The golden color of golden gars is what makes them so popular no? If we're talking a gar-like shape as the pleasing characteristic, any of the 'gar-tetras' work (like the gar characin).
Your favorite tankbuster miniatures
- Thread starter MultipleTankSyndrome
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Not sure if anyone's said these, but...
African aros are very closely related to paimas, and similar in many aspects-- though, they're not exactly "minis" in the grand scheme of things
Schoutedeni and duboisi puffers are kinda similar, after all, they are in the same genus
Most smaller Brachyplatystoma make good alternatives to piraibas
African aros are very closely related to paimas, and similar in many aspects-- though, they're not exactly "minis" in the grand scheme of things
Schoutedeni and duboisi puffers are kinda similar, after all, they are in the same genus
Most smaller Brachyplatystoma make good alternatives to piraibas
Idk, not sure if I fully agree but I respect your stance and I'll leave it at that
For a small gar the best place to look would be rocket or hujeta probably.
Very surprised I didn't add this before: Leptobotia pellegrini for the royal clown loach.
More or less the same in terms of appearance, and very closely related, but it only gets 20 cm long instead of 50 cm.
www.loaches.com
www.loaches.com
More or less the same in terms of appearance, and very closely related, but it only gets 20 cm long instead of 50 cm.
Leptobotia pellegrini — Loaches Online
Leptobotia elongata — Loaches Online
Some of these are so far apart, there is almost no resemblance. They should share at least a few behavioural or physical traits. You can't just say they are a suitable substitute because based on a single trait.
There's the betta and arowana one. You can't just say they are similar because they have bright colours. Just.. no. Someone mentioned that they are more like miniature snakeheads. That I can agree with because bettas definitely behave and look more like snakeheads than arowanas. Heck, there's even Betta channoides, which is named after snakeheads.
Golden dojo loach as a substitute for golden gar? Might as well be a substitute for every xanthic fish then. Plus it has been previously mentioned as a substitute for a xanthic fire eel. It doesn't make sense that the dojo loach can be a subsitute for 2 vastly different species. The only similarity between the 3 are that they are all yellow.
Then theres the one comparing clown loaches and kuhli loaches. They don't even share the same body shape. Even the similarity in colouration is a bit of a stretch.
Someone else mentioned this too but the zebra pleco as a substitute for a tigrinum is seriously flawed. Once again, it was chosen based purely on them having the same type of colouration. They don't have similar behaviour or body layout, honestly they don't resemble each other much other than colouration.
The bloodfin tetra and tinfoil resemblance is non-existent and was also decided based on colour (white and red vs silver and orange/red?). Body shape differs too much to be a good substitute.
The worst one has to be the marbled hatchetfish and datnoid one. Those don't even look alike in the slightest. Not even the colouration, body shape or behaviour.
I think I'm seeing a trend here. Most of the flawed substitutes that I've mentioned came from M MultipleTankSyndrome . I think you are letting your imagination run wild here.
There are good ones though, such as Pseudotropius sp. being mini pangasius, substituting large puffer species with smaller species. The leptobotia one is really really good.
There's the betta and arowana one. You can't just say they are similar because they have bright colours. Just.. no. Someone mentioned that they are more like miniature snakeheads. That I can agree with because bettas definitely behave and look more like snakeheads than arowanas. Heck, there's even Betta channoides, which is named after snakeheads.
Golden dojo loach as a substitute for golden gar? Might as well be a substitute for every xanthic fish then. Plus it has been previously mentioned as a substitute for a xanthic fire eel. It doesn't make sense that the dojo loach can be a subsitute for 2 vastly different species. The only similarity between the 3 are that they are all yellow.
Then theres the one comparing clown loaches and kuhli loaches. They don't even share the same body shape. Even the similarity in colouration is a bit of a stretch.
Someone else mentioned this too but the zebra pleco as a substitute for a tigrinum is seriously flawed. Once again, it was chosen based purely on them having the same type of colouration. They don't have similar behaviour or body layout, honestly they don't resemble each other much other than colouration.
The bloodfin tetra and tinfoil resemblance is non-existent and was also decided based on colour (white and red vs silver and orange/red?). Body shape differs too much to be a good substitute.
The worst one has to be the marbled hatchetfish and datnoid one. Those don't even look alike in the slightest. Not even the colouration, body shape or behaviour.
I think I'm seeing a trend here. Most of the flawed substitutes that I've mentioned came from M MultipleTankSyndrome . I think you are letting your imagination run wild here.
There are good ones though, such as Pseudotropius sp. being mini pangasius, substituting large puffer species with smaller species. The leptobotia one is really really good.
Then you missed the point entirely. If people just like the yellow colour, then they can just buy any xanthic fish.
The whole point of a golden gar is for people who want a gar, but not a typical gar. The main point is not the colour, but that it is a gar. Species first, colour second.
Ctenolucius hujeta instead of Hepsetus odoe (Similar feeding habits, body layout but hujeta's grow slow and max out at 9-10 inches)
Hampala ampalong/salweenensis instead of Hampala macrolepidota (Hampala ampalong only reaches 6 inches, H. salweenensis reaches 8 inches unlike H. macrolepidota wich reaches 2 feet)
Buenos Aires tetras as a substitute for Astyanax bimaculatus (or even Salminus sp.)
Brachychalcinus orbicularis instead of silver dollars
Cobitis species instead of dojo loaches (most Cobitis reach about 6 inches long)
Altolamprologus compressiceps/calvus instead of Dimidiochromis compressiceps/strigatus (similar feeding habits and mouth)
Notopterus notopterus (or Xenomystus nigri if you don't mind the missing dorsal fin) instead of Papyrocranus afer
Notoglanidium macrostoma instead of Auchenoglanis sp.
Hampala ampalong/salweenensis instead of Hampala macrolepidota (Hampala ampalong only reaches 6 inches, H. salweenensis reaches 8 inches unlike H. macrolepidota wich reaches 2 feet)
Buenos Aires tetras as a substitute for Astyanax bimaculatus (or even Salminus sp.)
Brachychalcinus orbicularis instead of silver dollars
Cobitis species instead of dojo loaches (most Cobitis reach about 6 inches long)
Altolamprologus compressiceps/calvus instead of Dimidiochromis compressiceps/strigatus (similar feeding habits and mouth)
Notopterus notopterus (or Xenomystus nigri if you don't mind the missing dorsal fin) instead of Papyrocranus afer
Notoglanidium macrostoma instead of Auchenoglanis sp.
I admit that not all of the suggestions may work for everybody. What draws me to a fish is usually the color or pattern, so I made suggestions based on that, but it may not be what draws everyone to fish, so it therefore may not work for everyone like previously stated.
