Free to good home

[DBray6]

I have 3 fish that I aquired before I found this website and I am a newbie and wasn't real aware of the problem of these guys in a community tank. I will let them go for free if you pay shipping and give me instructions on how to ship. Or if you live in the tampa bay area you can pick up or I will deliver reasonably.

What I have is:

Brown Bullhead, 3 inches long
2 Tilapia, both approx 2 inches

I hope someone can add these guys to their home. Right now everyone gets along fine. But I am afraid of what will happen in the future. The bullhead is fun to watch with his long whiskers and always searching for food until he notices you looking. Then he runs and hides in the rocks FAST!

The tilapias are both very nice with everyone. They eat fine and really tear up dead feeder shrimp. All of these were wild caught. I have had them for over a month with no signs of sickness.

[Aussie_hippie_2]

Sorry but I don't have the tank for them, but the reason I post is that you should watch out about those plecos and think about giving them away also; they can get above 18" I believe.

[DBray6]

Yes I found that out also. I am going to watch them and see what happens. I am not sure on the type of pleco they are. I am also working on training them.

[Aussie_hippie_2]

OK, sounds good. You know you could allways just fry those suckers up. :devil:

[aardvark1]

Yeah, common plec is quite nice, dipped in batter and pan fried...

:devil:

Keep telling Ralph, my common that when he gets rambunctioius!

:)

[DBray6]

Ok, I just found out that it would be illegal for me to ship live fish because I don't have some permit. So the option of shipping is out of the question. Which is good because I don't like the idea of sending the poor little guys out in a box and wondering what is happening to them enroute to their new home. So if anyone wants them you can pick them up at my place in Pinellas County, FL or I can deliver them to you in the Tampa Bay area.

[Aussie_hippie_2]

Wait, did you catch them?

[DBray6]

yes, once caught tilapia cant be released

[herostar]

If you caught them, why not just throw them back. And isn't tilapia a saltwater fish?

[DBray6]

Its not that simple. In florida tilapia is a freshwater fish AND an nuisance fish. If you catch them whether it be with a net or with a pole it is ILLEGAL to throw them back in the water. So it is either eat them, give them away for someone else to eat or let them die. I was netting for freshwater shrimp when I caught them and they are currently the perfect size for my tank (less than 2 inches) so I kept them alive and brought them home. I don't like killing any fish without a good reason. The bullhead I could have released back in the pond when I caught him, but he is the perfect size also. I never thought about after he grows up someday. Someone has mentioned with the bullhead that its not good to release after he was in an aquarium. I didn't know anything about that.

I hope that explains why I can't just put them back where I found them.

[sumthin fishy]

catch 3-5 more that are 2", fry them all in butter and garlic, and put it in a green salad with oil and vinegar.

[BlueLobster]

I'd cook them too. Why let someone else just kill them, and throw them in the trash if you can cook them?

[epicfish]

Mmmm, tilapia.

[DBray6]

My LFS has agreed to take these guys. I will bring them to him on saturday. If any of you want them before that let me know.