Just caught in Florida need pics from pleco people.

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it might sound cruel, but its a sensible thing to do. but to put you at peace, if you were to release it again, i dont think it would make an awful lot of difference, the fish are in large populations and have taken a real hold in some areas. however, if it was me, it is the best thing for your environment. introduced species are never a good thing, and it helps protect your NATIVE wildlife...


or dont fish for them lol...
 
Well, I couldn't get a good picture yet but it looks like it is a sailfin. he was smaller than I thought too. Guess a breeding pair or two got stuck in the pond during a flood 4 or 5 years ago.

Well, we'll do the trapping and what ever we catch can go to our pond and a couple of our friends' ponds. hopefully we can get some credits at our LFS just to get some pond equipment or at least some more food.

My friend wsaid he'd have no problem getting rid of the ones nobody takes. He'll probably just throw them in a box and put them in the walk in freezer at his store.
 
thats fair enough, although i believe it isnt the best way to kill fish at all. there are threads on killing fish humanely if you use the search. clove oil, head smashing(gruesome i know) etc. it would be good if you can get some credit but i know here in the UK, if we had a similar situation, we wouldnt get anything
 
You might get some credit for them, but what will likely happen is they get given to another genious and out grows their tank. Then they will be right back in the water system. The pillow case full of fish smashed on the curb always works well.
 
There are much bigger ones up in the springs here in N Florida - see my post in General Discussion. Quite a few species too - saw at least 4 different ones, but I'm not up on pleconese.
 
these are the only pictures i could get. they suck.
sucker1.jpg


sucker2.jpg
 
Same thing probably h. punctatus, or plecostomus. Nice spine curve in it, Ironically with plecos stunting doesn't seem to happen. I've seen 12" commons in a 20 gallon high, with no abnormal spinal curvature, and then I've seen commons with warped spines, and hunchbacks that were kept in 125 gallons from 1" on. Just defects, but they don't seem to affect the pleco too much.
 
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