So I'm feeding the fish last night as usual, and as usual my cichlids (uaru, chocolate, convicts) are at the front of the line. I generally start out feeding pellets as the cichlids eat them, so I feed pellets to take the edge off their hunger as if not they tend to hog all the krill which is what my gar and poly like. So I'm feeding the pellets and the cichlids eat them and calm down a bit, and then I switch over to f/d krill. Well here comes my gar (he's about 14" give or take) to get some, and my uaru decides he'd like some also. Well boom, the gar swings around and grabs the uaru (pushing 12") by the tail. Uaru's tail looks kind of like the fringe on those old 70s leather jackets, you know the ones I mean? It's already started to heal up but still, I just got a glimpse of what can happen. I imagine if I had more persistent food-hogs like oscars I'd see more of this type of little flare-up. I think feeding the cichlids things my gar doesn't like (pellets, f/d earthworms) helps with this, but it was something to see what my otherwise very laid back gar is capable of when annoyed.
Oh, so THAT'S why you shouldn't keep gar with cichlids
- Thread starter CTU2fan
- Start date
often times it's the gar that will get hurt in these scenarios, but some gar will put up a good fight over food. what happened in your tank isnt really our reason for saying they are poor tankmates for one another. our reason is more focused on the health and well being of the gar. cichlids in general are a little too aggressive and outgoing to be good tankmates with gar.