I live on the Gulf of mexico, is it safe to throw a mantis shrimp in it?

[guyguerra]

I have a mantis shrimp that hitch hiked into my tank. No one wants him so far. Is it ecologically bad to throw him in the gulf as opposed to killing him? I don't see what he can hurt out there, theres plenty of other stuff like that out there.

 

[Hutton]

depends on were he is form. What live rock do you have in the tank? what did he come in on?

 

[fischcrazy]

you could kill it and make it into fish food

 

[Gonodactylus]

DO NOT throw it or any other aquarium organism into the Gulf. There are literally dozens of species that have been introduced this way and many are becoming pests. Even if the animal is from a local population, it has been in an aquarium and you have no idea what pathogens, etc it has been exposed to. Let me repeat, once it leaves the ocean and finds its way to an aquarium, it should never ever be placed back into the ocean.

If that isn't sufficient motivation, most states including Florida have laws prohibiting dumping aquarium stock back into the ocean.

Roy

 

[New2This]

Roy, you have just stoped a long debate. Many thanks.

 

[speedsport]

Send him to me

 

[zooqi]

Now what would you do with it. You are not going to kill it are you.. Shrimp killer..
fischcrazy is right,, killing it for food is not wrong

 

[bngowe]

BBQ it and eat it!
lolz. my friend is in Bali and he's telling me how he was fishing for mantis shrimp and BBqing them. told me that they tasted better than lobster but just less meat.

Ok that might have sounded weird. .but its a suggestion? releasing it in the wild would be a much worse idea.....

 

[guyguerra]

Lets end this post. I was fortunate to find a store within an hours driving time north of here that took him and has him small tank that says "FREE MANTIS". I learned to never release something back into the wild. Period. The risks are huge and are ones I had not contemplated. I also don't know how I got so many posts published on this one topic. A mistake I won't make again. Thanks to everyone for their input, Guy