Gar tankmates

[Conner]

Just wondering, does anyone keep any other native fish with their gars? I was thinking along the lines of sunfish/bluegill, and maybe a channel/flathead/bullhead catfish? What about smb/lmb? Crappie?

I'm just asking since I was at the Bass Pro Shop today, and they had all those together, plus bowfin and drum. Obviously you need a large tank for all these species, but if I'm already keeping gar, I need a big tank to begin with, and since they coexist to some degree in nature, they should be able to coexist in an aquarium or pond, right?

 

[city_of_evil6661]

Just wondering, does anyone keep any other native fish with their gars? I was thinking along the lines of sunfish/bluegill, and maybe a channel/flathead/bullhead catfish? What about smb/lmb? Crappie?

I'm just asking since I was at the Bass Pro Shop today, and they had all those together, plus bowfin and drum. Obviously you need a large tank for all these species, but if I'm already keeping gar, I need a big tank to begin with, and since they coexist to some degree in nature, they should be able to coexist in an aquarium or pond, right?

You are right. But cats aren't good tankmates for gars but it is possible. Back when I kept gars I did keep 2 juvenile L. Osseus (longnose gar) with a juvenile large mouth bass with no problems. The best tankmates for gars are rather docile fish that are not going to pick on your gars. Fish that your gars can't eat. And fish that aren't going to hog all the food during feeding time. IMO Polypterids, some species of knives and other gars are the best tankmates. Others here will most likely be able to give you better advise/info about tankmates for gars. But this is how I based the tankmates for my gars when I kept them.

 

[Conner]

I was just thinking about possible natives I could toss in the tank. I'm trying to get out fishing starting this weekend, and I though if I caught a couple small bluegill, I could maybe toss them in the tank. Maybe not though.

 

[city_of_evil6661]

I was just thinking about possible natives I could toss in the tank. I'm trying to get out fishing starting this weekend, and I though if I caught a couple small bluegill, I could maybe toss them in the tank. Maybe not though.

I wouldn't do it considering that bluegill eat like crazy. And gars sometimes if not all the time, ambush thier prey. But thats my opinion. However I have seen gars and other natives kept together in public displays. So I don't guess it would really be a problem.

 

[shamrock]

Don't do Bowfin the American version of a Snakehead!

 

[farawayinn]

i had heard that gar and bowfin are ok as long as the gar is larger. don't remember where that came from. no personal experience with bowfin, yet.

 

[shamrock]

A friend of my years ago ordered one from an online place called Jonah's-fish killed most of it's tankmates except a Dorado.

 

[Lepisosteus platyrhincus]

bowfin are aggressive from what i hear

 

[Gator]

i had heard that gar and bowfin are ok as long as the gar is larger. don't remember where that came from. no personal experience with bowfin, yet.

If you want other natives for gar tankmates then Bowfin are not good tankmates for gar or any other fish including other bowfin. They get very aggressive and territorial. They are the polar opposite of gar which is why they are a bad tankmate for them unless you have a tank like Bass Pro Shops does.

Bluegill are not the best tankmates either since they are also aggressive and territorial. Try Warmouth they look nicer than bluegill imo and much more docile.
Here is a pic of My warmouth with my gar.

The only drawback is their appetite. I try and target feed him first with krill, nightcrawler and pellets then feed the gar otherwise when I drop shiners and other minnows in the tank he will annihilate anything small and moving first and fill himself up before looking at the prepared foods. Stay away from anything that will fit in a gars mouth especially small catfish and shiny silver fish.

 

[Conner]

I had been looking at warmouth as a possibility, alongside a couple sunfish or bluegill. I don't think I'll be adding anything but the gars anytime soon.

What about pickerel?