looks awsome but chiclids and gars dont go well together because they increase the chances of the gar getting scared and breaking its back by running into the sides of the tanks
I did read about broken backs but these are geophagus cichlids so they are peaceful. That is why they are in with the rays which are also easliy bullied. If the geos get too much then I will move them to another tank.
Small gar in a big tank is sometimes a serious problem. I personally feel you do not have that problem given the info presented so far. Fish are feeding well and seem to be rather well adapted to the tank. Just keep an eye on them and be cautious and your doing OK.
if a gar has too much room to run...they often times will dart into the glass causing spinal problems and more often than not...death. as said above...just be cautious and keep an eye on the fish.
Husbandry of these fish is a bit different from the conventional ideas you would use with many other species. Big tanks can indeed be a bad thing with these fish... so can too small of a tank. Trick is to keep it balanced.