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My friend is thinking of getting some alligator gars but i saw a programme that showed these gars being very predatory will they eat my friends peppered corys?.

Alligator gars=Lepidosteus?
Even the smallest reaches much more than two feet in length; and that's not the one "usually" encountered (they're not so usual in the trade)
They're predators (piscivores=fisheaters; they prefer live prey over anything else, and don't eat flakes or tabs), and a 2" fish; spines or no; is a nice snack for a 24"+ fish....
The species that shows up regular over here is the one that can reach 5-6 feet in length (I forgot the name)
a few species:
L osseus from Quebec to Mexico grows to 2 meters!
I've seen L oculatus, another 4 feeter, and a coldwaterfish in a tropical tank justa bit bigger than the fish themselves; sad things.....
L tristoechus or Atractosteus tristoechus is one of the few "tropicals" (Cuba etc 18-23'C) and reaches at least 2 meters; although some refer to lengths as much as +3 meters....
Another tropical species is L tropicus from Central America, wich maxes out on 4 feet.
So for most of them; they're no tropicals, the temperature needed for the cory's is a bit high for Alligator gars; they're happy with just 12-20'C.
A fish that size needs a big tank, with big companions, like Channelcats and Bullheads; these are from its' natural habitat too.

david wrote:My friend is thinking of getting some alligator gars but i saw a programme that showed these gars being very predatory will they eat my friends peppered corys?.

If they are Alligator Gars, tell him to avoid them like the plague! They are only suitable for Public Aquaria. I have seen a couple of captive-bred imports of these in the UK, from the Far East (in spite of them being a southern US species), and anyone who buys one is simply storing up trouble.
None of the Gars are suitable for housing with significantly smaller fish, in any case.

there is a gar that would be perfectly alright with them.The needle nose gar. There is a couple different kinds so when your doing your research make sure you find the one that only gets about a foot. They are very docile and just like oscars, only bother things they think they can eat. I know of one good site that some info but forgot the name i'll do a little searching and come back to tell you later.

NO!!!

Zack wrote:there is a gar that would be perfectly alright with them.The needle nose gar. There is a couple different kinds so when your doing your research make sure you find the one that only gets about a foot.

When you say Needlenose Gar what fish are you actually referring to?
What family does it belong to? (there are a number of fish sold under this name, including Xenentodon cancila, Ctenolucius hujeta etc. etc.)

He's referring to Xenentodon cancila; the Asian freshwater-needlenose (there's a South American freshwater needlenose as well; Potamorrhapis guianensis; this one gets bigger -40 cm- and is VERY rare in the trade).
This fish is NOT easy to keep!!!
a few facts:
-length 32 cm
-incredable jumpers!! with VERY fragile jaws
-waterparameters: hard (GH/DH >10), warm water (24-28'C), pH 7-7,5; low level nutrients, sensitive to nitrates and ammonia.
-Thailand, Myanmar, Malaisia, Sri Lanka, South India, in estuaries and open rivers; freshwater species.
-needs live food; preferably surface dwelling fish (like guppies, zebrabarbs etc)
-it's a surface dweller; needs a LONG and very WIDE tank; because it's "stiff".(like a pike or a barracuda)
-they are jumpy; easily stressed; their jaws can break against the glass: truly a fish for the specialist.
NOT to be used with Cory's; it never encounters such armoured spiny things; and the small size of the Corydoras will envoke attacks; in wich both needlenose and Cory will perish (cory's go up for air; go figure what happens then...)


it's native to Asia, and a relative of the smaller Dermogenys, and Nomoramphus; wich CAN be kept with Cory's. It's other relatives are the Flying Fish!

FWIW, I think <i>Xenetodon</i> also need fairly well-oxygenated water, as all of the <i>Xenetodon</i> I have collected or come across came from fairly fast-flowing streams.

Its the one sg reffered to. They are jumpy and and nead a fairly large tank so they dont hurt there noses but other than that they are very hardy. And as long as you have a good cover wont jump out. They do nead live food but white clouds are cheap easy to get. The gar wont attack corys unless they are very small. My gar had a hard time getting golfish over a inch down and he was eight inches so if you get some bigger corys than all should be fine.

Yep; and they're incredable strong swimmers, well up to cruising against the current. (and the fact that they prefer the upper 10 cm of the water, wich contains most oxygen, fits too)
We've experienced that they can die fast, when the pumps bog down; especially in a too small or too crowded tank.
in this case; 2 meters x 45 cm x 45 cm is TOO SMALL!