Gar turning white?!

[Iliketurtles]

Have you tested your water?

Yes

If yes, what is your ammonia?

0

If yes, what is your nitrite?

0-0.25

If yes, what is your nitrate?

30-40

If I did not test my water...

...I recognize that I will likely be asked to do a test, and that water tests are critical for solving freshwater health problems.

Do you do water changes?

Yes

What percentage of water do you change?

51-60%

How frequently do you change your water?

Every week

If I do not change my water...

...I recognize that I will likely be recommended to do a water change, and water changes are critical for preventing future freshwater health problems.

So my gar has me a bit worried. The fish is no stranger to scraping himself up some, and those spots do usually fade white before they get darker, but it is much worse than I’ve ever seen it. This fish is in a 1000 gal pond housed with RTC/ TSN and oscars mainly. I have cinder block structure in this pond and I have to assume the times he bangs himself up are from getting spooked at night and darting through or around them, he is not graceful at times. Removing all the bricks is easier said than done as a large portion of them are holding a large trashcan filter above.

As far as water quality goes, the nitrates are the only thing that’s ever high. Nitrites sometimes creep to 0.25 when I need to clean the filter. I do 50-70% water changes typically every 4-5 days. This pond is in a garage, so temps are warm. Avg temp lately has been 84-86. I have lots of tanks in the garage, not worried about the temp much.

The only thing that has changed is the lighting, a couple weeks ago I hung a big led light above the pond, mostly for the pothos. I know gar can lighten and darken depending on lighting, and when I got this fish 5 months ago, it was almost black as the guy had very low lighting. However, I did have a WC by me spotted gar last year that did great for a few months. Then within 2 weeks the fish turned completely cloudy white and died. I sorta figured that fish being wild caught and not being properly treated was the result, as I discovered afterwards that many of the wild gar around me are covered in fish lice. I really do not want that to happen to this fish, and this fish is CB. However, the guy I got it from did have some wild fish in the pond with it. I checked this fish closely and never saw any signs of lice, but I don’t want to rule anything out. As of now I’m upping the water changes, and treating the whole pond with salt.

Has anyone seen this same thing before?? Any insight or suggestions appreciated

 

[wednesday13]

Looks like the work of a pleco, they enjoy slime coat. Had this happen in my early days of fish keeping.

 

[surfermike915]

Second that.

I’m sure you know but plecos can be opportunistic feeders. Slime coats are a choice meal when they feel they aren’t getting enough food. Rasping is common. thebiggerthebetter has a syno. that did this for a while. Best thing to do is not move the gar as its body is trying to replace the slime it has lost. If you can maybe you can throw the pleco(s) or whatever fish it may be showing this parasitic behavior to another tank for a bit.


Short term solution yes, but focus on getting the gar healed. They’re tough.

 

[Iliketurtles]

Second that.

I’m sure you know but plecos can be opportunistic feeders. Slime coats are a choice meal when they feel they aren’t getting enough food. Rasping is common. thebiggerthebetter has a syno. that did this for a while. Best thing to do is not move the gar as its body is trying to replace the slime it has lost. If you can maybe you can throw the pleco(s) or whatever fish it may be showing this parasitic behavior to another tank for a bit.


Short term solution yes, but focus on getting the gar healed. They’re tough.

F me!!! How did I not think of this!? I know and have been through pleco caused issues before and I guess I just figured a gar this large and so aggressive wouldn’t allow that to happen. Probably comes as no surprise, there’s also 3 plecos in the pond. They all hang out in the same spot all the time mostly, and he sleeps over there and it makes sooooo much sense why it got so much worse because I’ve had the pond halfway down dude to a separate situation (I made a lengthy post about that today as well in the general section called don’t make this mistake )!!! Those bastards had so much more access to him. I think you guys are right and I feel like an idiot for not even considering them an option. I honestly forget they are in there most the time. Glad I posted here thank you guys. I’ll let you know how he does when I get them out. Except they are all over 12” and def no where I can put them long term nor anyone capable of keeping them properly. Keep giant fish they said, it will be fun

 

[wednesday13]

F me!!! How did I not think of this!? I know and have been through pleco caused issues before and I guess I just figured a gar this large and so aggressive wouldn’t allow that to happen. Probably comes as no surprise, there’s also 3 plecos in the pond. They all hang out in the same spot all the time mostly, and he sleeps over there and it makes sooooo much sense why it got so much worse because I’ve had the pond halfway down dude to a separate situation (I made a lengthy post about that today as well in the general section called don’t make this mistake )!!! Those bastards had so much more access to him. I think you guys are right and I feel like an idiot for not even considering them an option. I honestly forget they are in there most the time. Glad I posted here thank you guys. I’ll let you know how he does when I get them out. Except they are all over 12” and def no where I can put them long term nor anyone capable of keeping them properly. Keep giant fish they said, it will be fun

gators are tough as nails…should heal up with just clean water in a cple weeks. It happens to the best of us. U can make a floating tub for the plecos for the time being if you have no where else to put them.

 

[surfermike915]

F me!!! How did I not think of this!? I know and have been through pleco caused issues before and I guess I just figured a gar this large and so aggressive wouldn’t allow that to happen. Probably comes as no surprise, there’s also 3 plecos in the pond. They all hang out in the same spot all the time mostly, and he sleeps over there and it makes sooooo much sense why it got so much worse because I’ve had the pond halfway down dude to a separate situation (I made a lengthy post about that today as well in the general section called don’t make this mistake )!!! Those bastards had so much more access to him. I think you guys are right and I feel like an idiot for not even considering them an option. I honestly forget they are in there most the time. Glad I posted here thank you guys. I’ll let you know how he does when I get them out. Except they are all over 12” and def no where I can put them long term nor anyone capable of keeping them properly. Keep giant fish they said, it will be fun

Brotha, don’t worry. We all make mistakes. As corny as it is to say, it comes with the hobby. I think you’d rather lose those plecos unless they’re like phase 3 luteus than lose that beauty of a gar. Don’t stress it. Just get him away from them, and all will be good. Have made many many many mistakes that caused me to lose expensive fish. Sucks but it happens to even the most seasoned keepers. Good luck man.

 

[Iliketurtles]

gators are tough as nails…should heal up with just clean water in a cple weeks. It happens to the best of us. U can make a floating tub for the plecos for the time being if you have no where else to put them.

I know they are, which is why I naively never even thought about the plecos being the issue. This fish doesn’t mess around. I tried to add a14” peacock bass in a couple months ago, didn’t end well. Now I’m just sitting here picture those plecos latched onto the gar like lampreys once the lights go out The original gar had a very similar thing happen to I mentioned that died, also lived with 2/3 of these plecos… now I’m wondering if it was them the whole time! I feel so stupid. The only pleco related issues I’ve had involved small fish, and small pleco… which I was much more keen to look out for. Somewhere along the way, my brain stopped acknowledging them for what they are once the big fish came about. I have a floating system I use for acclimation I could put them in for the time being. I mean technically I have several systems I could move them too that are large enough, but I don’t really want 12” pleco poop all over the place. I have a 150 I will put them in for now but I’m gonna get them out and rehome them asap.

 

[Iliketurtles]

Brotha, don’t worry. We all make mistakes. As corny as it is to say, it comes with the hobby. I think you’d rather lose those plecos unless they’re like phase 3 luteus than lose that beauty of a gar. Don’t stress it. Just get him away from them, and all will be good. Have made many many many mistakes that caused me to lose expensive fish. Sucks but it happens to even the most seasoned keepers. Good luck man.

Appreciate it man, seriously, so glad I decided to post here today because I truly don’t think I would have connected the dots. I literally never even see the damn things I forget they exist, and all 3 are straight common plecos. No sweat there at all they are getting out before nightfall, which is when it has to be happening. Couple tough lessons learned these past two weeks. I made a post today as well about a very stupid mistake on my end that resulted in 3 of my big catfish dying within 24hrs. it’s not corny, it really is part of the hobby, just sucks when you think you’re doing everything right and realize you aren’t or made a silly mistake.

 

[surfermike915]

It’s alllllll good. Lost my big BB grouper the other day. Came home from a 2 hour flight the other night, went to sleep got a call that he wasn’t doing well from gf. he died the next day, after 24 hours of me trying to save him, calling every expert around and driving who knows where. Sucks but at the end of the day I couldn’t prevented it, and now we know. Don’t stress it. Sucks yes, but it’ll be okay.

 

[danotaylor]

Some salt will stimulate the slime coat reproduction as well. Not sure how big your pond is for dosing but I buy these 40# bags from Home Depot for $8. 99.8% pure sodium chloride. WAY cheaper than gimmicky “aquarium” salt LOLZ