Native species tanks...

[tricksterpup]

Am I the only person who has a tank of native species fish? The idea is to collect fish as well as plants from your local area water ways etc etc. To my suprise I was able to collect flag fish and sailfin mollies among other things. I really didn't expect it to turn out to be anything spectacular, but it's turned into something pretty cool. Anyone else doing this?

Aquatick, I collect and raise many fish Native to Florida. I believe you are ok to collect many of these small fish with out getting fined or needing a license. To my biased opionin the Least Killie or Dwarf livebearer is the coolest. It is a tiny livebearer that is found in ditches, small streams and shallows of ponds.
Here is a list of my favorites from Florida.

Heterandria Formosa (least killiefish)
Jordanella floridae (flag fish)
Lucania goodie (bluefin Killie)
Fundulus chrysotus (golden topminnow)
Gambusia Affinis holbrooki (Mosquito Fish)
Elassoma okeefenokee (Pygmy sunfish)

 

[LongTime]

Nice tanks a fish.

LongTime, if all else false, get a hunting and fishing schedule from the place you get licenses or look up your dept. of wildlife and fisheries online and get a number to call and they can probably tell you what is accepted and not accepted.

I am with Aquatik, it is not likely they will come raid your house. Chances are that it is not even illegal. If you want, I can give you some places to go where you may find someone who lives in your state what would know. Just pm me ifyou want a link.

Back up a few posts. I'm not interested in keeping any local species. My whole entry into this discussions was simply to point out that keeping local species can be illegal in some states.

 

[Gambusia]

I have a number of fish I caught fishing and some I didn't but are USA natives:

2 sunfish

1 black crappie (he is sick :sad )

2 shortnose gar

2 channel catfish

2 largemouth bass

several mosquitofish/gambusia

1 blue tilapia- NON US NATIVE

I did have a brown trout but he jumped to his death.

I also had creek chubs but they didn't do well.

I live in NC.

 

[MamaBarb]

Weird law worth noting: In Florida it is illegal to posess a blue talapia, even tho they are rampant in South Florida waterways. Anyone know why? BTW, does anyone keep this member of the Cichlid family? They are pretty, AND good eating! lol

JoeB - they are illegal becuz they are considered an exotic here. There are tons of them in our local waterways - prob released by hobbyists who couldn't keep them anymore or didn;t want them and then they just bred up a astorm. They eat stuff intended for our native species. Bad Fish!

 

[Gambusia]

Tilapia are usually stocked for either food or vegitation control.

Usually they are not kept by aquarium hobbyist, usually by aquaculturists.

 

[enuttage]

A few shots of my native tank...

http://www.ladylivewire.com/fish/

Nice to be back here. I was a member, long, long ago, in another state, in another time in my life.

If anyone wants IDs on any fish, just post the number and I'll let you know.

-E