I believe the only cause for concern is the fact that you planned on and
possibly carried out a reintroduction of the fish into their original
streams. I won't go into the reasons again, since they have been so
eloquently presented by David and Joshua, but it is an altogether bad idea.
Some alternatives may be to spread the fish around to other aquarists that
might be interested in keeping these fish or to save some for spawning stock
come spring. You may be able to contact local pet shops, if the laws allow,
and offer the fish to them for some cash or possibly in trade for supplies.
On-line sellers, such as Jonah's Aquarium, may also be able to take them off
of your hands to be offered for the aquarium trade.
I guess what I am trying to say is that I hope you don't get discouraged in
your attempts with natives, since you are obviously rather adept-in-it.
Just consider diiferent alternatives when deciding how to disperse the
offspring.
Dustin Smith
Lexington, SC
At the convergence of the Broad, Saluda and Congaree
/-----------------------------------------------------------------------
/ This is the discussion list of the North American Native Fishes
/ Association (NANFA). Comments made on this list do not necessarily
/ reflect the beliefs or goals of NANFA. For more information about NANFA,
/ visit http://www.nanfa.org Please make sure all posts to nanfa-l are
/ consistent with the guidelines as per
/ http://www.nanfa.org/guidelines.shtml To subscribe, unsubscribe, or get
/ help, visit the NANFA email list home page and archive at
/ http://www.nanfa.org/email.shtml