Releasing Florida Gar Back in the Wild???

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Mercury2234

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Sep 8, 2009
208
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Orlando, FL
Hello all,

I might be moving to another country (Brazil) and unfortunately will have to dismantle my tank. While I plan on selling my non-natives (Bichirs, CK, Fire EEL), I thought if it would be best to release my Florida!

I live in Orlando, FL btw, and there is a park nearby where Floridas and PLECOS :irked: are abundant. It's a huge cannal (goes many many miles)/lake with a DAM.

Just wondering, if it would be ok for the environment and most importantly, himself. Don't want to dump him in the water, then 5 minutes later see him floating. :irked: Speaking of which, what are steps so I can get him acclimated with the lake water?

Also, I would like to hear whether you think it would be best to release him or try to find a dedicated hobbyist (might be extremely tough, Floridas are abundant and super cheap here).

FYI: He is about 14", so I guess he should be able to handle on his own.
 
I agree with pharaoh, you should never just release a fish back into the wild, you should try and find a new home for it.
 
Mercury2234;4211368; said:
Apologies, I thought it was only for Non-natives...

Thanks for educating me on the matter; will not release Florida in the wild.
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good decision.

other than introduction of foreign pathogens (even if your fish is native, it has been living with non-native fishes in your tanks), there is also the issue of genetic contamination from a conservation standpoint. your fish was likely not born directly out of that specific water body, and different populations of fishes (we have found this recently in gars) have distinct population genetic structures...adding another set of genes into the pool is inadvisable as it is not part of the natural system or progression of gene flow, etc.

again, in short, never release a captive fish into the wild; find another person to provide it with a new home, take it to an LFS, or if nothing else works, euthanize it (the last option sucks, but it is better for all fishes than releasing it into the wild).--
--solomon
 
E_americanus;4211524; said:
good decision.

other than introduction of foreign pathogens (even if your fish is native, it has been living with non-native fishes in your tanks), there is also the issue of genetic contamination from a conservation standpoint. your fish was likely not born directly out of that specific water body, and different populations of fishes (we have found this recently in gars) have distinct population genetic structures...adding another set of genes into the pool is inadvisable as it is not part of the natural system or progression of gene flow, etc.

again, in short, never release a captive fish into the wild; find another person to provide it with a new home, take it to an LFS, or if nothing else works, euthanize it (the last option sucks, but it is better for all fishes than releasing it into the wild).--
--solomon
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agreed, smart decision. Plus, you could just sell him, there are lots of people who want a florida gar online.
 
My friends dad threw two black piranhas into a pond because he did not want them anymore, They were 16" and I'm in the same area as the OP
 
My friends dad threw two black piranhas into a pond because he did not want them anymore, They were 16" and I'm in the same area as the OP
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Now you know that it was wrong to do.
 
Even with a Florida Marine Science Educator's Association collector's permit, it is illegal to return any fish that has been kept for more than 30 days. It is also illegal if its quarantine has been broken at all, meaning if it was kept with anything that has been in captivity for more than 30 days, or was not wild-caught.
 
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