Is this normal?

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

iManipulate

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Mar 14, 2009
175
0
0
Montreal, Quebec
I have an 8" spotted gar I got about a month and a half ago. He eats good, gets along with all the other fish. He's in a 38x20x18 (60gal) for now.

The question I have is, he had a lump on his head... it kind of looks like it could be nothing but I'm new to gars and preds in general. I thought it was normal until my smaller gar got around the same size Charlie started to get the lump. Please someone tell me its normal and I'm just overreacting.

picture.php


picture.php
 
That's indeed a lump, and I couldn't tell you what it is...
Not normal, though.
I'm sure the experts will chime in soon, and explain what's happening!
 
It might be me but the whole fish looks lumpy from the 1st pic. First thing you need to do is stop feeding goldfish, go to bait shops or your local store and get some fatheads (rosey reds) quarantine them and then get a stick and try and train him to eat prepared foods like Market shrimp. Put the shrimp on the stick and move it around in front of his face till he accepts it, it could take a few tries but after a while you wont need the stick. Before you know it he'll be eating freeze dried krill and pellets. For sick gar Medications are a LAST RESORT bump up the water temp to about 80*F and add a tsp of salt for every 10 gallons. As for this specific case I have no idea as I said when I look at the pic the whole silhouette of its back looks like its lumpy.
 
Might only be a bent spine........

Stop feeding them goldfish. Get him used to pellets. Floating pellets.
 
Yeah its not just on his head, its the entire lengthf is body. I raely feed him goldfish, maybe once a week. He eats rosies all the time.

I have the pellets he's just so offend when I try and feed them to him. Any more tips on how to get him to eat other foods?
 
just keep tryin. lol. thats how i got mine to eat. feed him feeders and every now and then drop in some other food. eventually he will take it
 
Freeze dried krill is the first prepared food any of my gar would take. I guess because its a similar shape and color to rosies.
 
my 12" just started to eat tilapia fillets... i figured that being that fish fillets would have a similar sent as live fish and tast the same it would be the smallest leap to get it to make...took me a long time but it finaly took them now it even takes them off the bottom and its only day 2 of non-live foods
 
I read that some people even feed them salmon, and ground beef. I was thinking of doing this for my gars. How should I cook the ground beef, boil it? Should I cook the tilapia, salmone etc, or feed it raw?

I wanted to try feeding him shrimp, but I'm allergic to them lol. So I'd rather not deal with it. Any other types of food I can get him into?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
MonsterFishKeepers.com
Top Bottom