PLECO HUNT

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Really? Are we sure on this? walking around? I don't see how they could even move about for long, as they are not the proper shape- like eel, snakehead, bichir..

Well, I don't know about walking around, but I accidentally found out plecos can survive a LONG time out of water. :D
 
Well, I don't know about walking around, but I accidentally found out plecos can survive a LONG time out of water. :D

Yeah, like 4 hours or something like that.
 
Wish I lived in Florida i'm looking for some plecos at the moment, going to have to pay a couple hundred for ones smaller than those.
 
Wish I lived in Florida i'm looking for some plecos at the moment, going to have to pay a couple hundred for ones smaller than those.

Living in Australia is a bit of a P.I.T.A when it comes to fish keeping with water restrictions / limited supply of fish... all i can say is i'm glad i'm back in Hong Kong...

as for the invasive species part, i'd personally say as long as its not endangered species, then kill it if thats what needs to be done... i mean our eco-system is already messed up enough as it is without any more added problems...
 
1. they destroy nests... ask anyone who breeds fish that "nest" spawn and they will tell you not to keep a common pleco in the tank.. it'll eat the eggs.
2. they destroy the banks just like musk-rats did in the pond behind our house growing up ( yep they started trapping them, someones severealy twisted an ankle when the bank-gave out)
3. if that wasn't invasive enough they are opportunistic feeders.

I've had them live year round in my koi pond in northern IL for many years.

If they where endangered, non-destructive, or even remotely benign on the environment I would agree with not destroying them. But they aren't... humanely destroying them imo is a much more viable option then introduceing them into more water ways ( private or not, flooding happens, hurricanes happen, ect...) Humans like to try and control everything and we talk ourselves into the belief we can.

I'm not much for banning animals.. but imo they are as invasive or potentially worse then SH... and can walk on the ground alot better then a SH can, but not sure about a Claris. This is one fish.. Common Plecos I speak of... that should imho be banned or better regulated in the US. They are far more unsuitable then a majority of species banned for the pet trade. Just about every LFS I walk into will try and push a common pleco on you... and insist it will only grow to the size of the tank.

tbh I seriousely doubt the pleco problem was largely the publics fault but more likely the fisheries in FL's fault. they have been bred commercially in FL for as long as I can remember for the pet trade... many animals escaped from such facilities ( hence the reptile problem FL also has).. It's hard to point a finger at them, Hurricanes are forces of nature we can't simply build enclosures proof against them. But I think hobbyist get more blame then they should be credited for... not that some people don't release pets.. but it's not solely on hobbyists shoulders imo.. but the Trade as a wholes.
 
Let's all take a deep breath:

In florida, the law is that if you catch a Non-native, you are not allowed to put it back into any body of water. With restricted fish, like Claria and SH, you HAVE to kill them. There are severe penalties for possessing live ones.
So the only options are adoption, or death. If you catch a Pleco, you cannot put it back. It is illegal.

As far as harming the ecosystem.... I don't know.
Since we are talking about man-made lakes and canals here, what is so natural anyway? Most of these lakes in communities are man made, and were stocked arbitrarily anyway.
Pbass were introduced in the 80's, and so they are considered "gamefish". But Oscars have been around a lot longer, and are considered "Invasive".
I don't think there is a clear line here. The best bet is to stick to what the law says, and not get into trouble.

Thankyou for explaining the law :)
 
Really? Are we sure on this? walking around? I don't see how they could even move about for long, as they are not the proper shape- like eel, snakehead, bichir..

Quite a few people claim they see them do that during flooding. I have only seen them moving in shallow water on the road. Anyways when they were up on the grass they were hissing at me and like trying to crawl towards the water.
 
I dont care what other people say about what you are doing, all that matters is it has to be done and you are right for doing it. Now when i go to Al'Lopez park and fish for S&G and catch that huge pleco im not going to let it back in the water. And for the people that may or may quote me on not trying to re-home it. IT'S 2 FEET LONG!!! No one is probably going to want it that big and if they do there isn't really a away to ship it..... Also their is a story that the reason why they are in the wild is because our aquarium lost some one day. This may or may not be true but i have herd it from a few people.
 
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