PLECO HUNT

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MonsterMinis said:
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.
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thankyou.:) you hav many good points that people on here need to read to better understand this situation
 
Oh and our friend warborg is trolling other threads telling them not to change there tank size if they have 9 aros and saying its ok to keep them in a small tank and killing them.
 
agreed. plecos are a dime a dozen and really shouldn't be available to the public or bred in this country for any reason. keep up the good work pulling them out as many as you can :) if anybody doesn't like it, tough but get over it because odds are you don't have to deal with this problem
 
ScubaChick0121 said:
@ Warborg
Does it help you sleep at night knowing invasive species with no predators are taking over waterways while you disapprove of what must be done?
Plecos are so common, you cannot expect every speciment to be rehomed when they are homeless at LFS, walmart, petsmart, and all over craigslist?
And excuse me but am I killing fish living in aquariums or telling people to kill there fish? No, i just made a comment that if there is no way to rehome them than euthanizing them is better than releasing them. And these fish are part of a HUGE population living across florida, when what can you do with so many fish and so few homes?

Of course this would have gone down a different path if i was killing arrowana or stingrays, but im not am I? and from what i know/seen they are not mass reproducing in native florida waterways. U cannot compare that to what I was doing.

Sorry, just saying
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Please re-read my first post. I'm not against you removing the plecos...in fact I support you doing that 100%. The problem I have was the lazy approach and the easy way out which led to the pointless killing of them. I don't deny re-homing them is not an easy task but it is very possible with some effort ahead of time before taking on such a mission. Every LFS I've seen rotates large plecos in and out so I doubt they are that hard to sell as some make it seem.

At Crashkt90: I don't support the death penalty.
 
Crashkt90 said:
Oh and our friend warborg is trolling other threads telling them not to change there tank size if they have 9 aros and saying its ok to keep them in a small tank and killing them.
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I'm not trolling, I'm letting him know of the hypocrites that are on this forum... that they change the rules to suit their needs. Let him read and judge for himself who gives good advice.
 
Warborg said:
Please re-read my first post. I'm not against you removing the plecos...in fact I support you doing that 100%. The problem I have was the lazy approach and the easy way out which led to the pointless killing of them. I don't deny re-homing them is not an easy task but it is very possible with some effort ahead of time before taking on such a mission. Every LFS I've seen rotates large plecos in and out so I doubt they are that hard to sell as some make it seem.

At Crashkt90: I don't support the death penalty.
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Believe me i can tell you rather waste tax payers money by killers living.... Im sorry but you dont get re-home can cause more of this in different areas..
 
Crashkt90 said:
Believe me i can tell you rather waste tax payers money by killers living.
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One the biggest reasons I'm against the death penalty is look at how many people were in prison for 15-20 years only to be found innocent later.

...anyways this is off topic
 
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