Releasing native aquarium fish

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P.A.NativesBPM

Feeder Fish
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Mar 25, 2012
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Pennsylvania
This is my take on releasing native fish back to where they came from.
Please note that I am not planning on doing this and would just like to voice an opinion.

People's main concern with releasing aquarium residents is a change in diet and possible diseases picked up in an aquarium.

I specifically set up my tank so that no diseases could be picked up by my fish for this reason:
If a disease in a tank would kill fish if introduced to the wild, it would affect the fish I bring home the same way. The fish you decide to keep aren't magically immune to a disease in a new tank so their buddies will be able to survive it if they can.

The second issue is diet. When you keep wild fish, you normally switch them over to pellet food as an easy staple. If you were planning on releasing them, couldn't you just wean them back onto whatever the fish were eating in the wild? (in my case it was tadpoles)

Please tell me what you think of my theory


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Just throw it back. They are adapted to thrive in their native environment. I never take natives off native food though. I don't understand why you would. It takes me 5 minutes to scoop 40 gambuisa to feed my native basses for a few days, and they are free, and why more fun to watch than pellets. If you have a problem watching your fish east live food you are simply not giving them what they want based on your morals. Gambuisa are free for collection in any state, and are better for your fish than process pellets.

Most native fish are naturally scavengers, and are naturally leaner than aquarium kept fish. Your fish should be gut loaded compared to it's cohorts if your threw him back even if he was feed pellets, which would allow for a window of transitioning due to it's extra food reserves.
 
I have no problem keeping them on native food. I just thought pellets would be easier but they do really pound the night crawlers and it's cool to watch. But you think I could release these fish if I wanted to try my hand at something new?

I had steeled myself not to do it but I may have to reconsider.


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What's in the lake, stays in the lake. If you do keep one, don't release it.
 
Nah, just throw it back. If it's grown or a good size juvenile it'll be fine. Just don't get in a habit of doing it, and of you plan on releasing keep them on native food for a week or so.
 
This s going to be an interesting thread. In NY the DEC runs a program called Trout in the Classroom. Students will raise trout from eggs and release them in lakes, streams and rivers. I aways wondered what the survival rate of fish where compared to wild trout. I am sure many will survive but the majority just won't have the genetics or habits to survive.
 
this is all good in theory, but as soon as someone "accidentally" something not native it gets bad quick. IMO better to just tell everyone not to do it than to tell people to actually use their brains. im sure all the animals released that have taken over were not released with bad intent, yet we have carp by the million, snakeheads, pythons and snails doing damage and costing millions in damage and control.
 
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