What do you do with all your baby goldfish?

[barb]

My pond is only a year old, and my goldfish haven't had babies yet.  But we are wondering just what we will do with them if they do reproduce, and some actually survive.  I know one of our vets has that problem, there is an aquarium at the vet's full of baby goldfish because she can't find homes for them all.  My dh said ponders were probably the cause of so many public ponds and lakes being full of goldfish....but what in the world do you do with them?  I think the pet stores would only take them to sell as feeder fish, and I don't care much for that idea. 

[Reedman]

Always a problem.

1. Build a bigger or another pond!   
2. If your pond is 1000 gallons or larger, buy 1 golden orfe.  Mine keeps my pond population at nearly zero growth.  He'll eat up to 1" goldfish.
3. Give some away to a new ponder.
4. Not a nice choice but: give to petstore to sell as feeder fish.
5. Not a nice choice but: some states sell goldfish/koi as bait fish, could give to local bait shop.

Don't put into public ponds/waterways - illegal in most states.

[stacig]

i have had a pond over 6 years and only one baby make it.they eat the eggs before they have a chance to hatch.

[Esther]

Go on a pond tour and take the babies in little snack bags so they are easily slipped into each pond when noone is looking.

[tracey_shafer]

Go on a pond tour and take the babies in little snack bags so they are easily slipped into each pond when noone is looking.

LOL, Esther shame on you. 

[Bullfrog]

My wife works for a big pet store chain and they won't accept any fish even as feeders because of the possibility of infecting the entire stock with something.

My advice would be to run a free add if your local internet has one or find a stream or creek and turn them loose.

[SheilaJ]

Please do not turn them loose in the stream, creek or any other body of water in the wild. They wreak havoc with the local ecosystems, sometimes wiping out various native fish. I vote for a free ad in the newspaper or on Craig's list - someone will always take something if it's free!

[Kittyzee]

ESTHER!        Mine reproduce every year, but none made it last year.  If there's no cover, (which there usually isn't in my pond this time of year) the fish eat the eggs and/or babies before they realize they are FISH.  They control themselves    If there was some anachris in there (which didn't make it thru the winter) or hyacinths (too early for them here) they would definitely be able to hide.

[Esther]

I figured I'd hear about that. I was just joking of course.

I did something stupid a couple of years ago. Our pond place is out in the country. The owner's wife had told me I could put my extra goldfish in their farm swamp ponds that are contained. So I netted out maybe 20 or so and put them in a preform. It was pretty cold out and the next thing I knew, the preform had frozen and they all died.

[Mikey]

Some people don't like mosquito fish but I like them for several reasons.  One of the reasons I like them is because I don't have an excessive fish load thanks to them.  Mosquito fish eat the spawn of my goldfish and possibly even the small fry.  I had just one comet egg manage to survive and make it to adulthood in the last several years.  I've had my original comets/shubunkin for nearly ten years and only this spring have I finally purchased a few more to replace those that have died during that time.

[Bullfrog]

We have tons of mosquitos thanks to a large wooded area right behind our property and the local swamps and riverbottoms around here. When the sun starts to set they come out in swarms. We want to be able to enjoy our pond at night as I want to install lights but adding a screened in area would really detract from the natural look that I want to achieve.

I'm still contemplating the possibilities. Like Jeff Foxworthy said, "If you consider a bug zapper and a six pack of beer entertainment, you just might be a redneck."

[happyoutsidegirl]

Reedman do you have a pix of a golden Orfe? Do they live in cold winter water?
Mikey, arent Mosquito fish tiny? How do you keep them out of the skimmer? I need intervention from baby fish.

[rcr203]

Mosquito fish multiply so fast, you don't have to worry if some make into the skimmer.

I usually go to the local pet store and get some feeder fish for 10 cents each.  They're just little minnows used for feeding Oscars and the like.

I put them in the pond and they keep the goldfish and koi population down.

Someone put koi in a local pond by me and they're very upset about it.  I've offered to go and try and net them and take them home.  But it's a *huge* pond.  Anyone got any good tactics for netting them?

[Mikey]

Mosquito fish get to about 2".  I have no skimmer, but they are quick enough to avoid a skimmer....and the one's that aren't quick enough won't pass on their slow genes....

[Reedman]

happyoutsidegirl,

I don't have a pic of a golden orfe, but if you do a search on golden orfe there are some sites with pics.  They are from Europe, trout family I think.  They love cold water.  In fact, mine is more active in the winter than my goldfish.  They do grow large, though.

[Rocmon]

Do not put them in native waters!!!!

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2007/04/29/MNGI3PHO3U1.DTL

I have mosquito fish which I blame for the lack of any fish breeding successfully, besides themselves. I think they are in the Rattus norvegicus family. I'm trying to catch them all to get rid of them if possible... not likely. At least my upper plant filter pond has had tadpoles despite all the frogs (pacific tree frogs) that come to breed—no tadpoles to be seen in the fish pond.

I see the goldies spawn, and look forward to seeing what develops with the color mixes, but not to be.

I also have a pair of these which I don't know what kind of fish they are... they're about 4" long.



Guess it's not so easy to spay or neuter your fish?

[Bullfrog]

Someone put koi in a local pond by me and they're very upset about it.  I've offered to go and try and net them and take them home.  But it's a *huge* pond.  Anyone got any good tactics for netting them?

Use a perch trap, you just bait it and throw it out into the shallow water with a rope attached so you can retrieve it. leave it out overnight and check it every evening. *Hint* Do like the Cajuns down here do and stake you retrieval line under water so nobody else runs your traps, mark the spot in your mind. Here's a link on where to buy some.

http://www.catchnbait.com/pinfish-bait-fish-traps.htm

Most folks around here (trotliners) just make them out of a few dollars worth of rabbit wire. You can keep the koi and either release the perch or take them home and have a fish fry.

[LeeAnne151]

find a stream or creek and turn them loose.

I knew Esther was kidding but not sure this was a joke too. I sure hope so. Goldfish and Koi should NEVER be released into the wild. They wreck havoc on native ecosystems.

The facts are that goldfish breed like rabbits and often the babies start to stay black or greenish and are ugly and not good for viewing and they shouldn't be breeding either. Trading them in for feeder fish benefits the other species and keeps the goldfish in the pond the right type and color. Some stores will take bigger ones as pond fish too. I got rid of 8 big ones last year this way. Wish I could have caught more.....