Six GATF from Wes

[EntoStentor]

(this is about the GATF) I think all people should adopt the above mindset for all fast predators like GATFs (needle-nose gar, pinktail chalceus). If you give them enough room anything that ever startles them will drive them crazy. They'll race around the tank and eventually smash themselves on something. If they don't hit something, they'll go berserk instead and take random bites out of something. Either way is bad. I hate to say it, but there is no alternative to giving them a very small tank when young.

thebiggerthebetter where are you planning to put them at full size?

 

[thebiggerthebetter]

I apologize in advance for I am not aiming to be contradictory but instead view this as an exchange of our ideas and perceptions, however differing or not they might be.

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I am not sure what above mindset you are referring to and whether it is that mindset that you are immediately summarize below... as to how you understand it.

IMHO, generalizations extending to all fast predators and anything that startles them at any time are dangerous and better be stayed away from. None of the these three generalizations are true in our communal experience. Pertaining to my measly ATF experience, if this was true, I'd lose all 40 or so of them in the first days or weeks, which has not been the case at all. Yet, agreed, after 2-4 years, I have lost like 75% of them.

About biting instead... When ATF are startled and hence stressed I think it is the farthest thing on their mind to bite any tank mate. I think they bite not out of stress of being spooked but either out of stress of unnatural proximity and competition or out of stress of hunger. Thus, I cannot agree with your wording in this spot either.

Nor do I agree with the statement of no alternative. As mentioned above, there are at least three known alternatives I can think of - a round tank, pond, and ideally soft wall pond.

The ATF final exhibit is planned to be one of the two - either a 26'x5'x2' made from conjoining six 240 gal glass tanks of 8'x2'x2' or a 40'x4'-6'x4' (varying width) made of acrylic, which has been already bought, and the glue too...

 

[Red Aimara]

Rooting for you my man.

Since us hobbyists are unable to replicate their exact environment; it is really difficult to say which way or method will be the best to grow em out - besides tip top clean water of course!

There is always that one less flighty GATF or the one that has the proper genes or sex (I read male and females have different growth rates) that will make it at the end to the desired monster size.

 

[Darryl Taylor]

Cut thawed fish and humble catfish farm pellets. They prefer fish but take whatever is thrown in. When smaller had to feed 3x a day on the clock. Since ~5", I feed twice a day. Must not miss a feeding.

How big did they get in the first year?

 

[thebiggerthebetter]

How big did they get in the first year?

It varies. From 6" to 9".

 

[thebiggerthebetter]

A couple videos of the whole tank and inhabitants, not featuring the GATF in particular. All the surviving GATF we have left (1 from the original 6-pack and about 5 from all of the following batches) are in this 240 gal:

 

[CMTrey5]

Super late to this thread, great job btw. I currently have a 10-11” GATF got it about 3 months ago at 8-9”. Super skittish fish. Always stays in one spot in the tank and whenever he gets spooked he runs into the wall and loses a few scales from time to time. However, he eats like a pig and has been growing at a steady pace.

I just recently discovered that he seems to be a lot more calm and open to swimming around normally (not swimming fast or bumping into things) when all the pumps are off. Typically this happens when Im doing a water change. Was wondering why that was and thought I would bring it up in here.

 

[moe214]

Super late to this thread, great job btw. I currently have a 10-11” GATF got it about 3 months ago at 8-9”. Super skittish fish. Always stays in one spot in the tank and whenever he gets spooked he runs into the wall and loses a few scales from time to time. However, he eats like a pig and has been growing at a stead pace.

I just recently discovered that he seems to be a lot more calm and open to swimming around normally (not swimming fast or bumping into things) when all the pumps are off. Typically this happens when Im doing a water change. Was wondering why that was and thought I would bring it up in here.

If you look through threads in atf you’ll find most people experience a more relaxed atf without current. If memory serves me right, the thought is they over compensate with flow in the tank.

 

[thebiggerthebetter]

CMTrey5 moe214 Could the explanation be more trivial? In that when you start a water change, the fish, of course, freaks out, just like it does at any change inside or outside of its tank, then bumps its head against the wall, and then swims around "leisurely" because it is half out of its mind / somewhat discombobulated?

I mean could you be mistaking a mild brain concussion for calmness?

 

[moe214]

CMTrey5 moe214 Could the explanation be more trivial? In that when you start a water change, the fish, of course, freaks out, just like it does at any change inside or outside of its tank, then bumps its head against the wall, and then swims around "leisurely" because it is half out of its mind / somewhat discombobulated?

I mean could you be mistaking a mild brain concussion for calmness?

Well the keepers reported they were more flighty and hit walls more with flow, so wouldn’t the same happen just more frequently if that was the case and make them look more calm to us with flow? Our power heads aren’t a match for what gatf end up in, in the wild, makes sense to think they can easily swim through the flow that we can provide to me.