Transferring gars?

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bbenjamin21

Gambusia
MFK Member
May 10, 2010
423
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New York
Tonight I will be transferring my 2 florida gars for the first time since I first got them and acclimated them to the tank by doing the bag method. They are about a foot maybe a lil longer. I do not have bags large enough so I plan on putting them in a 5 gallon bucket for the trip to the other tank. I'm so used to having to be so careful due to owning a stingray, so my question is. Knowing gars are very hardy is it ok just to net them out of the bucket and put them in the new tank?

Thank you, Steve
 
if the water params are the same, i usually just net from one tank to another. i find that the reduced stress from that method as compared to the whole process of transferring from net to bucket to net to tank is preferable.
 
Should be fine. I think being in a 5g bucket while acclimating is much more stressful than dumping it into the tank without acclimating.
 
I cannot just do net to net. The tanks are about 25 min apart. And the parameters of the tanks are not exact. The nitrates are lower in the tank they are going to and the kh hardness is better in the new tank also. And I dont want the other tanks water going into the new tank.
 
given your last post then the bucket method will be fine. nitrates and kh hardness (don't know what your definition of "better" is, but the gar won't care) don't affect gars much at all, so they are of little concern (especially with lower nitrates).

i would put the gars in the bucket, take them to the new tank, then just make sure the temps are the same or that the new tank is warmer than bucket water (bucket water temp upon arrival, not initially) and you'll be fine. unless they are on really long trips, i stopped acclimating gars with extended processes a long time ago--
--solomon
 
Ok thank you. I mean better by nitrates on old tank are like 40 and new tank is 10. And kh hardness on old tank I've had a problem with dropping in 2 days after wc's. And new tank has been nice and steady at 4 for awhile now. I'll be doing in about 3 hours from now, I'll let everyone know how it goes. Thanks again

Steve
 
Buckets should be fine, although a rubbermaid bin or something similar would give them more space.
 
I'm looking to move my two alligator gars (16" or so) into a 6000gal pond, hopefully sometime this weekend. I was planning, one Gar per sytrofoam box with water and air stone via portable pump for each. Of course, will secure the lids in case they do attempt to jump during the drive. It can be as quick as 30mins tank to pond but to allow for comfortable journey perhaps closer to 50min tank to pond so as not to stress them out I guess.

My main concern is actually netting those buggers. Damn, they have grown heaps in past 6 months and although they move out of my way during water changes, they can get a bit unsettled if I take too long (eg: bigger wc or rearranging the driftwood and rocks when they were smaller - now tank has no plants etc so they have maximum space to grow out). Don't know how they will react and what sort of strength they will exert while struggling at this size.

Any thoughts to share from previous experiences? Thanks in advance.

BTW, they'd have been unfed for total of 2 days if moved tomorrow arvo or 3 days if moved on Sunday arvo. But this weekend definitely they're moving to their bigger crib.
 
Move went fine. Still sitting on the bottom but look to be fine when I walked to up the tank this morning they swam up to the glass. I'll feed when I get home from work.
 
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