hujeta (silver/rocket) gar feeding problem

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
M

m1ste2tea

Jack Dempsey
MFK Member
Nov 17, 2009
1,086
1
38
Syracuse, NY
So yesterday I bought a 4 inch hujeta gar from my trusty LFS who have said that it eats feeder guppies. At the store the gar was in a tank with african cichlids so I figured he'd do just fine in my 55 gal juvi cichlid tank. I transferred him to the tank and tried to feed him the guppies and instead the cichlids tore those things up before the gar even had a chance. I am worried about him, I have read that they are usually docile fish, but the gar is just not being active, wont go after the feeders, and is looking quite thin and starved. I looked him over and he has no visible signs of sickness, just swims sporadically at the surface like he's supposed to. I also have a 5 inch Senegal Bichir in the tank and the only way I can get for him to eat his food before the cichlids get to it is if I give it to him at night when the cichlids are "sleeping".

this brings me to a few questions;
1. are the hujeta gars nocturnal hunters? can I do the same feeding regime as with the bichir?

2. why the hell are my acei cichlids(mbuna herbivorous) eating live guppies??

3. is the skinniness of the gar a real problem or is it normal for such a small gar?

4. is there any food that I can feed the gar that the cichlids wont eat?

5. the tank is planted and is soon going to get a 108 watt T5 HO fixture. I did not plan on having a gar(just had to get him) should I put some floating plants for him or driftwood? is it necessary considering that even with a 108 watt, the 55 gallon setup is still considered low light?

thanks
 
As long as the cichlids are not bullying the hujeta then just give it some time to settle in. And it will eat the guppies.

I had all of mine in a 55 with a 130watt pc light and they did fine and quickl out grew the tank.
 
  • Like
Reactions: fishmarket
yeah wait for the Hujeta to adjust to the tank, As for the bichir problem, are you feeding sinking pellets to the cichlid? my brother has Africans (mbuna,haps,frontosas) with his Bichir and the bichir eats the sinking cichlid pellet too! Try that along with feeding at night since Bichir are nocturnal. If you havent yet.

2. why the hell are my acei cichlids(mbuna herbivorous) eating live guppies?? Most of the time big fish eat small fish, even if they're herbivorous. Not necessary good for them though.
 
Okay, thanks for the info people. I feed the cichlids a wide variety of foods, sinking, floating pellets, flakes, I mix some spirulina flakes with commercially sold veggie flakes and make my own sinking flakes. They don't like the taste of the spirulina flakes by themselves but gobble up the mixed ones.


I attached some fake floating plants for the gar, he seems to hover underneath it most of the time. I saw the gar excrete some waste this morning, still no luck with the eating. I had a panic attack this morning and put the gar into the 10 gallon tank that houses only the guppies, it probably did more harm than anything because he ignore the guppies altogether.
 
the gars are a schooling fish, so in order to make it more comfortable you should have gotten more than just one. i have two gars, a senegal, and a raphael cat in my 55. he was skittish before but with a tank mate he's absolutely fine. when i introduced him he was in the tank alone however and ate feeder guppies that day.
 
the only place i've found them are at my LFS, however they usually keep them stocked, i'd wait a week and i'm sure they'll have more in.
 
mine thoroughly enjoys freeze dried blood worms, he has had problems with pellets being hard to swallow, i've also seen him take down goldfish flakes as well. Good luck with your fish, i've enjoyed mine. he most deffinately is a monster on a budget, he eats anything and is quick to strike as weaker fish haha.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
MonsterFishKeepers.com
Top Bottom