Jump to content


Redfin/Grass Pickerel or Spotted/Florida Gar?


15 replies to this topic

#1 Guest_Yeahson421_*

Guest_Yeahson421_*
  • Guests

Posted 07 October 2011 - 06:29 PM

I have a 125 gallon sunfish tank (By the way, anyone who read my original post about the stocking, don't worry, I have downsized). I have always wanted a toothy predator and was wondering whether I should get one of the smaller pickerels or a spotted/florida gar. Ihave plenty of H. Formosa (Although they are very small, and somewhat limited) I could feed with, and I also have mealworms, but would prefer to be able to get them onto prepared food. I often feed with sinking pellets, frozen food, and these weird sinking crumbles the name of which has slipped my mind. If needed, I could probably get some store shrimp, too. I wouldn't be getting whichever one I choose until the end of Winter. Well, thanks in advance.

-Evan

#2 Guest_frogwhacker_*

Guest_frogwhacker_*
  • Guests

Posted 07 October 2011 - 07:28 PM

I've never kept gar or pickerel so I don't have much in the way of personal experience to offer, but I do remember reading a good discussion about keeping a gar on here @ http://forum.nanfa.o.../7839-gar-tank/

I've read about concerns of gars getting broken backs from ramming the glass when startled, but again, I've got no experience with them so I'm sure there are others who could validate or expand on this.

I have considered keeping a grass pickerel or two. I enjoy muskie fishing and find them fascinating, but would certainly not consider one for a home aquarium, so a grass pickerel would be a wonderful substitute. Just my personal preference, but I'd say grass pickerel would be much easier as long as your warmouth or greeny wouldn't be big enough by that time to gulp a young one down. Good luck with whichever you go with.

Steve.

#3 Guest_EricaWieser_*

Guest_EricaWieser_*
  • Guests

Posted 07 October 2011 - 07:28 PM

I think you should first pick the fish and then design the tank around it. For example, if you wanted a gar you might want to have the tanks on hand to be able to start out small and then move it into progressively larger aquariums. I've heard that they can swim at high speeds right into the glass, and in larger tanks where they have the space to build up enough speed, they can break their own necks. So you wouldn't want to put a small gar into a huge 125 gallon tank.

What fish do you have in the 125 now?

#4 Guest_EricaWieser_*

Guest_EricaWieser_*
  • Guests

Posted 07 October 2011 - 07:31 PM

lol, I see that we both said the same thing at the same time.

#5 Guest_Kanus_*

Guest_Kanus_*
  • Guests

Posted 07 October 2011 - 07:55 PM

I love pickerel, but they are rather skittish. In a tank with decent sized centrarchid tankmates, I would say go with a gar.

#6 Guest_MrCatfish_*

Guest_MrCatfish_*
  • Guests

Posted 07 October 2011 - 10:07 PM

I go with the pickerel. I have kept my pickerel with many different sunfish with know problems. Just make sure neither of them are big enough to eat the other. I have kept 10 inch grass pickerel with 3 to 4 inch northern longears. Here's a video of my tank for proof that they were kept with sunfish.

#7 Guest_Yeahson421_*

Guest_Yeahson421_*
  • Guests

Posted 07 October 2011 - 11:12 PM

I think you should first pick the fish and then design the tank around it. For example, if you wanted a gar you might want to have the tanks on hand to be able to start out small and then move it into progressively larger aquariums. I've heard that they can swim at high speeds right into the glass, and in larger tanks where they have the space to build up enough speed, they can break their own necks. So you wouldn't want to put a small gar into a huge 125 gallon tank.

What fish do you have in the 125 now?

I've actually experiances the broken backs of gar before. It's terrible. Also, the tank is already set up. You actually commented in the original post. I'll see if I can find it later. I'm keeping a variety of different sunnies and a few others.

I go with the pickerel. I have kept my pickerel with many different sunfish with know problems. Just make sure neither of them are big enough to eat the other. I have kept 10 inch grass pickerel with 3 to 4 inch northern longears. Here's a video of my tank for proof that they were kept with sunfish.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcFdKWftMPw

That's actually where I came up with the idea of pickerel. I'm subscribed to your youtube account and love your tanks! They are beutiful! I can't wait for another update once you finis redoing the 150! Anyways, I'm definately leaning towards pickerel, but can they be trained to eat pellets or frozen foods?

Edited by Yeahson421, 07 October 2011 - 11:14 PM.


#8 Guest_Newt_*

Guest_Newt_*
  • Guests

Posted 08 October 2011 - 12:44 PM

Any gar will outgrow an 18" wide tank.

Pickerel and sunfish together are chancy. My first pickerel choked to death on a sunfish I thought was too big for him to attempt eating. Pickerel are also not as quick to the mess hall as sunfish and can go hungry if you don't make an extra effort to feed them separately. Obviously it can be done, as Mr. Catfish's success shows, but a pickerel + sunfish tank is significantly more work than a tank with only one or the other.

#9 Guest_Usil_*

Guest_Usil_*
  • Guests

Posted 08 October 2011 - 12:59 PM

MrCatfish - your tank looks so peaceful.

Usil

#10 Guest_MrCatfish_*

Guest_MrCatfish_*
  • Guests

Posted 08 October 2011 - 11:46 PM

That's actually where I came up with the idea of pickerel. I'm subscribed to your youtube account and love your tanks! They are beutiful! I can't wait for another update once you finis redoing the 150! Anyways, I'm definately leaning towards pickerel, but can they be trained to eat pellets or frozen foods?


Thanks, I have had mine take nightcrawlers from my fingers and a couple times they have taken frozen shrimp.

MrCatfish - your tank looks so peaceful.

Usil


Thanks, I don't have much aggression in this tank. Everyone seems to get along for the most part. The rock bass does get a bit ornery sometimes.

#11 Guest_rjmtx_*

Guest_rjmtx_*
  • Guests

Posted 08 October 2011 - 11:50 PM

Slightly on topic... I did see a group of pellet trained YOY Alligator Gar this past week. Apparently, gar can be pellet trained. I didn't expect that.

#12 Guest_Yeahson421_*

Guest_Yeahson421_*
  • Guests

Posted 09 October 2011 - 01:06 AM

Slightly on topic... I did see a group of pellet trained YOY Alligator Gar this past week. Apparently, gar can be pellet trained. I didn't expect that.

It seems surprising, but I've heard of it a few times. They often eat things that fall onto the surface of water, so if you think about it pellets aren't TOO much of a stretch.

#13 Guest_gzeiger_*

Guest_gzeiger_*
  • Guests

Posted 09 October 2011 - 02:23 PM

I love pickerel, but they are pretty enthusiastic jumpers. Make sure you have a very tight lid.

#14 Guest_Yeahson421_*

Guest_Yeahson421_*
  • Guests

Posted 09 October 2011 - 03:44 PM

I love pickerel, but they are pretty enthusiastic jumpers. Make sure you have a very tight lid.

What do you think of Eggrate? Part of my cover is solid glass, but I have some pretty big openings around filters.

#15 Guest_gzeiger_*

Guest_gzeiger_*
  • Guests

Posted 09 October 2011 - 05:16 PM

I use eggcrate. It's easy to make a tight-fitted cover around filters, power cords and whatever else, and can have an advantage over glass in that it doesn't build up hardwater deposits that reduce light intensity over time. Should hold a pickerel.

#16 Guest_Yeahson421_*

Guest_Yeahson421_*
  • Guests

Posted 09 October 2011 - 05:22 PM

I use eggcrate. It's easy to make a tight-fitted cover around filters, power cords and whatever else, and can have an advantage over glass in that it doesn't build up hardwater deposits that reduce light intensity over time. Should hold a pickerel.

Great! Thank you!



Reply to this topic



  


0 user(s) are reading this topic

0 members, 0 guests, 0 anonymous users