Problem with some natives I caught/Moral Dillemma

[CrenicichlaJr]

I went on vacation to Toledo Bend ( a FW reseviour made by a dam) last week. Anywat as I usually do I dredge up some local fish look for some interesting thinks to throw in my native tank. I had several interesting looking eel like fish from 2 to 4 inches long, not paying too much attenton I bagged and boxed them up to take them home. Now they are filter feeders and I have been giveing them rotifers daphnia and green water lots of green water. They appear to be doing fine except with one problem I realized today they are larval lampreys. Now they may stay in this form for several years but I really dont want three lampreys attaching to my fish and one of them is starting to change. I don't want to euthanize them and I don't want to release them locally because were I live is to close to the gulf they will die due to brackish waters plus they are not frequent around here. It will be several months before I make it back to were I caught them from so my options are runnning slim. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

 

[Teelie]

First thought is set up a tank just for them, until you can release them back to their original habitat. It's probably illegal to do that, but then it's probably illegal to take them in the first place unless your area has different laws on that. Who cares, what they don't know won't hurt them.

 

[Opcn]

Don't release them into the Wild no matter what

You may find an individual who wants them or even an LFS but It would be ecologicaly irresponsable for you to release them. no matter where you do it you could do millions of dollars in damage by releaseing deseases or even lampreys in an area that they will be invasive in.

 

[Teelie]

Well this would be re-releasing them into their native habittat so I don't see them doing damage to a place they're already established to. The disease is a possibility though most likely not as they'll be in an aquarium and any disease they catch would probably be noticed or kill them making it moot.

 

[diVer]

But they could introduce a new disease, it isn't likely but it could happen. It's better not to take that risk.

 

[Opcn]

A desease might not kill them but may kill out a very rare cyprininid in the area or may lead to a drop in the bass population sending the whole ecosystem out of balance.
sure its unlikely but its better not to risk it for 3 fish.

And as for brackish water killing them you can never be to sure lampreys are very old fish and very tought dont risk a desease outbreack or introduceing an invasive species. If you want you can mail them to me and I can find a home for them but dont release them.

 

[jacblades]

arent lampreys parasites?

 

[Opcn]

Most