• We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo

MUST READ - The Gar CAPTIVE CARE Guide

xander

xander

Manjuari
MFK Member
Welcome to the MFK Garmy:

Where learning and discussion take priority over showing off, “pushing the envelope” and attention whoring. If you are looking for a show fish to impress your buddies, look pretty or to get attention, this is the wrong place and these are the wrong fish for you.

Also, before you post your first (or next) question, take some time to read the following paragraph.

An unfortunate trend I’ve noticed about people researching before buying a fish or attempting a combination is that they have already made a decision prior to doing research or asking questions. These people will discard all evidence or responses that are contradictory to their decision, and instead jump on the first response that compliments it (their decision) – no matter how unreliable. This is really an asinine thing to do, so if you are going to post or ask questions, do so with an open mind and be aware that there are members who work with these fish on a professional level who really know their stuff.

That being said, we hope members can post constructively and take active participation in increasing/improving the information we have about these fishes on the site. We also encourage developing interesting ideas for learning, or just for fun. So don’t be shy with your suggestions.

Other than that, welcome to the addiction, it’s going to be a hell of a ride.


Xander
 
Author(s): Xander (Alexander Eng)
Photos by: Xander
Edited, Arranged, and Referenced by Xander

*** All Information & Images Copyright 2010 Alexander Eng and www.MonsterFishKeepers.com OR used with permission. No material (listed above) may be reproduced without permission.

Information

5194061537_a5600d9f6c_z.jpg


Order:
Lepisosteiformes

Family:
Lepisosteidae

Genus:

Lepisosteus
Lepisosteus oculatus – Spotted Gar
Lepisosteus osseus – Longnose Gar
Lepisosteus platostomus – Shortnose Gar
Lepisosteus platyrhincus – Florida Gar

Atractosteus
Atractosteus tropicus – Tropical Gar
Atractosteus tristoechus – Cuban Gar
Atractosteus spatula – Alligator Gar

Distribution:
“Eastern North America (from southern Quebec) to Costa Rica; Cuba” (Fishbase.org)

Description:
Lepisosteidae are primitive fish that have been unchanged for 75 million years. They have elongated bodies and jaws and are clad with thick, overlapping Ganiod scales. Gars have a vascularised swim bladder that acts as a lung. This allows them to survive in poorly oxygenated waters. The flesh of Lepisosteidae is edible although the roe is toxic.

Captive Care Guide

Suggested Husbandry:

Growth Rate:
To be updated, relevant threads to the topic of tank sizes are listed in the reference list below.

Water Parameters:
Although gars are hardy fish and can tolerate poor conditions, it is no excuse to provide said conditions. In order to responsibly care for your fish, one should provide clean, stable water conditions for these fishes.

Gars are air-breathers, and thus there isn’t the need to add much extra aeration. They also prefer slow moving waters and turbulent conditions result in stress.

Tankmates:
Gar are pretty gape limited in the sense that they can only swallow prey items that are as wide as their snout width. However, that does not mean that they won't attempt to take down prey items too large for them to eat. This is especially so for streamline or shiny fishes.

Other than that, it is pretty species specific, refer to individual species guide for more.

References:

Fishbase.org

Monsterfishkeepers.com

Zoo Lab

Special Thanks:

To Solomon (E_americanus) and Richard (Polypterus/Pejelagarto) for all the help along the way, and because the main sources for these Garticles were from them
 
Author(s): Wiggles92 (Ryan Bing), Xander (Alexander Eng), Madding (Michael Morgan)
Photos by: Xander
Edited, Arranged, and Referenced by Wiggles92 & Xander

*** All Information & Images Copyright 2010 Ryan Bing et al. and www.MonsterFishKeepers.com OR used with permission. No material (listed above) may be reproduced without permission.

5248109502_2ddf166412_b.jpg


Species Information

Scientific Name:
Lepisosteus osseus

Common Name(s):
Longnose gar, Needlenose gar

Distribution:
North America and Central America: along the coasts and inland from Quebec to Northern Mexico (Encyclopedia of Life)

Description:
The longnose gar is most easily identified by its long, narrow snout and slender body. Longnose gars have the longest and most narrow snout of all gar species. Longnose Gars are also the most slender among the 7 species of gar, especially when under 18". specimens over 2' have been noted to get quite thick.

L. osseus have highly variable body and head patterns. The pattern is more pronounced in individuals from clearer water than the pattern of individuals from more turbid waters. These fish have two rows of teeth, but only the outer row of teeth is prominent.

Males mature at two to three years of age and a length of about 24”, and females mature at three to four years of age and a length of 28” or more.

Comments:
In the wild, these fish are the most common and widespread of the seven species of gar.

Captive Care Guide

Average Captive Max Size:
24” – 36”

Average Captive Growth Rate:
Age: YOY
You can expect very rapid growth rates during the gar’s first few months of life (2” per month or more) after which growth slows down considerably. Expect your longnose gar to attain a length of at least 12” during the first year with a length in excess of 16” being possible, too.

Age: Two years
Growth is much slower during the second year. Expect your longnose gar to be at least 18” after the second year.

Age: Three years and up
Growth slows greatly from this point forward.


Suggested Husbandry:

Tank Size:
Follow the step up rule of thumb for a growing fish. For an adult specimen, nothing under 3’ wide or 5’ (or 6’, depending on the size of the fish in question) long is advisable.

The rule of thumb for minimum tank size when it comes to these fishes is for one to gauge what amount of space is comfortable for the fish using good sense, and ask questions when in doubt.

Longnose gars are especially susceptible to broken backs (not so much as shortnose gars but still considerably more often when compared to other gars), so it is especially important to carefully monitor young gar and house them in appropriatly sized tanks ie; follow the step up rule carefully, if you wish to successfully keep L.osseus.

Water Parameters:
Longnose gars are insensitive to most water conditions. One does not have to have much aeration as they are air breathers. A moderate pH is recommended, though others (whether notably low or high) can be tolerated. Remember to keep up on water changes and have abundant filtration in order to deal with the excessive waste left over by these large predators.

Tankmates:
Longnose gars are compatible with an assortment appropriately-sized tankmates. Recommended tankmates include bichirs, South American lungfish, Australian lungfish, African arowana, and other gar species. Avoid silvery fish (characins, etc.) and slime-sucking fish (suckermouth catfish, etc.). Be sure to watch for any aggression between the fish during the first few days in order to see if the fish can share their aquarium in relative peace.

Longnose gars are especially susceptible to broken backs (not so much as shortnose gars but still considerably more often when compared to other gars), so it is especially important not to have aggressive or boisterous tankmates if you wish to successfully keep L.osseus. Diet:
Small YOY longnose gars (under 2”) tend to be picky eaters and require a constant food supply, so provide them with mosquito larvae, small fish fry, and small crustaceans such as Daphnia (water fleas) in order to get them eating. Once the young gars exceed 2” feed them live foods such as feeder guppies and rosy reds, but try to wean them off of these foods and give them small pieces of fish fillet, market shrimp, or beef heart in order to transition them to a prepared diet. You may also want to eventually try to get them to accept pellets in order to provide an even more balanced diet. Be sure to quarantine any live foods that you give your gars.


References:

Encyclopedia of Life


Fishbase.org:



Lepisosteidae.net:



ODNR Division of Wildlife:


 
Author(s): Xander (Alexander Eng),Wiggles92 (Ryan Bing) & Madding (Michael Morgan)
Photos by: Conner (Conner Means)
Edited, Arranged, and Referenced by Wiggles92 & Xander

*** All Information & Images Copyright 2010 Alexander Eng and www.MonsterFishKeepers.com OR used with permission. No material (listed above) may be reproduced without permission.

Species Information

5400923205_648361e67f_b.jpg


Scientific Name:
Lepisosteus platostomus

Common Name(s):
Shortnose gar

Distribution:
North America: USA in Mississippi River basin from south central Ohio, north Indiana, and Wisconsin to Montana and south to north Alabama and Louisiana; Lake Michigan drainage, Wisconsin; Calcasieu and Mermentau rivers on Louisiana Gulf Coast (NatureServe 2011).

Description:
The shortnose gar is most easily identified by its lack of spots on head or body, but spotted individuals occasionally found from clear water habitats. The snout of larger specimens are shorter and broader than that of the longnose gar and spotted gar. However, smaller specimens have narrower snouts that get broader with time and growth. The caudal peduncle is shorter than that of the longnose gar. These fish have two rows of teeth, but only the outer row of teeth is prominent.

Comments:
These gars are extremely skittish and are known to break their backs and/or jump out of uncovered aquariums. Mortality rates of captive specimens seem to be relatively high compared to other species'.

Captive Care Guide

Average Captive Max Size:
24”

Average Captive Growth Rate:
Age: YOY
Shortnose gars have been noted to have the greatest yoy growth rates; 6"ers put on 2-3" per month. You can expect your shortnose gar to hit 12” - 15" during the first year. It is not unheard of for shortnose gars to reach 17” - 18" during their first year either.

Age: Two years
Growth is much slower during the second year. Expect your shortnose gar to be at least 20” after the second year.

Age: Three years and up
Growth slows greatly from this point forward.

Suggested Husbandry:

Tank Size:
Follow the step up rule of thumb for a growing fish. For an adult (20" and above) specimen, nothing under 30" wide and 5’ (or 6’, depending on the size of the fish in question) long is advisable.

The rule of thumb for minimum tank size when it comes to these fishes is for one to gauge what amount of space is comfortable for the fish using good sense, and ask questions when in doubt.

A good platostomus tank needs to be tailored to its needs. It is not unheard to add sponge or soft rubber paddings on the sides of the tank to absorb the impact and reduce the chance of death when these fish spook out and ram into tank walls.

Water Parameters:
Shortnose gars are insensitive to most water conditions. One does not have to have much aeration as they are air breathers. A moderate pH is recommended, though others (whether notably low or high) can be tolerated. Remember to keep up on water changes and have abundant filtration in order to deal with the excessive waste left over by these large predators.

Tankmates:
Shortnose gars are compatible with an assortment appropriately-sized tankmates. Recommended tankmates include bichirs, South American lungfish, Australian lungfish, and other gar species.

References:

Fishbase.org:



Lepisosteidae.net:



NatureServe 2011:



ODNR Division of Wildlife:


 
Author(s): Mrwinkle (Rodney Terrell) , Madding (Michael Morgan) , Xander (Alexander Eng)
Photos by:
Edited, Arranged, and Referenced by Mrwinkle & Xander

*** All Information & Images Copyright 2010 Rodney Terrell et al. & ww.MonsterFishKeepers.com OR used with permission. No material (listed above) may be reproduced without permission.

5464250472_2318380f31_b.jpg


Species Information

Scientific Name:
Lepisosteus platyrhincus

Common Name(s):
Florida Gar

Distribution:
North America: USA from Savannah River drainage, Georgia to Ocklockonee River drainage, Florida and Georgia; throughout the peninsular Florida (Fishbase.org)

Description:
The Florida Gar has dark, irregular spots that cover its snout, head, body and fins (It is often incorrectly refered to as spotted gar because of this.) It has an olive to gray coloration running from its snout, back, and down its upper sides. This is met by a yellow to white lower half and belly. Keep in mind this varies due to individual fish and its environment. Lepisosteus Platyrinchus has a shorter, broader snout and stockier body when compared to Lepisosteus Oculatus. L.Platyrinchus also lacks the bony scales on the throat that are present on L.Oculatus.

Comments:
The Florida gar is the most aqua-cultured gar in all the species of gar; therefore, making it the most common and most widely available gar; and, best suited for beginner gar keepers. However, because of this extensive aqua-culturing; genetic abnormalities, tumors and other side effects are seen more often in Florida Gar. However, this depends greatly on location because wild caught specimens are quite common in the trade also.


Captive Care Guide

Average Captive Max Size:
Approximately 18” – 22”

Average Captive Growth Rate:
Expect YOY (young of the year) specimens to grow quickly to 9-12” and then plateau. 2 year old specimens tend to reach 16" and above. After several years growth rate will be drastically slower the closer the gar gets to its ~ max size.

Suggested Husbandry:

Tank Size:
Follow the step up rule of thumb for a growing fish. Upgrade tanks along with the growing gar to prevent broken backs. Do not start too big with a YOY gar, and do not end in a tank too small when keeping adults. For an adult specimen, nothing under 2’ wide and 5’ long is advisable. While the footprint of the tank is what really matters, adult, captive Florida gars will generally need at least a 180g > aquarium.

Water Parameters:
Lepisosteus Platyrinchus is insensitive to most water conditions. One does not have to have much aeration as they are air breathers. A moderate pH is recommended, though others (whether notably low or high) can be tolerated. Most gars are very resilient to water conditions (with the exception of the pH sensitive Cuban gar) but clean water is still important for your fish’s health and longevity, so remember to keep up on water changes and have abundant filtration to deal with the excessive waste left over by these large predators.

Tankmates:
If one is interested in raising gar they should be prepared to build the community around the gar. Tankmates should be of the same size and exhibit the same growth rate as the gar to experience success. Tankmates must be mild mannered and relatively slow moving so as not to startle the gar; decreasing the risk of broken backs. Most common tankmates included bichirs, South American and Australian lungfish, African arowanas, Clown knifes, Royal knifes, and other Gar species. However, some hobbyist have housed them with South American catfish (ex: Tiger shovel nose, Tigrinus, Lima shovel nose, etc). Housing them with species of fish that have a silvery coloration should be avoided because gars usually associate that color with their food source (giving rise to the silvery fish syndrome). Also, housing them with plecos, flagtails and/or other slime suckers is not recommended as the latter will tend to suck the slim coat off of the Gar. MOre often than not, this results in infections and if left untreated eventually death.

Notes:
The best diet for a Florida Gar or any predatory fish for that matter is a balanced diet. For optimal nutrition the main source of food should be a high quality commercially manufactured sticks or pellets. This should be accompanied by other protein sources like prawns and/or pieces of fish fillets; both should be cut to size so it can be easily swallowed. Feeders are okay, as long as proper care is taken to make sure that they are free of parasites. However, they should not be the main source of nutrition.
Florida gars spend a lot of time at all levels of the tank. They are excellent jumpers, so make sure your tank has a lid that it is weighed down and cover any holes.

References:

Fishbase.org:
Florida Museum of Natural History:
Lepisosteidae.net:
 
Author(s): Pejelagarto (Richard Kik IV), E_americanus (Solomon David), Xander (Alexander Eng)
Photos by: Xander, Msjinkzd (Rachael Oleary)
Edited, Arranged, and Referenced by Xander

*** All Information & Images Copyright 2010 Richard Kik IV et al. and www.MonsterFishKeepers.com OR used with permission. No material (listed above) may be reproduced without permission.

5326422273_b74c3f4aa5_b.jpg


Species:
Atractosteus tropicus – Tropical Gar
Atractosteus tristoechus – Cuban Gar
Atractosteus spatula – Alligator Gar

History:
The Atractosteus genus is thought to have branched off the Lepisosteus gars, making them the "newer" genus of Lepisosteids.

Biology:
Atractosteus is noted to have shorter, more numerous and ornate gill rakers, whereas Lepisosteus has thinner more elongate gill rakers.

Description:
An key difference between both genus of Lepisosteids is that Atractosteus gars have broader snouts and are stockier when compared to Lepisosteus gars. Another important trait to note is that while ALL gars have two rows of teeth in the upper jaw, the second row is only prominent in Atractosteus gars.

A stritation pattern is also more commonly present in Atractosteus gars then Lepisosteus.

Just based on morphology one can see that the Atractosteus species are more closely related to each other than to the Lepisosteus genus.

Comments:
There is much interest in the aquaculture of Atractosteus gars, largely because of their rapid growth rate and large adult size.

Captive Care Guide

Suggested Husbantry:
All Atractosteus gars are very sensitive to quickly fluctuating water parameters. It is not just the Cuban but the whole genus. Atractosteus gar thrive in static conditions and quick change in Temp, pH, hardness, Ammonia, Nitrite level can be hazardous to their health. In general Atractosteus gars are resilient but they do not appreciate quick changes in anything.

Atractosteus gars are known to be more aggressive than Lepisosteus gars.

References:

Florida Museum of Natural History

Monsterfishkeepers.com

Mendoza Alfaro, R., C. Aguilera Gonzalez, and A. M. Ferrara. 2008. Gar biology and culture: status and prospects. Aquaculture Research 39:748-763.
 
Author(s): Madding (Michael Morgan) , Xander (Alexander Eng)
Photos by:
Edited, Arranged, and Referenced by Madding & Xander

*** All Information & Images Copyright 2010 Michael Morgan et al. and www.MonsterFishKeepers.com OR used with permission. No material (listed above) may be reproduced without permission.

Species Information

5421742823_4fe2f3e7b9_b.jpg


Scientific Name:
Atractosteus tropicus

Common Name(s):
Tropical gar, Mexican gar, Pejelagarto

Distribution:
Central America: Caribbean and Pacific drainages of Southern Mexico to Costa Rica (lepisosteidae.net)

Description:
The Tropical gar is notable for its large, spotted pattern spread unevenly over a dark green body. The spots are reminiscent of Lepisosteus osseus in their size and variation. Fins have striated patterns and colour, less so than Atractosteus tristoechus but still noticeable in larger specimens. White markings on the tail and fins are common. The highly variable pattern is perhaps the most appealing physical quality of the Tropical gar.

Atractosteus tropicus have short, broad snouts compared to Lepisosteus species, but have the narrowest snout of the three Atractosteus species. There is a prominent second row of teeth in the upper jaw. These fish are usually thick as well as long, though slender specimens are not unheard of in both the wild and captivity.

Comments:
Tropical gar are aquacultured in Mexico and other areas of Central America. Atractosteus tropical is generally considered to be the second rarest of the 7 species of gar behind the scarcely-obtained Cuban gar. Certain farms in Mexico breed leucistic (white or platinum) Tropical gar – these color morphs are very rare in the fish keeping hobby, usually costing between 3,000 and 5,000 US dollars apiece to purchase.

Captive Care Guide

Average Captive Max Size:
Roughly 24” – 28”

Average Captive Growth Rate:
Expect YOY specimens to grow quickly to 11-13” and then slow down considerably. After several years growth rate will be drastically slower, if at all.

Suggested Husbandry:

Tank Size:
Follow the step up rule of thumb for a growing fish. Upgrade tanks along with the growing gar. Do not start too big with a YOY gar, and do not end in a tank too small when keeping adults. For an adult specimen, nothing under 3’ wide or 5’ (or 6’, depending on the size of the fish in question) long is advisable. While tank dimensions are what really matters, adult Tropical gars will generally need a 300 gallon + aquarium.

Water Parameters:
Atractosteus tropicus is insensitive to most water conditions, provided they are kept in a warm, tropical climate with static water conditions* (refer to Atractosteus genus guide). One does not have to have much aeration as they are air breathers. A moderate pH is recommended, though others (whether notably low or high) can be tolerated. Most gars are very resilient to water conditions (with the exception of the pH sensitive Cuban gar) but clean water is still important for your fish’s health and longevity, so remember to keep up on water changes and have abundant filtration to deal with the excessive waste left over by these large predators.

Tankmates:
Tropical gars are likely the third most aggressive species of gar (behind the other two Atractosteus species), so avoid tank mates that can be eaten or bullied. When adding new fish/gars to the tank, be aware that Tropical gars often target new tank mates to integrate them into the hierarchy. Larger numbers of gar and a dedicated, daily feeding schedule will help reduce (but not eliminate) aggression. Opinions vary on specific examples of recommended tank mates, but Australian lungfish and African arowana are noted as being compatible with Tropical gar in many (but not all!) captive cases. Avoid silvery fish like characins or they will be killed. Also avoid slime-sucking fish such as plecos and flagtails. Using myself as a real-life example, keeping five Tropical gar in a five hundred gallon aquarium, I have witnessed the killing or severe injury of stingrays, arowana, catfish and smaller gar for no apparent reason. In summary, be careful of which tank mates you choose.

Notes:
Tropical gars spend a lot of time at all levels of the tank. Jumping is common, so make sure your lid is weighed down and cover up any holes.

References:

Lepisosteidae.net

  • http://lepisosteidae.net/index_files/Page796.htm
 
Author(s): Xander (Alexander Eng)
Photos by: Xander
Edited, Arranged, and Referenced by Xander

*** All Information & Images Copyright 2010 Alexander Eng and www.MonsterFishKeepers.com OR used with permission. No material (listed above) may be reproduced without permission.

Species Information




Scientific Name:
Atractosteus Tristoechus

Common Name(s):
Cuban Gar, Manjuari, Manfari

Distribution:
Central America: Western Cuba and Isla de la Juventud (lepisosteidae.net)

Description:
The Cuban gar is most easily identified by its lack of pattern (upon shedding its yoy markings), unique striation patterned fins and colour. These fish vary from an olive green to yellow bronze colouration.

A.Tristoechus have short, broad snouts (especially the lower jaws) and a prominent second row of teeth in the upper jaw. These fish are also very girthy. It is interesting to note that while other Atractosteus gars put on length before putting on mass, A.Tristoechus have observed to grow exponentially.

Comments:
Currently, these fish are sparse in the wild. Fisheries are making efforts to restock wild populations. A.Tristoechus is the rarest of the 7 species of gar.

Captive Care Guide

Average Captive Max Size:
22” – 30”, although it is mostly females that get to the larger end of the spectrum.

Average Captive Growth Rate:

Age: yoy
You can expect very rapid growth rates from 4” to about 10” (2” per month or more). Often, it doesn’t take much longer than 6 months for A.Tristoechus to get from 4-5” to 12”. Growth is seen to slow after hitting this point.

Age: 2 years
Fish are believed to plateau between 14” – 18” in their second year.

Age: 3 years and up
Growth rate slows greatly from this point forward

Suggested Husbandry:

Tank Size:
Follow the step up rule of thumb for a growing fish. For an adult specimen, nothing under 3’ wide or 5’ (or 6’, depending on the size of the fish in question) long is advisable.

The rule of thumb for minimum tank size when it comes to these fishes is for one to gauge what amount of space is comfortable for the fish using good sense, and ask questions when in doubt.

Water Parameters:
A.Tristoechus is very sensitive and require very clean, stable water parameters. One does not have to have much aeration as they are air breathers. These fish are especially sensitive to pH; any sudden fluctuations in pH (especially downwards) will cause severe stress and may result in death. A pH of 7 – 7.7 is known to work well. To reiterate, it is essential to maintain a stable environment for these fishes and to avoid sudden fluctuations in water parameters.

Cubans are also sensitive to water hardness. try and maintain your water constant between 30 - 60ppm KH (carbonate hardness) and 120ppm GH (general hardness).

Tankmates:
Cuban gars are reportedly the second most aggressive species of gar (after the alligator gar), so avoid tankmates that can be eaten. When adding new fish/gars to the tank, be aware that Cubans gars often shred new tankmates to establish the hierarchy.

References:

Aquaticpredators.com


Lepisosteidae.net


MonsterFishKeepers.com

 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top