Red Florida Gar Care Guide

Home › Care Guides › Red Florida Gar Care Guide

Overview

The Florida Gar (Lepisosteus platyrhincus) is a living fossil — a relict species whose lineage traces back over 100 million years. The Red Florida Gar is a colour variant with an exceptional brick-red to orange body colouration, making it one of the most visually striking predatory fish available in the UK hobby.

Gars are characterised by their elongated, heavily scaled bodies, long needle-like jaws packed with sharp teeth, and a remarkable ability to breathe atmospheric air via a highly vascularised swim bladder. This adaptation allows them to survive in stagnant, low-oxygen water — useful in the wild, and a sign of a hardy species in captivity.

Unlike many large predators, Gars are relatively undemanding in terms of water chemistry. Their main requirement is space — they are ambush predators that spend much of their time motionless near the surface before striking at prey with explosive speed.

Natural Habitat

Florida Gars are endemic to the state of Florida and southern Georgia, USA, inhabiting slow-moving rivers, lakes, swamps, and backwaters. They are found in both clear and highly tannic, dark waters. Their natural habitat is often heavily vegetated, warm, and subject to seasonal temperature variation from the low teens (°C) in winter to over 30°C in summer.

This wide thermal tolerance makes them one of the more forgiving monster fish for UK keepers, as our tap water quality is generally well-suited to their needs without extensive conditioning.

Tank Requirements

• Minimum tank size: 450 litres for a juvenile; 700+ litres for adults (which can reach 90cm+)
• Footprint: Length is critical — a 180cm+ long tank allows Gars to extend and turn naturally
• Depth: 45cm+ water depth; Gars need surface access to gulp air
• Cover: A secure lid is essential — Gars can launch themselves out of uncovered tanks at feeding time
• Décor: Gars appreciate some cover — large driftwood, floating plants, or overhangs where they can hover. Keep open swimming space alongside
• Substrate: Fine gravel or sand; Gars do not regularly interact with the substrate but will occasionally rest on it

Water Parameters

One of the Gar’s greatest assets is its adaptability. They tolerate a wide range of conditions that would stress more delicate species.

• Temperature: 20–26°C (optimal 22–25°C); they can tolerate brief excursions to 18°C or 28°C
• pH: 6.5–8.0
• Hardness: 5–20 dGH (will adapt to most UK tap water)
• Ammonia/Nitrite: 0 ppm
• Nitrate: Below 40 ppm; weekly water changes maintain this easily

Standard external filtration rated for the tank volume, combined with 20–30% weekly water changes, is sufficient for most Gar setups.

Feeding

Gars are ambush predators with a diet consisting almost entirely of fish and invertebrates in the wild. In captivity, they can be transitioned to dead/frozen foods and even large pellets, though this requires patience.

Ideal foods:

• Whole dead fish (smelt, lance fish, whitebait, sprats — available from supermarkets or fishmongers)
• Large river shrimp and prawns
• Earthworms
• Hikari Massivore or Hikari Cichlid Gold pellets (once trained)
• Frozen bloodworm for juveniles

Feed 2–3 times per week for adults; daily for juveniles. Gars have a slow metabolism compared to many fish — overfeeding causes fatty liver disease. Use feeding tongs to present food directly in front of the Gar — they strike sideways with their long jaws rather than mouth-first.

Tank Mates

Gars are generally peaceful toward fish too large to eat, making them surprisingly versatile tank mates for a monster fish.

Good choices:

• Arowana (similar size and surface orientation)
• Large cichlids (Peacock Bass, Uaru, large Geophagus)
• Large catfish (Plecos, Pimelodus)
• Silver Dollars and large tetras
• Other Gars of similar size

Avoid:

• Any fish small enough to fit in the Gar’s mouth — they are stealth predators
• Highly aggressive cichlids that will bully Gars

Common Health Issues

• Fatty liver disease: Caused by overfeeding, especially oily feeder fish like goldfish. Feed lean, varied foods and avoid overfeeding.
• Internal parasites: Common in newly imported fish; treat prophylactically with Praziquantel on arrival.
• Bacterial infections: Usually secondary to injury or poor water quality. Maintain excellent water conditions.

Where to Buy Red Florida Gar in the UK

MTF Aquatics stocks Red Florida Gar at various sizes throughout the year. The Red colour variant is rarer than standard Florida Gar — contact us to be notified when new stock arrives.