanks in advance!

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[tianfu89]

Apolgies, the pic seems too big and is faulty posted on my Blackberry.

heres a resized pic

 

[xander]

My bro and I decided to keep 2 gar fish in a 2 ft tank for a month now. The two gar I got it from different LFS
and was wondering what kind of gar are we looking at.

they are both florida gar, a 2ft tank will(should) not hold them for much longer depending on how big they already are. they look healthy, except the one on top has a slightly deformed snout. great looking fish and welcome to G.K

Another question is how to get my gar to feed on both dried food and life fish. Is that even possible? Feeding the gar alone on life food is burning my pocket.

you can get them on prepared foods relatively easily. there are tonnes of info on this just run a search.

So far I've been feeding him small fishes, prawn, small frogs all alive. Any cheaper food source?

i would suggest feeding a mix of shrimp, smelt and pellets.

Also how to check their gender sorry guys really new keeping these ancient fishes. Thanks in advance!

you cannot get the gender of these fish from just looking at them. good luck!

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response in red

 

[tianfu89]

Thanks alot Xander, its been only a month on mostly life feeder and they grown about 3-4 or so each, they are around 14 - 16 cm now. I'm afraid 2ft tank can't hold them for too long its a new tank!

I'm going to try feeding them a mixture of shrimp feeder and dried shrimp from LFS, both are looking healthy and see if this mixture will work

i noticed the top gar have bigger front fin, very visible, but the bottom gar got the most tiny front fin ever, does that mean they are different species or the bottom gar hasn't fully grown yet. Anything wrong with that?

 

[phillydog1958]

Thanks alot Xander, its been only a month on mostly life feeder and they grown about 3-4 or so each, they are around 14 - 16 cm now. I'm afraid 2ft tank can't hold them for too long its a new tank!

I'm going to try feeding them a mixture of shrimp feeder and dried shrimp from LFS, both are looking healthy and see if this mixture will work

i noticed the top gar have bigger front fin, very visible, but the bottom gar got the most tiny front fin ever, does that mean they are different species or the bottom gar hasn't fully grown yet. Anything wrong with that?

when i purchased my 2 floridas, the lfs had them on live --- rosy reds minnows, to be exact. i switched them to silversides. my reasoning was that silvers resemble what they had already been eating. I also get them to eat freeze-dried krill but have yet got them to eat pellet. i have one that was about to swallow a pellet, but he decided to spit it out.

 

[tianfu89]

Gars in cute position


Deformed snout?


Bottom tank Marble Goby (suitable for gar tank?) and apple snail to pick up all the dirt

 

[tianfu89]

My LFS recommend the gar to feed on dried shrimps, reason, no fish can resist it! haha.

i'll try a mixture of dried shrimp, live shrimp and frogs as treats for my gar. As for silversides, don't remember seeing them in my LFS, i also wish to feed them things that are closest to their nature habitat.

Anyone can give me a gauge on their age? Both are around 14-16 cm (roughly 6 inch).

 

[tianfu89]

update i've been starving my gar for 2 days now.. still no sign of them eating a dried shrimp. any idea how to get them to eat dried food. shrimp not tasty enough? in goes 2 small 1" catfish and they devoured it. Monster..

 

[phillydog1958]

get a long bar-b-que skewer or some other object and place a shrimp on the end of it and place it in the water, right next to your gar.or. i think he might just take it. that's how i feed my gar, since i have them in a tank with more aggressive and greedy fish -- oscars and arowana . . .

 

[jworth]

all 3 of those fish are going to be way too big. gars roughly the size of that tank and the goby at least half of the length. im afraid you will need a BIG upgrade. (sorry I couldnt let it go unsaid, everyone seems to have overlooked this)

toss the food in by the filter outflow and it will look like its swimming long enough to maybe get their attention and eat it. i was never crazy about the skewer idea.