Why Releasing Your Pet Goldfish Into Your Local Stream or Lake is a Bad Idea

Goldfish may look small and cute in your home, but in the wild, it's a different story. Releasing them into your local stream or lake is a bad idea. Following is a transcript of the video.

Right now, Washington State is fighting of an invasion! The culprit? Goldfish.

Thousands of goldfish have infested the West Medical Lake and are crowding out the native fish population. How did this happen? The Department of Fish and Wildlife thinks a few irresponsible pet owners are to blame. And while the goldfish may have cost the owners a few dollars, this mess is going to cost the state an estimated $150,000 to try to remove these feral fish.

But this isn't the only place this is happening. Goldfish are invading lakes and streams worldwide, and it's our fault.

If you think you're doing the goldfish a favor by releasing it, you're not. Instead, you're setting the stage for an ecological disaster, which could threaten hundreds of other species. Turns out, goldfish are one of the world's worst invasive species.

Goldfish were first selectively bred in China 2,000 years ago for food. By the 14th century, goldfish had been promoted from our meals to our entertainment. It wasn't long before pet owners helped them spread across the world, eventually reaching North America by the 19th century.

They may look small and cute in your home, but in the wild, it's a different story. Given enough time and resources, these little orange monsters will grow into giants, reaching as much as 4 pounds (2 kg), about the size of an American football!

These big fish are also big eaters. Feeding on plants, insects, crustaceans, and other fish. But they're not just consuming what other fish rely on to survive, they're voracious feeding time actually kicks up mud and sediment which can lead to harmful algae blooms that choke the ecosystem.

If that's not enough, they also introduce foreign parasites and diseases that wreak havoc on the delicately-balanced ecosystems wherever they go. And they aren't content to stay in one place. Goldfish are a rapidly-reproducing fish and will migrate across multiple bodies of water. Case in point, when a few were dumped in a local Australian river in the early 2000s they eventually migrated to the Vasse River, where they're still a major problem today.

There are similar accounts of goldfish invasions in Epping Forest, London, Alberta, Canada, and Lake Tahoe, Nevada. In fact, invasive fish species accounted for over half of the total fish population in Lake Tahoe Basin. Besides causing fiscal and environmental disasters there are other reasons you should keep that goldfish in its tank.

Goldfish are smarter than you might think. They have a memory span of at least 3 months. They also can tell the difference between Stravinsky and Bach.

So, consider the wildlife, and think twice before tossing that goldfish away.



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According to Researchers at Australia's Murdoch University, Dumping Your Pet Goldfish in a Local Lake Can Cause Serious Ecological Sabotage

As tragic as it may be to watch Bubbles roam around the tank with nothing but a plastic treasure chest for entertainment, the truth is he wasn't meant to be in a bigger pond.

According to researchers at Australia's Murdoch University, giving in to your temptation to set him free in a local lake won't just leave you without a pet — it'll kick start some serious ecological sabotage. As revealed in a study published by their Freshwater Fish Group & Fish Health Unit, "introduced freshwater fishes are one of the major global threats to aquatic biodiversity."

And this isn't just some fish story. When dumped into a larger environment, those innocent little koi or goldfish grow at an exponential rate, introduce parasites that harm other species, and have the potential to decimate an ecosystem.

"They are eating up the food resources and using up the habitat that our native fish would otherwise be using,"research fellow Jeff Cosgrove told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

Even worse? They can be "extremely difficult to eradicate," says Cosgrove. In other words, they're not going belly-up anytime soon.

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Little Boy Says Heartbreaking Goodbye to Pet Goldfish

Alberta, Canada  - It can be hard to say goodbye to your best friend – especially when you have to flush him down the toilet.

In a scene that is probably familiar to those of us who owned pet fish when we were young, a little Alberta boy’s heartbreaking goodbye to his goldfish has become a viral video hit.

Spirit River, Alberta’s Brooke Geherman originally posted the video to her Facebook and YouTube channels this past March showing her young son, Kowen, saying goodbye to his dearly departed goldfish.

Kowen bids goodbye to the fish in question, named “Top”, with a few kisses before committing his body to the water.

But it’s his reaction once the fish has been flushed that’s truly heartbreaking, as the tearful boy shares a hug with his mom.

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Florida Woman Arrested and Charged with Felony Animal Cruelty Allegedly Poured Bleach into Her Boyfriends Fish Tank Killing Five of His Pet Goldfish

A Florida woman was arrested and charged with felony animal cruelty over the weekend after allegedly pouring bleach into her boyfriend's fish tank, killing five of his pet goldfish. 

The police report is based largely on what De'Andre Johnson said went down: He's the son of the man Angela Garcia, 32, is dating; Johnson says that after a morning argument, his father told Garcia she needed to leave the home and then went to work. But instead of vacating, Johnson told police he heard her make a phone call and say she intended to destroy things. He left and returned to the Pine Hills home to find a flat screen TV, furniture, stereo equipment, and a computer damaged, reports the Orlando Sentinel.

Officers soon located Garcia walking on a nearby street, "visibly intoxicated" and covered in bleach. The Smoking Gun puts the damage at $1,500, and notes she was also hit with a felony charge of criminal mischief. Garcia was booked at the Orange County Jail; she posted a $1,150 bond and was released on Monday. 

It's not Garcia's first run-in with the law according to Johnson: She was out on bond for a separate crime when the goldfish incident occurred.  FOLLOW US!

Someone Dumped Four or Five Pet Goldfish in a Boulder Lake About Two Years Ago: They Have Now Multiplied to Over 3,000 to 4,000 Fish

Colorado wildlife officials say they believe someone dumped four or five pet goldfish in a Boulder lake about two years ago, and they have now multiplied to over 3,000 to 4,000 fish.

Because the goldfish are a non-native species, they threaten Teller Lake #5's entire aquatic ecosystem, Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) spokeswoman Jennifer Churchill told ABC News today.

"Dumping your pets into a lake could bring diseases to native animals and plants as well as out-compete them for resources," Churchill said. "Everything can be affected. Non-native species can potentially wipe out the fishery as we've put it together."

Wildlife officials are seeking information on anyone who may have released the goldfish into the lake, she said.

CPW is currently considering two solutions -- electroshocking the fish or draining the lake.

"With electroshocking, you go in the boat and stun the fish to paralyze and collect them," Churchill said, adding that the shock doesn't kill the fish. "The fish could also be collected if the lake is drained."

Either way, wildlife officials will likely take them to a raptor rehabilitation center, where the fish will be used for feeding, Churchill said.

Although a few residents have expressed interest in collecting the goldfish to keep them as pets, Churchill said she doesn't want to encourage the practice.

"I'm going to talk to Boulder County, who owns the lake to see what they think, but I don't want to send the message that collecting fish for personal fun is okay," Churchill said. FOLLOW US!