Spread of Invasive Zebra Mussels

    If you have recently purchased any plants or moss balls from Petco/Petsmart, or someone who uses the same Breeder as them, you may want to be on the look out for these highly invasive mussels.

    I’ve seen this all through Facebook the past few months. Crazy that they spread this accidentally, and makes you wonder if we will now see them in other states or regions from people dumping it all incorrectly.


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    Quote from Gilbert

    Is this still an issue? I haven’t seen any of these plants at any Petsmart at all even to this day, and curious if they just stopped carrying them due to the bad press.


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    That is a good question, although the first outbreak that caused this has disappeared - there is still a notice to be aware of in your tank or others since these are tiny at first until they reach a big population. I don't recall if Petsmart or Petco sell these anymore since I haven't seen any in my local stores (but haven't visited the hub in my region yet to check) - but I will let you know once I visit if they have these, or they all got destroyed due to the bad press and actual issues caused to states by this.

    Quote from Avery

    That is a good question, although the first outbreak that caused this has disappeared - there is still a notice to be aware of in your tank or others since these are tiny at first until they reach a big population. I don't recall if Petsmart or Petco sell these anymore since I haven't seen any in my local stores (but haven't visited the hub in my region yet to check) - but I will let you know once I visit if they have these, or they all got destroyed due to the bad press and actual issues caused to states by this.

    Good to hear a follow-up on this!

    Hey Fogerty12, thanks for sharing the update on the zebra mussels situation. It's good to know that the first outbreak has disappeared, but it's still important to be aware of these tiny creatures in our tanks. I'll keep an eye out for any moss balls being sold at Petsmart or Petco and let you know if I come across any. It's definitely a concerning issue, so let's stay vigilant.

    • The spread of invasive zebra mussels is concerning, particularly if they were unknowingly distributed through plants or moss balls from stores like Petco or Petsmart.
    • There is a risk of this species expanding to new regions if not handled properly, as seen through accidental introductions.
    • Some stores are taking precautions and not carrying these items due to the threat these mussels pose.
    • It remains uncertain how far these mussels may spread and what impact they could have on local ecosystems.
    • While the initial outbreak may have subsided, vigilance is crucial since these mussels can rapidly multiply.

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