Tank for gars
- Thread starter Jakob
- Start date
demjor19;1541887; said:
exactly...and bowfin are cooler than snakeheads (if only for their relationship with gars, but they're cool fishes as well).
as for Asian arows...well, other than gars being cooler, this is the gar forum...so other species are generally irrelevant!!!
i wish we could get Cuban and tropical gars for cheaper than what they are now, but i am grateful to be in a state where gars are readily available, legal, and reasonably priced. i couldn't imagine paying the prices they are in Australia, Europe, etc. guess every state/country/continent has its advantages fish-wise though--
--solomon
E_americanus;1541983; said:exactly...and bowfin are cooler than snakeheads (if only for their relationship with gars, but they're cool fishes as well).
as for Asian arows...well, other than gars being cooler, this is the gar forum...so other species are generally irrelevant!!!
i wish we could get Cuban and tropical gars for cheaper than what they are now, but i am grateful to be in a state where gars are readily available, legal, and reasonably priced. i couldn't imagine paying the prices they are in Australia, Europe, etc. guess every state/country/continent has its advantages fish-wise though--
--solomon
do bowfin do well in aquaria? i have thought about it many of times, but havent kept one yet. they are pretty aggressive, correct? maybe this spring/summer i'll give one a shot.
anyway...yes this is the gar forum so all other fish have to take a close second on the priority list.
demjor19;1542135; said:
since bowfin are the closest group to gars, i think we're safe discussing your questions a bit here. if you have the spare tank space then i would definitely recommend trying a bowfin.
they are a highly durable fish...once they are about 5-6" long. when they are young they are highly susceptible to idiopathic death (a fancy word for unexplained death). i have kept several YOY but only managed to grow out a few. as they get larger they are more and more aggressive, so for a short time they can be kept with con-specifics, but once they hit that 5-6" stage i would separate them.
i have mine by itself in a highly vegetated tank (i've been running somewhat of an experiment with that tank in terms of plants and filtration, but more on that in a different thread...perhaps in a bowfin forum). anyway, once they get to that stable size they will eat any meaty food and do well in an unheated tank. they have poor eyesight but a very good sense of smell. males are smaller than females, and you can usually determine the difference within the first year or two...males retain a brightly ringed ocellus at the top of the caudal peduncle, females don't retain it, or just have a black spot (which fades with age). males also develop a bright fluorescent green underbelly/paired fins when in breeding season.
hope that helps with initial info, if you can get access to some i would recommend trying them out (note this is aimed mainly at you; as they are not appropriate for just anyone to try due to their challenges at early life stages).--
--solomon
E_americanus;1542202; said:
very helpful info solomon. what about an estimate on max aquaria size?
we are looking at getting a larger tank this summer...maybe we will have the space to try a bowfin then. do you know of any decent areas to collect them in OH?
demjor19;1542273; said:
hey jordan,
i don't know specific areas in ohio, but you could look at some distribution maps available online or from a field guide (i like peterson's best) and from there just look into highly vegetated areas of streams, lakes, and ponds...even large rivers. wetland sections of those areas are also good spots to look for YOY.
as for size in captivity...i can't say for sure (at least from my own experience) as i have only kept bowfin for a couple years at a time, but from what i have discussed /read/heard from others 18-20" is probably a good estimate. this is based on upper-midwest populations...the genetics of southern populations may be different and this could play into their size/growth. the biggest female bowfin i have seen in the wild was around 24", with big males being around 20" tops...and i've sampled a lot of wild bowfin.
raising one up in captivity will likely lead to a smaller size (than wild max...which is reported to be 44"...although i've never seen one 3' long), and assuming you are keeping it by itself, a 70g tank (18" wide) should accommodate the fish well for several years if not life. if you went with a 24" wide tank you should definitely be set. hope that helps!--
--solomon
E_americanus;1542325; said:
here is a 30" bowfin that my girlfriends brother caught in out of a lake in new york state. from what her brother and father have told me the average bowfin caught there is between 28-30 inches. larger ones pushing 36".
ive been trying to downsize solomon, but i think you are selling me on getting a bowfin...it sounds like a challenge that i'm up to. do you and richard ever go on collection trips for bowfin? possibly i could tag along sometime?
