RIPPLE partners with Motor City Aquarium Society to host Exotic Fish Surrender Event

Paige Filice<filicepa@msu.edu>, Michigan State University Extension - August 01, 2023

Do you have aquarium or water garden pets you can no longer care for? Surrender unwanted freshwater fish, crayfish, snails, and plants at the first-ever RIPPLE surrender event August 10 in Warren.

For decorative purposes. — The goal of the event is to offer a safe and environmentally friendly alternative to releasing aquarium and water garden pets into Michigan’s lakes and streams. Photo credit: Canva.

The Reduce Invasive Pet and Plant Escapes program (RIPPLE) is partnering with the Motor City Aquarium Society to host a free Exotic Fish Surrender Event on August 10, 2023, from 7-9 p.m. The public is welcome to surrender common freshwater aquarium and water garden species including fish, plants, crayfish, and snails for free. No other species will be accepted such as small mammals, reptiles, or amphibians. The event will take place during the aquarium society’s monthly meeting held at 30140 Van Dyke Ave Warren, MI 48093. Surrendered species will be given new homes thanks to Fishy Bizz and Chris’s Pet Shop, two RIPPLE-recognized Fresh Water Protector retailers.

The goal of the event is to offer a safe and environmentally friendly alternative to releasing aquarium and water garden pets into Michigan’s lakes and streams. Many plants and animals found in aquariums and backyard ponds have been imported from other parts of the world and while they are fun to enjoy, they can be harmful and invasive if they are released into the wild. Popular non-native plants and fish are bred to grow quickly and be environmentally hardy, making them excellent additions to household aquariums and water features but sometimes detrimental if introduced to our native ecosystems. It is never safe to release unwanted water garden or aquarium plants and animals into natural waterways.

Michigan State University Extension has fostered strong partnerships with pet and garden retailers to reach as many aquarium and pond owners as possible with the Reduce Invasive Pet and Plant Escapes (RIPPLE) program. Through RIPPLE, retailers are supplied free products to display in their store and handouts for customers, stressing the importance of not releasing species into the wild.

RIPPLE's education initiatives are coordinated by Michigan State University Extension in partnership with the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy, Michigan Department of Natural Resources and the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development. RIPPLE is funded by the Michigan Invasive Species Grant Program.

Additional details about the event can be found at https://www.canr.msu.edu/events/ripple-exotic-fish-surrender-event. Questions can be directed to Paige Filice at filicepa@msu.edu.

This article was published by Michigan State University Extension. For more information, visit https://extension.msu.edu. To have a digest of information delivered straight to your email inbox, visit https://extension.msu.edu/newsletters. To contact an expert in your area, visit https://extension.msu.edu/experts, or call 888-MSUE4MI (888-678-3464).