Weaning them onto alternative foods isn't difficult. The main thing is to "wiggle" the food enticingly. You can use thread for this (basically tie some food to thread, then dangle in water current) but I prefer to use forceps because it offers more control (and fun!). Some people do hand-feed their gar, and you can see this on YouTube for example, but I recommend strongly against this because of the danger of accidental bites -- gar have very sharp teeth, a fish bites can become infected very easily. Anyway, use the forceps to wiggle some food near the gar's head. Don't go too close, because that's liable to seem threatening, but stay a couple of inches away, so the gar has to creep into range. Although they aren't true gar, my current "mini" gar,
Ctenolucius hujeta, were weaned onto dead foods exactly one day after purchase using this method.
As for foods, the main issues are thiaminase and fat. Cyprinids (goldfish, minnows, carp, etc) are rich in thiaminase and fat, so shouldn't be used at all. In the past we often assumed these foods were fine because predatory fish ate them in the wild. What we now realise is that many predatory fish in the wild suffer serious health problems if they only eat these fish, and some years this can cause things like reduced fertility. In any case, gar wouldn't be taking just minnows, but also thiaminase-free prey (such as livebearers or killifish) that would offset the thiaminase, and they'd be unlikely to eat enough of anything for fat to become an issue (most wild animals are just about avoiding starvation). In aquarium we turn this on its heads by offering mostly one food (e.g., goldfish) and then offering it very frequently, so the gar gets fat. By "fat" I don't mean weight, but the fat that builds up around the internal organs. Actually, we don't normally dissect dead gar, so I'm extrapolating here from what we know about other predatory fish that have been fed fat-rich diets.
Crustaceans such as shrimps and prawns contain thiaminase but not much fat, so they're safer if used in moderation. Most gar go wild for these, perhaps because they're a natural part of their diet. In the UK they are about the only widely used large feeder animal offered to aquarists. Live shrimp are easy to gut-load with algae flake food, and the vitamin B1 (thiamin) in the algae will offset the thiaminase.
Earthworms are the ideal live food if you're using the forceps method. They're meaty, gut-loaded out of the box because they eat mud and plants, and fish love them. You can cultivate these at home easily using kits designed for gardeners; otherwise, dig your own or buy from a fishing tackle outlet.
On the non-live front, try anything you want! Settled gar will take almost anything meaty, but start off with lancefish (small whole fish sold for predator fish) and jumbo krill. Mussels are enjoyed, but contain thiaminase, so should be used sparingly. Cockles on the other hand are thiaminase-free. I fed my gar on stuff mostly from the grocery store; strips of squid, tilapia and mackerel offering a good balance of flavours and nutrients. Mackerel and other oily fish like salmon have a strong smell that elicits a good response, but they're oily and play havoc with water quality unless you have a really big filter and masses of aeration. I used them just before a water change so it was easy to remove any uneaten remnants and to siphon away the oily film.
Each time you feed, offer up some Hikari Cichlid Gold or some other premium pellet food. Before long the gar will snap at these along with the other food items you're offering, and eventually he'll take them as soon as they're offered without any coaxing. That's the mark of the skilled aquarist -- getting a predator weaned onto a balanced, safe pellet food that you KNOW will provide 100% of the nutrients your fish needs to enjoy a good life. By all means offer fresh or live treats alongside the pellets, but I like to use pellets as the staple so I know my fish is in perfect health. I use the frozen food for fun, and for when I want to show off to any visitors how tame my predatory fish has become!
Cheers, Neale
Thanks Neale
those are some interesting facts and i think im going to take what you said about live feeder and how they can give my fish paresites into consideration and that is the last thing i want. I have been feeding him small feeders,Krill,Gold fish and cray fish but im going to look into healthier foods.Could you give me some ideas of different food that might be sold in the fish store. thanks
