Banning plecos?

Question

http://www.gcas.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=7527

It might happen. I have mixed feelings about this. The reason they are banning them is because in the lower states, irresponsible pet owners have released plecos into the wild, and they are disrupting the natural eco system. Most people release their fish into the wild because the fish has grown too large, as is a common problem with common plecos especially. I think common plecos should be banned, because they grow too large for almost any aquarium, and the average person does not know this because many pet store employees lie about the size of these fish just so they can make a few bucks. I think people need to pull their heads out of their rear end and do a little research, and the pet stores need to think about true needs of the fish, instead of just trying to make money. Because it is the many clueless people who are ruining it for those of us who actually know what we are doing and enjoy it very much....

First it was snakeheads, asian arrowannas, Pirahnas in some states, ect. Now plecos. What's next? Goldfish? If people don't figure things out soon, maybe all fish may be banned in the future. It is time to realize that fish are not decorations. They are living creatures, and need to be treated that way. And they should never, ever be released into the wild, especially in places where they do not belong. Just look at Florida, where thanks to irresponsible fishkeepers, Oscars are destroying the native bass population in the Everglades.

OK, that's enough of my ranting for now...

I apologize, not every pet store lies. There are some that are great. But most pet stores, PetCo and PetSmart especially(but there are exceptions to those even), only care about money, and give out loads of false information.

Answer 1

well i work at a petstore and we dont lie about the size a fish will grow to. we ask the size of their tank and we tell them what fish they can not buy. but ive gotten so many people come in and say i need a pleco, give me an attitude about saying they have a 110 gallon tank and blah lah b;a;a;asss/ so they get them. we have so many people returning plecos cause they are "too big for the tank" i just look at them and think "told ya so". but it is illegal to sell captured fish so millions are being bred in captivity. im actually surprised they can make it in the wild. but i can see where the problem arrises. i dont know how i feel about this cause i live in NY...and i always find people who have heated ponds or HUGE tanks that want the bigger ones...hmmmm

Answer 2

Goldfish are banned already in some countries due to release. There are stricter regulations on them in the US as of last october because they can harbor disease that kills off natural carp. I agree with the restriction and possible banning of oversized fish being sold to the general public. If it can't fit in a 120 gallon tank, you don't need to sell it in pet stores.

Answer 3

Well,I mean,if you dont want to release the plecos in the wild,nor have them as a ''Decor'' [which i know many people take very good care of thier plecos ,and they dont use 'em as some sort of decoration at all,..they are ugly,at that!]then where can they live?

I dont see nothing wrong with an EXPERIENCED fishkeeper taking care of large plecos.As long as you know that they are quite rampant in looking for food and need thier space[alot of space] then youre fine.
Piranhas are great too,but it doesnt take any aquarist to take care of such agressive fish...but it aint like your taking care of a crocodile or something,scared it might bite your head off..

Answer 4

Hi there. People will always be irresponsible and it does take governmental agencies to investigate and instigate bans. Education can help but enforcement would be difficult even if laws were created to stop freeing foreign species to the wild. Have a great day and thanks for posting this