Fish Keepers! Urgent Warning

Chesapeake VA

Description

There has been a troubling sighting report from Seattle. A pet store employee has been finding zebra mussels attached and inside moss balls sold as aquarium plants. The significant danger is these moss balls are being distributed across the U.S. We are asking that you please check out your local pet stores here in Oregon to see if they are selling “Betta Buddy” brand moss balls. Please contact Rick Boatner immediately ; Rick.J.Boatner @ state.or.us) if you find any. UPDATE: Consumers are also urged to stop buying this product and to safely dispose of it by either freezing or boiling the moss ball before disposing of it in the trash (do not flush down toilet or throw outside as mulch). For your aquarium, after removing the fish, apply household bleach (one cup of bleach per gallon of water) and let it set for 10 minutes before disposing of water down sink or toilet. Also disinfect filters, gravel and structures with a solution of bleach before disposing of the water down the toilet. The concern is that live mussels released into a storm drain or flushed could be introduced into a waterway.