gator gar mouth size and tank mates

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equidae9854

Candiru
MFK Member
Nov 14, 2006
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I've got an 18" gator gar, and I'm trying to decide what size fish that I'd be able to put with it. It's not aggressive at all, and the previous owners supposedly fed it a vegetarian diet?? (boiled zucchini, etc.).

Anyways, I've got a 180 gal with 5-7" synodontis cats and 8-10" leporinus, and I'm definitely too scared to try mixing them.

Is there a rule of thumb as to how wide a gar can open its mouth, or what proportion of their body size they can eat?

Also, if the tank mate situation doesn't end up working out, I'd definitely consider selling the monster. How much do gars this size go for, anyways? I see like 6" gator gars go for about $65, maybe once a year...
 
the rule for gators, well not really a rule, is that they shouldnt be housed with tankmates due to their aggressiveness. if they cant eat it they kill it. i would take him off your hands but i dont have the room.
 
thanks.
yeah, i started reading some of the older threads here and that seems to be the general consensus... oh man, i'm so bummed cuz he's really neat. so far, he's with two 12" lima shovelnose cats and two 12" knives, and he stays away from them.
 
an adonis pleco is the only thing i can think of. they have a heavy bone structure on their back to protect him and also grow quickly. the only thing is he will outgrow a 180 quickly. especially if it is a true gator gar. in the wild they grow up to 10', just looking it up on the internet. GL. if u decide to keep it and it is a gator gar get a 1000g tank so you can keep him for a while
 
"I've got an 18" gator gar, and I'm trying to decide what size fish that I'd be able to put with it. It's not aggressive at all, and the previous owners supposedly fed it a vegetarian diet?? (boiled zucchini, etc.)."

Lol, gotta see it to believe it - gar eating vegies ^^ lol


"Is there a rule of thumb as to how wide a gar can open its mouth, or what proportion of their body size they can eat?"

From my experience, anything 2/3 of gars body depth and 3/4 of length is a fair game when gator is hungry
 
city_of_evil6661;2175151; said:
the rule for gators, well not really a rule, is that they shouldnt be housed with tankmates due to their aggressiveness. if they cant eat it they kill it. i would take him off your hands but i dont have the room.
Click to expand...

Perhaps mines are exceptions, but they are living with an oscar and two RTCs (and recently an arapaima). See link below: http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=166873&page=4

not even torn fins ... so it is a gamble really. Housing gar with catfish (that is smaller) is risky for both: cat can be eaten ... gar can choke on the spines. I would say a grown Oscar (7"+) would be OK with his 18" gar. If the tank is large enough, then any fast swimming tank mate got a good chance too
 
I don't know much about gator gars but have heard stories of their bad temper. I have heard a gator gar killing an alligator.
 
catman;2178053; said:
I don't know much about gator gars but have heard stories of their bad temper. I have heard a gator gar killing an alligator.
Click to expand...


ive heard theres a 46' anaconda in my back yard hehe! j/k well that is possible if your talking about an adult gar(like 6'+) and a juvy alligator or somewhere in that range.


from my observation in my gar. he would bully hes tankmates whenever theres no more food. heres one more thing that i observed, if the fish can give a good fish he wont go for it. i have 2 oscars with my gar he would mess with them and my newly introduced aba2 can fit in his mouth but he doesnt bugg it but he would tear the pleco(he has now recovered) in your case a vegetarian gar(i would love to see this) i guess you can get your hope up high. try introducing him usually incompatibility will occur in the first 5 hours.
 
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