A LFS near me has a 2ft lungfish with 1 eye (that part is not important, just interesting). They say hes eating and healthy. No further info on species. My question is, how will it do with a 7" Alligator Gar? The tank is a 7x2x2 220g. I'm a bit worried the gar may become lunch. I'm pretty antsy to go buy this beast, its only 29.99.
Need some quick advice before I purchase my first lung
- Thread starter KirbyM
- Start date
High risk investment...my annectens (wich by ALL probabilities this is too) attacked everything in its tank, including pump inlet and outlet, thermo, net, human hands, roots etc. Some are calm for years but this can change overnight...read in Jurassic Fishes about one killing a arapaima of same size.
risky both ways. either the lung kills the gar now or the gar outpaces the lung in a year and kills it. no go in my book.
Seems like everyone has a different experience with them, depends on the fish personality. Unfortunately there's no way I'll know until it gets in my tank. But for 30 bucks...REAL hard to say no. I guess I'll do some more reading online and wait for some more responses. Thank both of you who have responded so far!
I had one for years, got very large, then gave him to my fav LFS when I had to move 1/2 country away, who sold it immediately. It was so amazing and very healthy. IMO they should be kept alone or with several others of the same kind and size in a gigantic tank. Just my opinion. They are eating machines. They are cool and their health should be priority. I see them once in a while on the net with all sorts of other fish and can't believe it. Risky. I think that as they grow, in those tanks, the owner will slowly (or quickly) find fish gone in the morning when they turn on the lights. I'd say get it and quickly put it in another tank. There are really good buys at Petsmart. Just keep upgrading the tank. Petsmart has tanks up to 150 in my area. When I move, they only have tanks up to 75. Long post, but trying to support you and tell you to get a cheap good tank and you will need to upgrade as it grows. I wish I could get my old one back. They have a great one in my lfs and it's killing me. But I'd need to get yet another tank and it would be a species only tank. Oh no, I'm losing my will power....
Thank you Bichir Chic! First off I really appreciate the detailed response. My main concern now is its current health, the LFS isnt known for its cleanliness.
So, lets assume the Lung is actually 2ft (like the owner says), could it feasibly eat a 7 inch Gar? I have read/seen videos of their giant mouths but have no experience with it in person. It will probably be a month or so until I can get it another tank to live in. The upside, the tank it will be going in for now is a 7x2x2 220g. Lots of space for the gar to hide if need be.
Again, I really appreciate everyones help and I will be taking every bit of advice into account before I decide to purchase or not.
So, lets assume the Lung is actually 2ft (like the owner says), could it feasibly eat a 7 inch Gar? I have read/seen videos of their giant mouths but have no experience with it in person. It will probably be a month or so until I can get it another tank to live in. The upside, the tank it will be going in for now is a 7x2x2 220g. Lots of space for the gar to hide if need be.
Again, I really appreciate everyones help and I will be taking every bit of advice into account before I decide to purchase or not.
I wouldn't trust a lungfish with any fish that I care about. The chances, even in a large tank, of it biting or killing another fish is high. It will happen eventually. Keeping it with your gar is rolling the dice.
Matt
Matt
Well, I'm all for you adopting and saving the lungfish. They are a totally cool fish and I'm actually getting another one soon, even moving soon, but this time I"m not giving it up! I miss my old one but the lfs that I did business for 10 years sold it to a good man who knows fish and was super excited. Mine at the time was at least 5 years old and LARGE. I did keep him in a smallish tank for his size only because throughout the years he never was a mover and I did water changes weekly with over filtration of 3 - 400 series fluval plus 2 hanging filters and large air stone - so the tanks was fine.
No one can say if your other fish will be ok. I just had my Senegal (he is even smallish) and I've had him for 3 years now, take a chunk out of a large tetra whom I put in another tank. My predators (in this tank) have never attacked anything - so this was a first - yesterday. So, it can happen at anytime and mostly when you are the most comfortable that nothing will happen and your predators really aren't that predacious at all.....
I'm still for you trying - but don't be surprised if a bite happens. And with lung fish you won't see it happen, it will be at night or something like that...you or the prey will never see it coming.
But I'm all for good fish keepers taking on the most odd balls out there. I love lung fish! They are really super cool.
No one can say if your other fish will be ok. I just had my Senegal (he is even smallish) and I've had him for 3 years now, take a chunk out of a large tetra whom I put in another tank. My predators (in this tank) have never attacked anything - so this was a first - yesterday. So, it can happen at anytime and mostly when you are the most comfortable that nothing will happen and your predators really aren't that predacious at all.....
I'm still for you trying - but don't be surprised if a bite happens. And with lung fish you won't see it happen, it will be at night or something like that...you or the prey will never see it coming.
But I'm all for good fish keepers taking on the most odd balls out there. I love lung fish! They are really super cool.
Also - what you could do is over feed your tank, doing daily siphoning of left over food, to make sure he's well fed until you move him, but that still doesn't guarantee. Could you do a tank divider until you re-home? Just ideas. No guarantees.
And don't think you can hand feed him. I got mine when he was teeny tiny and hand fed him a long time...until one day ....CHOMP...and then he was clamped onto my hand and I thought I was gonna lose a finger and to get him off I had to instinctively yank my arm out and over and he fell onto the flow and then while bleeding (no biggie really just shocking) I had to get him back into the tank. When he did this he was not teeny tiny btw. He was very large and I still thought he was my teeny tiny baby I could hand feed but he was a voracious adult who just smelled good food.
Just to show you what kind of fun they can be - but really, they are fun...
And do a lot of research just to make yourself comfortable. In my opinion anyone who can keep a large gar comfortably can more than easily handle a lung fish. I have odd balls and love cool fish but I've never had the guts to get a gar....
Just to show you what kind of fun they can be - but really, they are fun...
And do a lot of research just to make yourself comfortable. In my opinion anyone who can keep a large gar comfortably can more than easily handle a lung fish. I have odd balls and love cool fish but I've never had the guts to get a gar....