Garfish

[Dangerousdan]

I have a 6" marbled Garfish, which is being a little bugger and will only eat live fry or water shrimp. Anyone have any ideas how i can get the sod to take some dead food?
Tryed what i can think of

Thanks

 

[Lateral Line]

Moved to Oddballs.

 

[beblondie]

marbled gar-(Boulengerella maculata)its not a true gar
What dead food are you trying to feed it?

 

[lidz]

a mate of mine keeps spotted gars and he feeds em frozen prawn and they gobble it up. hope this is helpful.

 

[Dangerousdan]

marbled gar-(Boulengerella maculata)its not a true gar
What dead food are you trying to feed it?

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I now think its a Boulengerella Lateristriga. I know its not a true Gar it a Characin, hence why it was originally posted in there.
I feed frozern bloodworm, krill, mussel, lancefish, prawns.
not sure what else to try. Can you suggest anything beblondie??

 

[CFC]

Feed it with the tank lights off and the room only dimmly lit, like most predatory Characins in the wild they mainly feed at dusk. The tail end of a whitebait or lance fish cut in half and thrown into the tank from a few feet away should get it going.

 

[Dangerousdan]

Feed it with the tank lights off and the room only dimmly lit, like most predatory Characins in the wild they mainly feed at dusk. The tail end of a whitebait or lance fish cut in half and thrown into the tank from a few feet away should get it going.

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Ok thanks, i shall try this tomorrow night when feed again. Will post how it goes.

Its cool watchin him distroy the live food hes so quick

 

[Dangerousdan]

Still had no luck from what i can see of him taking any frozen foods. Although he is now alot more alert to what is around him, looking at the food floating past him with the current. He has been in the tank roughly a month and he is looking more confedant lately so im hoping he will just need bit more time. Could it be because he is alone(no other gars) as the book ive seen these in says they like company of their own kind. Could it be that he is lacking confidence being alone??
Im lookin for at least another one possably 2, but at moment my LFS fish manager AKA Paul_MTS can not get them in and havnt seen them in anyother shop around this area

 

[jarcher1390]

have you ever thought it might not like dead food and it only likes live
my mate has a gar and he rarely sees them get eaten they normaly eat when it is darkest

 

[willtang3000]

I had this problem with my old arowana I starved him for 2 days and because he was so hungry he ate anything that I offered him don't worry they will be fine got this tip from fishkeeping mag

 

[Dangerousdan]

have you ever thought it might not like dead food and it only likes live
my mate has a gar and he rarely sees them get eaten they normaly eat when it is darkest

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Yes i did think this as its a preditory fish i knew it would be a job to get it to take dead. Live food he is straight on it, even with the bright white lights on. He was difficult to get to take even live food to start with. Was very shy, think its mainly because he needs a couple of the same in with him. He is now geting lot more conferdence. He chases the dead food along top now but dont strike it......

 

[Dangerousdan]

Finally the little bugga took apiece of white bait. I did as CFC said except i had the light on tonite and success he struck a fairly large piece and down it. my little baby eatin makes me very happy.