hi
i have 2 hujeta gars they have both been doing really well for about 1 year now but today i noticed one of them lunging into the other knocking of a scale or 2. at first i thought maybe it was reacting badly to any ammonia present as i fed a cucumber a day ago and couldn't find it to take it out. so i found it(cucumber) tested ammonia and results showed 0. ive also noticed its a bit bigger in the belly area.
so i was wondering if maybe they are breeding???

p.s. ive never seen them lunge at each other before
(sorry soo long)
thanks
teres

Hi Teres,

What size tank do you have your Hujeta Gars in. Also do you have the usual water readings: Ammonia, Nitrites, Nitrates, PH, Hardness etc? Is the tank planted, (Real or Artificial)? What other fish are in the tank with your Hujetas?

90L: 2 hujeta gars, 1 checkerboard cichlid, 5 kuhli loaches, flying fox
ammonia:0 PH:8 N03:5 N02:0.1 GH: not really sure i think its about 12
had a few real plants but they died about a month ago and planning on replanting soon.
also planning on moving them to a bigger tank which was just ordered.

EDIT:so no plants atm

Hello Sorry your fish are hurting,

But really that fish should be in a tank from 180 litres upwards. If kept in tanks that are too small, Pike Characins are nervous and prone to damaging themselves as they bump into the walls of the tank or jump against the hood, so its prob a good thing you are looking for a bigger tank.

Are the Hujetas going in new tank on their own as they are generally classified as a specialist fish. I ask this because if what you have are true Hujetas you will get up one day and find you have no other fish in the tank. (Can you post a photo just to confirm that they are Hujetas please?). Hujetas are predators and will eat any other fish half their own size. It is very very very rare that Hujetas will eat anything vegetable, they are carnivores and like nothing more than a nice fresh live food. They can grow to 10" and above to a maximum of 14".

Do you find that they can be a little skitty at times, if so this is due to the fishes nervous disposition, which is where they get there other name of Rocket Gar from, when startled they shoot around like crazed beasts banging into the tank ends bumping there noses in the process. Thus the need for a big tank of about 4 to 5 feet in length.

ill try get you a picture soon. the vegetable was for the flying fox and kuhli loaches. they dont seem to be going for the other fish and all other fish are about the same size or a little bigger. ill try get a photo but my camera is not exactly working ill see what i can do though.

Do you mean the Hujetas are same size as the other fish? If so the Huj's will grow bigger and then they will eat the smaller fish. I don't mean to be the bringer of bad news but once these fish get a taste for live food they will not take anything else, not even raw meat. They are actually Characins, the same species as your lovely red bellied Piranha, and not true Gars.

pic

the flying fox is a bit bigger and much fatter.cichlid about same the only thing is the kuhli's are same length but thiner.
i have been feeding them daphnia,bloodworm and tetra prima.

Yep he is a Hujeta, and yes he will grow bigger than the other fish. I would separate them off to a species tank or take them back to the LFS as soon as you can. They will need a tank of at least 48x18x18 and be on their own or fish that are bigger. There is a saying that goes with these Fish, Cichlids bite, Hujetas Swallow. This is where the next problem arises really these fish are shoalers and like many other shoaling fish are better in groups of 6 or more, and that means a tank of massive proportions, 8feet is a minimum. Theses fish love to swim and need a big open swimming area. Planted at back and sides only so they can get away and hide, if not they will batter themselves around the tank edges. As they get bigger more meaty diets will be required. In some cases these fish have been known to only take live foods when they are fully grown. These reasons are why these fish should only be sold to specialist and experienced fishkeepers.

Sorry for all the bad news.