Which gar is cold hardy to live in a pond in arlington tx

Deedsta

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Apr 4, 2015
92
7
8
arlington tx
I have a spotted car that's about a foot long. I want to keep a car in my pond forever but not sure if the spotted gar take cold temperatures. Which gars are cold hardy ?
I heard alligator gars are but get really big. What about the short nose gar? Can they live in cold water. If the alligator is my only choice then I may just get one.
 

Hasircoglu

Gambusia
MFK Member
Aug 18, 2014
133
22
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Lancaster Pennsylvania
If you do truly have a spotted gar it should do fine over winter. We have them here in Pennsylvania and they survive under the ice in Lake Erie. Longnose gar will survive the cold too. How big is your pond?
 

Deedsta

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Apr 4, 2015
92
7
8
arlington tx
If you do truly have a spotted gar it should do fine over winter. We have them here in Pennsylvania and they survive under the ice in Lake Erie. Longnose gar will survive the cold too. How big is your pond?
15ft long 9ft wide and 4ft in the center
 

Hasircoglu

Gambusia
MFK Member
Aug 18, 2014
133
22
18
Lancaster Pennsylvania
Longnose get around 5 foot and about 30lbs, But they can get bigger. They are hard to find for sale but you should be able to catch them in Texas. They'd need to be fed in your pond
 

HungDang

Piranha
MFK Member
Nov 29, 2010
2,968
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81
Fort Worth
you can catch longnose and spotted around here. And they are not that hard to keep outside over winter. But your fish is only 1ft long so idk if it can take the 4-5 cold months without eating anything. My fish are over 2ft and really fat so I have no concern at all, just make sure there will be an open surface of water when it do freeze around here.
 

Deedsta

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Apr 4, 2015
92
7
8
arlington tx
you can catch longnose and spotted around here. And they are not that hard to keep outside over winter. But your fish is only 1ft long so idk if it can take the 4-5 cold months without eating anything. My fish are over 2ft and really fat so I have no concern at all, just make sure there will be an open surface of water when it do freeze around here.
I cover my pond every winter with a green house
And if the weather is fairly warm I go inside somtimes and throw in some food and they eat. So I think the gar should be fine when I place it in the pond for next winter
 

reptilerancher

Plecostomus
MFK Member
Jan 14, 2016
214
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if you keep the water at a low of 65 in the winter most gar will do fine. I live in Minnesota and we have Longnose and short nose gar here so they would work the best. Gator gars get big but are quit hardy and one or two would work well in a pond that size. If you stock it with some sun fish and channel cats with a few gar it could be a very cool pond.
 

Deedsta

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Apr 4, 2015
92
7
8
arlington tx
if you keep the water at a low of 65 in the winter most gar will do fine. I live in Minnesota and we have Longnose and short nose gar here so they would work the best. Gator gars get big but are quit hardy and one or two would work well in a pond that size. If you stock it with some sun fish and channel cats with a few gar it could be a very cool pond.
I'm not going to add a heater to keep it at 65... But only will cover it every winter
 

reptilerancher

Plecostomus
MFK Member
Jan 14, 2016
214
132
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as long as it stays open it should be fine for Longnose and short nose gar. do whatever works best for you
 
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