A year later - update on the 3 tropical and 2 Florida gars in the 4500 gal. Doing well. Growing slow if any, except for the smaller Florida one. The trops and Elvis (the bigger Florida one) are around 2.5', roughly estimating.
Four tropical gars, one florida gar, ~12"-15"
- Thread starter thebiggerthebetter
- Start date
An update on the garmy at Fish Story. At the moment we got:
- 3 tropical, all around 2.5' and fat!
- 7 Florida - the rescue Elvis, who is the biggest at 2.5' (obtained in 2013), the one from George Fear at 2' (obtained in 2015), and 5 wild ones that we got from when we pumped down the temporary koi pond in 2018 and who currently have grown to 1.5 'in 1.5 years (there were 6 but one of these has just been adopted by Dave of Ft. Myers)
- 2 hybrid gars or at least this is how they were sold to their prior owners in Florida, ~2.5'
- 1 longnose, currently 2'
All are doing well, really liking thawed fish soaked with VitaChem and most of them take pellets too eagerly, especially the floating ones with exception of the longnose.
Can see them here from 0:00 to 5:50 min:
And the arrival of 2 of them, longnose and hybrid rescues:
- 3 tropical, all around 2.5' and fat!
- 7 Florida - the rescue Elvis, who is the biggest at 2.5' (obtained in 2013), the one from George Fear at 2' (obtained in 2015), and 5 wild ones that we got from when we pumped down the temporary koi pond in 2018 and who currently have grown to 1.5 'in 1.5 years (there were 6 but one of these has just been adopted by Dave of Ft. Myers)
- 2 hybrid gars or at least this is how they were sold to their prior owners in Florida, ~2.5'
- 1 longnose, currently 2'
All are doing well, really liking thawed fish soaked with VitaChem and most of them take pellets too eagerly, especially the floating ones with exception of the longnose.
Can see them here from 0:00 to 5:50 min:
And the arrival of 2 of them, longnose and hybrid rescues:
The longnose has been making good progress, feeding well, getting close to 3 feet now.
Nothing's changed with the tropical gars. Same length. One is way too big in the tummy area, has been like that for many years, looks like from feeding too much. The other two keep in proper shape.
Now we have only one FL gar named Elvis, a rescue, left in the 4500 gal and it is around 9 years old and around 30". Five smaller ones have been adopted out at 1.5' last year.
Do female FL gars grow bigger, longer than males?
Unfortunately the 2-footer from 2015, from George Fear's Shark Aquarium got his tail fin almost removed by some tank mates, probably a 30" TSN pair, little by little over many months and I failed to notice. I took it out of the 4500 gal and placed in 240 gal where it passed several weeks later to my surprise, I can only presume from stress, because nothing else was obvious.
We have another FL gar that's about 3 years old and about 12" in one of the 240 gal and it's not growing, not significantly in the last year. It's a rescue that came from a small tank, like 50-100 gal range, perhaps stunted. Good spotting pattern though.
IDK the source of FL gars in the US pet shops. Are they captive bred or wild-harvested?
I kept other FL gar that we caught in the wild at 2' that in our ponds grew to 2.5'. I've only heard of 3-footers, never seen one even in the wild, having lived in SW FL for 10 years now. All the wild ones I see (in various places, including when they breed in the shallows, in the grass on our property in the early summer when it floods) are 1.5'-2', rarely a bit bigger.
Have you seen 3' FL gars?
Nothing's changed with the tropical gars. Same length. One is way too big in the tummy area, has been like that for many years, looks like from feeding too much. The other two keep in proper shape.
Now we have only one FL gar named Elvis, a rescue, left in the 4500 gal and it is around 9 years old and around 30". Five smaller ones have been adopted out at 1.5' last year.
Do female FL gars grow bigger, longer than males?
Unfortunately the 2-footer from 2015, from George Fear's Shark Aquarium got his tail fin almost removed by some tank mates, probably a 30" TSN pair, little by little over many months and I failed to notice. I took it out of the 4500 gal and placed in 240 gal where it passed several weeks later to my surprise, I can only presume from stress, because nothing else was obvious.
We have another FL gar that's about 3 years old and about 12" in one of the 240 gal and it's not growing, not significantly in the last year. It's a rescue that came from a small tank, like 50-100 gal range, perhaps stunted. Good spotting pattern though.
IDK the source of FL gars in the US pet shops. Are they captive bred or wild-harvested?
I kept other FL gar that we caught in the wild at 2' that in our ponds grew to 2.5'. I've only heard of 3-footers, never seen one even in the wild, having lived in SW FL for 10 years now. All the wild ones I see (in various places, including when they breed in the shallows, in the grass on our property in the early summer when it floods) are 1.5'-2', rarely a bit bigger.
Have you seen 3' FL gars?
gotta get Solomon himself outta the wood work for the “real” gar info lol ??... looks like the Florida state record is only 28” 9lbs so u knock that outta the park if u catch Elvis and report it ?...I have a 15yr old thats a mere 24” at best. 3’ is very impressive in captivity ?... i agree with you most i see anywhere captive or wild are around 20-24”. Honestly pretty surprised to find a legitimate pic and record of a 47” monster. Cple google articles say they can reach 52” but most reach around 28” even in the wild.
Thank you, Russ! But isn't the gar in the picture a longnose?? Are you messing with us? 
Looks like the picture and info are from the Fishing World Records site, which is marred with some glaring misidentifications, like a 7' Zungaro jahu (that is a piraiba) or a 4' juruense that doesn't exist. I use that site for my database but double check the ID.
Yes, Solomon "the Penguin Lover" is great! But I can't seem to tap him via the
E_americanus
. I've written him a PM.
Looks like the picture and info are from the Fishing World Records site, which is marred with some glaring misidentifications, like a 7' Zungaro jahu (that is a piraiba) or a 4' juruense that doesn't exist. I use that site for my database but double check the ID.Yes, Solomon "the Penguin Lover" is great! But I can't seem to tap him via the
E_americanus
. I've written him a PM.Bowfin. A living fossil and a native North American snakehead
I did think the pic looked a bit odd lol... Wasent sure if the longer snout was just deceptive for the proportions or just mislabeled all together like ur sayin. I tried checking georgias state record florida gar and all that comes up is longnose. Checked my own state and theres only a record for longnose as well with 3 native gar species in ohio. Its pretty sad the vast majority and probably even most DNR can’t properly identify their own states species. Fitting lol...Thank you, Russ! But isn't the gar in the picture a longnose?? Are you messing with us?
Yes, Solomon "the Penguin Lover" is great! But I can't seem to tap him via the
Bowfin. A living fossil and a native North American snakehead
regardless, ur 3’ specimen is a state record for florida and most likely all of captivity ?... if it wernt for ur “report” id go blue in the face telling everyone they never surpass 28” lol... ill keep trying to do some digging for ya just outta curiosity. Id like to see one at the 40” mark with the reports of being able to reach 52”.
found this more accurate representation lol... sadly fell to an arrow... ?
?
