Saturday 1 December 2007

Restricted aquatic plants

As I mentioned in the past, I was surprised to realise that one of the most widely recommended aquarium plants was a federally listed noxious weed in the US, and may be illegal to possess in Oklahoma. Today I came across a notice that possession of Cabomba carolinina is illegal in Maine. With a tankful of an unidentified Cabomba sp., I grew a little concerned. But it doesn't fall on the federal noxious weed list, and it doesn't appear to be on the Oklahoma list. Still, there are a few important thoughts in all this:
  • Never release anything from your aquarium into the wild. (That should be pretty obviousl but it isn't).
  • Dispose of all plant material with care. While that is especially true in warmer climates, aquarium plants can obviously even be problematics as far north as Maine.
  • If it grows like a weed, it probably is a weed.

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