Re: NANFA-- Gar growth: was "Redfin pickerel"

BG Granier (shinerscoop_at_bellsouth.net)
Sun, 28 Mar 2004 12:29:08 -0600

I especially like the last paragraph of Jan's response! That would apply to
any species!

BG
----- Original Message -----
From: "Hoover, Jan J ERDC-EL-MS" <Jan.J.Hoover_at_erdc.usace.army.mil>
To: <nanfa_at_aquaria.net>
Sent: Sunday, March 28, 2004 12:05 PM
Subject: RE: NANFA-- Gar growth: was "Redfin pickerel"

> Gastropodman asked:
> >>>Will any gar/pike/pickeral ever except dead food? Also, do you think a
> spotted gar would fit in a 125 gallon tank?<<<
>
> Ray responds:
> >>>spotted gar should work fine. They do get just over three feet in the
> wild.
> However, I kept several for around ten years atleast, and the largest one
I
> think was 21 or so inches long. Well fed to boot....Start them out small,
> and gars will take to floating pellets. Then its as
> easy as pie to keep them fed. A big bag of fish chow is cheap by unit
> price.<<<
>
> Jan adds:
>
> Some of my gar eat frozen fish chunks within days of capture; others
refuse
> to accept anything except live crayfish and fish (and some of those are
> fussy about the kinds of live food they will eat). It all depends on the
> species, age of capture, individual behavior, and your set-up. Ray is
> certainly correct that some gar will feed readily on floating pellets.
> Several Florida tourist attractions sell generic pellets from "gumball"
type
> machines. Gar, tilapia, and koi seem to thrive on them.
>
> A 125-gallon tank seems like very good starter-size tank for your gar.
Like
> Ray, I have found that captive gar (and bowfin) do not always get as large
> as specimens in the wild. In the lower Mississippi Basin, young-of-year
> gar and bowfin occur in shallow, floodplain pools that are warm (26-30 C)
> and packed with fish -- their metabolism is in high gear and fuel supplies
> are almost unlimited. When those fish are moved to cooler water and
feeding
> become less frequent, growth rates (and ultimate size) may be reduced.
>
> Still -- gar enthusiasts can spend a lot money and time buying and
> collecting feeders, building, and maintaining jumbo-size accomodations.
>
>
> Its not incumbent on the fish to adapt to the conditions provided by the
> aquarist. Its the responsibility of the aquarist to accomodate the needs
of
> the fish.

--
> /"Unless stated otherwise, comments made on this list do not necessarily
> / reflect the beliefs or goals of the North American Native Fishes
> / Association"
> / This is the discussion list of the North American Native Fishes
Association
> / nanfa_at_aquaria.net. To subscribe, unsubscribe, or get help, send the word
> / subscribe, unsubscribe, or help in the body (not subject) of an email to
> / nanfa-request_at_aquaria.net. For a digest version, send the command to
> / nanfa-digest-request_at_aquaria.net instead.
> / For more information about NANFA, visit our web page,
http://www.nanfa.org
/-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
/"Unless stated otherwise, comments made on this list do not necessarily
/ reflect the beliefs or goals of the North American Native Fishes
/ Association"
/ This is the discussion list of the North American Native Fishes Association
/ nanfa_at_aquaria.net. To subscribe, unsubscribe, or get help, send the word
/ subscribe, unsubscribe, or help in the body (not subject) of an email to
/ nanfa-request_at_aquaria.net. For a digest version, send the command to
/ nanfa-digest-request_at_aquaria.net instead.
/ For more information about NANFA, visit our web page, http://www.nanfa.org