Two weeks ago I bought a small spotted gar (7in). My girlfriend came home today and the fish is just sitting on the bottom, breathing slowly but deeply. I know he was eating at the LFS, his belly was full when I bought him. I have not seen him eat any of the rosies in tank put some have a couple two three teethmarks. Is lounging on the bottom typical?

Scoop: Initially I put it in a well establish, planted 28 bowfront temporarily to get a 30 long up an running (next is the 90 gal). I took 20 gallons of clean water from a few other well established tanks and topped off with tap I treated with an ammonia and chlorimine remover. I put a large sponge filter with lots of air goin through it plus another single airstone to move water around. It sat for three days, air running. I then put in a bunch of drift wood in a jumble at the top so he could chill added dozen rosies. Then it sat for two more days. Then he went in an hung out in the wood, not very active, even in the dark. That was last friday.

Temp 67, is that too cold?

Two weeks ago I bought a small spotted gar (7in). My girlfriend came home today and the fish is just sitting on the bottom, breathing slowly but deeply. I know he was eating at the LFS, his belly was full when I bought him. I have not seen him eat any of the rosies in tank put some have a couple two three teethmarks. Is lounging on the bottom typical?

Scoop: Initially I put it in a well establish, planted 28 bowfront temporarily to get a 30 long up an running (next is the 90 gal). I took 20 gallons of clean water from a few other well established tanks and topped off with tap I treated with an ammonia and chlorimine remover. I put a large sponge filter with lots of air goin through it plus another single airstone to move water around. It sat for three days, air running. I then put in a bunch of drift wood in a jumble at the top so he could chill added dozen rosies. Then it sat for two more days. Then he went in an hung out in the wood, not very active, even in the dark. That was last friday.

Temp 67, is that too cold?

I would not worry too much as behavior sounds well.... like a gar..They are not all that active much all the time.. but I would take an ammonia and nitrite reading just to make sure things are ZERO on both.

Temp is fine but for that size of fish it would not hurt to up it just a bit just to increase the metabolism and get some more size on the fish.