Is this normal for a Gar?

[Lockheed]

I just got a 4-5" Gar sold to me as a Spotted Gar, but after reading a bit here, it's most likely a Florida.

Anyways, I just watched the lil guy go for 0/15 in his attempts to catch the 20 feeder guppies i have in the 30g tank with him before I lost patience and left haha. Dude sucks at hunting. I'm kinda worried now, something wrong with him?

 

[BIG-G]

Gar are better as ambush predators waiting till something comes really close before they strike. They aren’t usually very good at chasing. But the feeders can’t go anywhere so he will eventually get them.
I suggest trying to feed some cut fish filets instead of feeders.
It will help eliminate risks associated with live feeders.
It’s healthy for the gar and way more convenient than dealing with feeders.

 

[tlindsey]

Gar are better as ambush predators waiting till something comes really close before they strike. They aren’t usually very good at chasing. But the feeders can’t go anywhere so he will eventually get them.
I suggest trying to feed some cut fish filets instead of feeders.
It will help eliminate risks associated with live feeders.
It’s healthy for the gar and way more convenient than dealing with feeders.

^
This

 

[Lockheed]

Gar are better as ambush predators waiting till something comes really close before they strike. They aren’t usually very good at chasing. But the feeders can’t go anywhere so he will eventually get them.
I suggest trying to feed some cut fish filets instead of feeders.
It will help eliminate risks associated with live feeders.
It’s healthy for the gar and way more convenient than dealing with feeders.

Should I start the diet transition now? I read the sticky thread where people suggest feeding live food until 8", then transition them to prepared foods/pellets. It says they grow faster/better this way. Is it outdated info? I'm a newbie in keeping gar as you can tell.

 

[tlindsey]

Should I start the diet transition now? I read the sticky thread where people suggest feeding live food until 8", then transition them to prepared foods/pellets. It says they grow faster/better this way. Is it outdated info? I'm a newbie in keeping gar as you can tell.

Start now if he was chasing guppies means he/she is hungry.

 

[Lepisosteus]

I would personally agree with the old info. Keep him on feeders until he puts on some size. Young gars are picky eaters. New gar should be given time to adjust. No point starving a new fish. Wait a month or two. Fish don’t grow for s*** with pellets anyways. When he puts on some size and girth get him off feeders and onto frozen foods. When I had mine I fed them strictly thawed out shiners and smelts soaked in vitamins, they took to it immediately.

Depending on where you get your live food will vary the nutritional value. I used to get mine directly from the lake with minnow traps and dip nets, I used to feed them a few directly the rest would go into the freezer for 1 week at -8 Celsius to kill any potential parasites. I used to freeze the minnows in ziplock bags, air pressed out frozen in numbers of around 100 minnows per bag, flattened in the freezer so it could be snapped off easily. Soak in vitamin water then feed.