Need Help for a Gar tank setup

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FishPrincess

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Dec 22, 2009
139
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NYC /Orlando FL
Hey there Im a new Spotted Gar mama,

He is 6 inches long and I have a 200 Gallon Tank- I just got him today as a gift along with a gallon tank for him. I want to know what would be the ideal set up as far as salt, temp etc. I currently have him in a 50 gallon until i do a full tank setup in the 200 (i dount he's gonna grow in a day). I do know he's a labryinth (lol Sp?) fish he breathes air. he has been eating well he ate a few minnows. and is actively swimming around.

So guys any help is appreciated :) thank you :)
 
The 50 gallon tank will (should) last you a few months. I had one in a 55g (48x12) for about 3 months before he started needing more space.

What dimensions are the 200g? That should probably be good for him for life, as long as its not less than 24" deep (front to back).

Right now just focus on keeping him eating daily, with live feeder fish. Native minnows are good, as are rosy reds. If you can't get anything else, you can use feeder comet goldfish without any (that I know of) ill effects.

Once he's put on a little size and it eating well for you, you can start trying other foods, such as market shrimp, tilapia fillet, freeze dried krill, and pellets. Make sure to chop everything up into pieces small enough for him to eat (no bigger than a feeder he can swallow).

One trick that helps with training them to new foods is to use a feeding stick or tongs. You can start by feeding him feeders from the stick/tongs, and once he starts to equate the stick/tongs with food, try offering shrimp or tilapia. He may not take it immediately, but he'll get the idea eventually.

As for salt/temp, no need to add any salt. These are native fish that prefer pure freshwater. Some salt won't hurt, but it isn't necessary to add. As for temp, anywhere from 65-85F is probably fine. The warmer the temps, the more he will eat and the faster his metabolism will be. Just be sure you keep him well fed for the first few months, because if he doesn't get enough to eat, he could become stunted.

Gars are great fish, and you'll be happy with (and addicted to) him in no time. Be sure to post pictures!
 
its about 84 1/2 inch by 24 1/2 inch by 24 3/4 inches high. as per my cousin's words.. thanks for the advice. He is currently on a rosy red minnow diet, Thanks for letting me know the "feeding trick..lol" And the warm welcome. Im glad to have him apart of my life.. and meet special fish addicted friends too :) thanks a bunch. here are some pics of the "lil" guy. I want to do everything i can to keep him happy and healthy :)


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gars1.jpg

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Moved to gar forum, youll get more traffic here.
Oh and BTW your tank is a 210
;)
 
Ah thank you for clearing that up..lol hey all i know its the biggest decoration in my living room..lol
 
WELCOME TO MFK!! and u have a gar so now ur addicted. sorry. someone should have warned u. lol
Looks like a nice florida gar. i think conner coverd just about everything! Ull find they are the best fish. lol
 
Thank you for the welcome :)

yep fully in love with him-- is he a florida? im not sure what he is, I was told he's a spotted..lol you guys would know better, just as long as i dont have a huge (ex-gator gar) problem on my hands..lol he's eating well, actively swimming and hiding. I am setting his large tank up tomorrow..lol but right now he's a tiny lil guy, smart too he already associated me with food, he sees me and waits till i drop in some minnows.. and eats them up. I have the tank at a warm 79 degrees and the filter doing its job.

I was wondering should i add some real plants in there or just the floating plants.. or none..lol thanks again for the help you guys.
 
He's definitely a Florida gar. They are commonly called spotted gars at the fish stores, because they don't really make a distinction. Spotted gars are rare, and usually only wild caught from states other than Florida. If its LFS bought, then its almost 100% likely a Florida gar.

They will definitely associate you with food :). Mine start eying me the second I walk up to the tank, and several of them move up to hover right under the surface. I can hand feed pieces of shrimp and fish, but I just drop in the smaller stuff. I got bit on the end of the finger once, and it stings like crazy!

As for plants, you want as much open swimming space as possible, since they aren't the most agile of fish. You also want to leave most, if not all, of the surface open since they do need to be able to breath air. If you want to add plants, just place them around the sides and back of the tank, leaving the middle and front open. This will help prevent him from running into the glass walls, and possibly help him feel more secure in the tank.
 
awesome thanks for the info, you guys are so helpful i guess he's a FL. Gar then :) either way his name is JAWS. it goes with him, yet he's a gentle guy..lol
 
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