The biggest smile came over my face LOL ;Dhaha hey mabey we can take some monster plecos as our dates! Also thankyou water, J.Lake, and jakeca77!
PLECO HUNT
- Thread starter ScubaChick0121
- Start date
This is my first post here and you have my vote Scuba. I live in Orlando and have dove the springs around here and they are infested with plecos. Oscars are now considered a game fish. And its a great thrill to have a snakehead charge you in 30 feet of water. I'd like to see a ban on common plecs personally. Yeah I love my bristlenose and the smaller L's. Had a snowking that got to be around 16 inches and a buddy with a 1/8 acre pond took him for me. He sees it on occasion when he does dives to check on the pond.
I don't understand what the big deal is in keeping large fish. Just go buy a bigger tank or a swimming pool or a pond. Dig a hole and fill with water, get creative. If you own a fish then you should take responsibility for it no matter how large it gets. Using the dated excuse well the LFS didn't tell me it would get big doesn't fly. On the other hand, what's the harm with rehoming a pleco to the local lake ? Will they eat all the algae ?
Upgrading to a large tank isnt always possible for many reasons, same with a swimming pool or pond. Releasing the fish into a lake or river that it is not native to the animal is completely irresponsible as a fish keeper. Educating yourself as a first time fish buyer and being dedicated to meeting the demads of the types of fish you keep is the only way to avoid having to go in and remove unwanted species and get rid of them.
Not only will they eat all the algae, as common plecos age they become more omnivourous.. so they scavange... so what? well they don't just scavange dead things.. they scavange nests of native fish populations. Just as they often do in home aquariums. any nest laying species you want to stop reproduceing add a common pleco.. and you'll soon not have an overpopulation problem... just one big fat pleco. they destroy water banks with their tunneling...
Heres a shot from Wekiwa Springs State Park near Orlando. Thats just a small section near the head waters of the spring. This river eventually dumps into the St Johns River and is fed by lakes too numerous to mention.
The native birds try to eat them and get the spines lodged in thier throats and die. The black bears eat them, so the park officials rounded up some volunteers awhile back and in one day gigged over 5000 and left them in the woods for the bears to eat. 5000 in one day from a small portion of a small river. Thats just nuts. Plus there are many types of cichlid in our lakes and rivers down here that are non native.
Again
Cool picture to show. Never seen anything like it.View attachment 705502
Heres a shot from Wekiwa Springs State Park near Orlando. Thats just a small section near the head waters of the spring. This river eventually dumps into the St Johns River and is fed by lakes too numerous to mention.
The native birds try to eat them and get the spines lodged in thier throats and die. The black bears eat them, so the park officials rounded up some volunteers awhile back and in one day gigged over 5000 and left them in the woods for the bears to eat. 5000 in one day from a small portion of a small river. Thats just nuts. Plus there are many types of cichlid in our lakes and rivers down here that are non native.
Again
