Set Them Free !!!!

[FISHme]

I gave my 2 regal tangs that I have had for almost 4 years the biggest tank in the world to live in.
THE OCEAN
Actually I let them go in a local inlet in south Florida , the Hillsboro Inlet.
I dumped them into the water and when the bubbles cleared one of them was long gone on it's merry way while the other one just stayed in the general area. I watched it in it's new home for probably about an hour or more as it was swimming among other types of tangs and surgeons. I saw it swimming with an Atlantic Blue Tang and some others that I don't know what species they were.
I hope they are happy, at least they are FREE!!!!
Just thought ya'll might like the story

[scubadude]

HAHA....thats GREAT!...I have 3 tangs in my 90gal and they are starting to get real big and fat and healthy.....I was thinking of doing the same thing......I dont think I could bring myself to taking them back to a LFS

[FishKid]

Hey, thats just as bad, as what i did with my cat!!

mark

[FISHme]

WHAT ABOUT THE CAT ???

[FISHme]

Scuba ,
Yeah, it was pretty cool and a little sad too after all I got them when they were the size of a quarter or so and they were at least 6" when I let them go.

My tank is a 95 so space was getting to be a factor and I'm NOT upgrading to a larger tank.
I will turn this tank into the next reef as soon as I let the Queen Angel Free some day or to someone with a HU HUGE tank

[thezookeeper]

Fishme: That was probably much better than taking them to most LFS. At least they will have a good chance! And they are beautiful guys/gals. I'm sure you miss them. But it was better.

Fishkid: I think you should really refrain from comparing your cat incident to anything remotely close to this. In fact, it would be a good idea not mention it again. You're well aware of what everyone here thinks with that. It's no joke.


Joanne

[Firefish]

Man, I would really miss my tang if I got rid of him but I think you did the right thing...congrats on knowing what the right decision was...

[Ltspd]

Originally posted by FishKid
Hey, thats just as bad, as what i did with my cat!!

mark

No where close Mark.


FISHme, thats probally the best place, they've got a better chance there than at the LFS being picked up by someone who will stick them in there 55g and eventually kill them.

[angel101]

Pardon my intrusion, but what is great about this act? Blue Tangs are a Pacific species and you have released two fish, which might be a pair into the Atlantic. Dont the waterways of Florida have enough nuisance exotics in the way of Oscars, Peacock Cichlids and the lihe? I thought that it was a basic rule of aquarists not to dump surplus exotic stock into the wild! Then again maybe this was just a joke and I didnt get it!

[FishKid]

My post was intended to be a joke! ya know, haha hehe ??

mark

[piege]

I posted something, but I then thought it better that I stay out of this.

[FISHme]

I was wondering when someone was going to post the negative post about releasing them into a different environment than their origin.
Well , I thought about that but came to the conclusion that there are already surgeons and tangs in the south Florida waters and the regals eat the same things as them so what could be the downfall of introducing this beautiful species to this area.
The fish population in my opinion has decreased in this overfished area over the years anyway.
Also Angel , when you mentioned the other FRESH water non native introduced species into this area , they were of a completely different species than anything that was already living here.
I believe most fisherman are happy for the itroduction of these fish because of the greater population for sport fishing .
So my own beleif is that for one, I doubt that these 2 fish will ever see eachother again because like I said when I let them go , one was long gone while the other one stayed in the area for over an hour and might still be there because when I left it was still there.

Oh by the way , I was born in South Florida 46 years ago and am wondering why so many Non Natives (people) have been introduced into my environment and crowded my space

Just my opinion !!!!!

[piege]

How can you even compare non natives of florida entering your community when you were born 46 years ago to what you did? Let's at least TRY to be realistic here.

What happened to the Indians when everyone "discovered" America? They got sick from being introduced to pathogens that they had never encountered before. Their immune systems were not designed to handle that stuff.

What happens as soon as troops get deployed to other countries? We get our shots. Tons of them. To help us in case we get exposed to thingw we never encountered before overseas.

What happens when you travel overseas? It's recommended that you get your shots. Just to prevent such things from happening.

Come on now. Don't be pulling comments like that from your fourth point of contact. You know non natives moving to Florida 46 years ago has absolutely nothing to do with releasing two fish who have been exposed to who knows what back into the wild.

[FISHme]

I don't think I did the wrong thing

My statement about Non Native people was for a

These fish have been healthy for the past 4 years in my system exposed to the BEST water conditions and food . No sickness .
I wanted to give them a bigger home , NOT THE TOILET OR LFS !!!
I know there are the people that dis approve of this release but I am not one of them.

[scubadude]

Originally posted by angel101
Pardon my intrusion, but what is great about this act? Blue Tangs are a Pacific species and you have released two fish, which might be a pair into the Atlantic. Dont the waterways of Florida have enough nuisance exotics in the way of Oscars, Peacock Cichlids and the lihe? I thought that it was a basic rule of aquarists not to dump surplus exotic stock into the wild! Then again maybe this was just a joke and I didnt get it!

Hi angel101

I think we are talking about 2 different instances here....The Peacock cichlids aka oscars im well aware of the situation, they have been released into freshwater ponds here and they have almost wiped out bass populations....They are a very agressive fish, however these fish are contained in an inkling of a pond/lake that can be compared to the Ocean. The only alternatives that Fishme had was give to someone with a bigger tank, or take back to the fish store, or release free.....Now think about this for a minute....Ok yeah it is a Pacific species and Im sure there is a reason why they havent adapted, But I believe mother nature has a way of balancing things out even to the wildest extremes in most cases....I am VERY familiar with the area that Fishme released the fish in and I have seen other tangs there and I think this is a great place for this fish....and all he has to do is swim south and he will find much better scenery the more south he goes Now Im not a marine biologist and dont know if there is any negative drawbacks on the affects of the ocean/reefs by releaseing this fish on the atlantic coast but I think it WAS the most humane decision for the fish's life! But we are only talking about 2 fish here....I know if one does it then everyone will start doing it.....Like I said im not a marine biologist, and would appreciate a more educated theory on this if anyone has one, but there may even be an UPSIDE to this....maybe giving our atlantic ocean side more biodiversitie? Just a thought.....this is mostly hypothesis here

This thread has potential to get heated....lets try and keep it kewl everyone

[ravenmore]

hmmmmm - you might want to check Florida laws. Putting a non-native species in Florida waters might be illegal if nothing else.

I've heard reports of divers seeing plenty of non-atlantic species on florida reefs. Damsels, clownfish, and lion fish are a few that I've heard about.

It's probably not a good idea.

[scubadude]

Good Point RAVEN!....im looking into it right now....I put a post to Dr. Ron!

[FISHme]

I didn't do it , no body saw me , you can't prove anything !!!

This picture shows the french grunt that I caught from the same place that I released the tangs.
This photo shows the fish together in my tank just the other day before I released them.

[Doug1]

Well the illegality of the release not withstanding, by not getting the fish there shots you have doomed them, since whatever immunities they may have once had are long gone through living in a sterile environment.
While I don't doubt your concern for the fishes happiness, I'm sure this is the same rational others have used when dumping other exotics.
I have to say in view of the pressure our hobby is under at this point in time, this is a reckless action and the sort of thing that the opposing side loves to exploit and use against us.
Please reef responsibly, Thanks

[FISHme]

I knew I would stir things up by posting but that is what the BB is .
I could have:
Kept them (confined).
Offered them to locals.
Give them to LFS.
Let them go.
Flush them.
Grind them up and feed them to the fish.

EAT THEM !!! Hmmm, didn't think about that, are tangs yummy ?

What would you guys have done with them ?
I bet if you lived as close to the ocean as I do you would probably be tempted to do what I did.