Many small fish can meet or exceed what their wild max size is. It's only when you start dealing with larger fish that you tend to start getting fish smaller than wild maxes. One thing that I have heard as a reason for this is genetic potential. Not every fish of a given species has the genetic potential to get to the max size. Certain population get to different sizes as adults.
Max Captivity Size of Alligator Gar
- Thread starter Jackyx
- Start date
Many small fish can meet or exceed what their wild max size is. It's only when you start dealing with larger fish that you tend to start getting fish smaller than wild maxes. One thing that I have heard as a reason for this is genetic potential. Not every fish of a given species has the genetic potential to get to the max size. Certain population get to different sizes as adults.
I got my alligator gar when he (or she) was 6 inches. The gar is now 3 feet long 3 years later and almost as thick as the fat end of a base ball bat. He is kept in a 900 gallon tub from tractor supply with a pool sand filter and a fluval canister filter. He is just about dog tame and likes to have his back scratched! Growth has slowed down quite a bit, he eats frozen thawed mice, quail, and fish. My son named him Gary, Gary the Gar! Very interesting fish to own, air breathing, meat eating family member!
One theory I have is maybe tank size throughout a gars time. Maybe if I goes from like a 55 to a 100 to a 300 and on and on, maybe it doesn’t get enough room to grow. Whereas if you put a baby that’s like 6” in a 300 gallon at like or larger to start, and upgrade it when it gets to around 8”-10” to something twice that size and continue that, maybe it will get bigger that way. Same with GATF, Goonch, Pirabia, Golden Dorado, Arapaima, Nile Perch, Bumbleebee Grouper, Giant Siamese Carp, etc.
Two major factors . Fish genetics and size of aquarium you are keeping it.
There is one more parameter to the above two. Food
the size of the fish depends on these three.
Given a large aquarium the most you will get is 2 feet may be 2.5 but more than that it's rare.
Majority of the time they will be capped at 1.5 feet.
If you want to experiment put the Gar in a pond and see the magic
There is one more parameter to the above two. Food
the size of the fish depends on these three.
Given a large aquarium the most you will get is 2 feet may be 2.5 but more than that it's rare.
Majority of the time they will be capped at 1.5 feet.
If you want to experiment put the Gar in a pond and see the magic