Do you want a foot long goldfish?

@AmbiePam (103423)
United States
September 25, 2025 2:40pm CST
People are dumping their unwanted pet goldfish into waterways, and helping to destroy ecosystems as a consequence. Goldfish just keep growing, and some lakes and ponds are being overrun by these foot long “feral” goldfish (not my words). One zoo has partnered with the local wildlife conservation to feed these massive, invasive goldfish to some zoo animals to make something good about a bad situation. Never in my life would I think about dumping a goldfish in a local waterway. I mean, this is like those morons who dump their boa constrictors in Florida, which has resulted in species in the Everglades being wiped out due to those snakes being where they don’t belong. Anyone want a foot long goldfish? Can you think of what to do about people dumping their pets? Some moron dumped their pet gator in a neighborhood pond once around here. Not the first time I’ve heard of people doing that. *If someone brought this up before, I apologize.
16 people like this
17 responses
@GardenGerty (165869)
• United States
17h
We had a park with a pond designed to house gold fish at my other town. It was fun to go "visit" them and I am sure some were released from homes. The pond was emptied and cleaned yearly. I do not know if goldfish would survive in Kansas in the public waterways. We get very cold.
2 people like this
@AmbiePam (103423)
• United States
17h
They were doing very well in a couple of the Great Lakes. I don’t know how.
1 person likes this
@RasmaSandra (89223)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
18h
You either have a pet or you don't but you never dump a pet no matter what kind of pet it is, Boy if I had the mon ey this would make a great business, If you don't want it we do and all pets unwanted come our way and we figure out what to do with them, No money no business,
2 people like this
@AmbiePam (103423)
• United States
18h
You would do so well with a business like that. You would stick to your promises.
2 people like this
@Juliaacv (55193)
• Canada
19h
I would never dispose of any animal inappropriately, that kind of action is just so wrong. We used to have a koi pond, and they would easily get to be that big, and bigger. I had added some goldfish over the years, and we could tell them apart, but they would grow big too, because the pond was huge. They all got along well, and were so comical, they would see me standing there (I always wore light colours) and they would swim to me and open their mouths to be fed-I was the feeder, and when my husband was out there, usually wearing dark colours, they would go to the bottom of the pond-he was the filter cleaner, and very disrupted in their little world.
2 people like this
@AmbiePam (103423)
• United States
19h
That is so cool! That would have been amazing to see.
1 person likes this
@LadyDuck (484006)
• Italy
3h
People do very stupid things. They dumped catfish in our lakes here. Now those "beasts" grew to be more than 6 foot long and they are eating all the food fishes we had in our lakes.
1 person likes this
@AmbiePam (103423)
• United States
3h
Oh, what a terrible idea.
1 person likes this
@LadyDuck (484006)
• Italy
2h
@AmbiePam - Those big fish are carnivores, now we also have crawifsh in our fresh water and they are also destroying the local fauna.
1 person likes this
@sallypup (66125)
• Centralia, Washington
16h
I want a koi pond. I love garden ponds. I wish it was easier to control the algae in them. A huge goldfish intrigues me.
1 person likes this
@AmbiePam (103423)
• United States
16h
It does me too!
1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (48909)
19h
There are two bodies of water here behind my home that are separated by more homes and a street. The smaller one fell victim about two years ago to someone dumping goldfish it took all one day and part of another day for a fish and wildlife guy to get them out of there. After that, they put cameras out there. I wish people wouldn’t dump any creatures at all, domestic or wild, but they do. It’s destructive and wrong.
1 person likes this
@AmbiePam (103423)
• United States
18h
I’m very glad they acted on getting the fish out. People are just not thinking.
1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (48909)
12h
@AmbiePam Those goldfish get huge! We knew a lady who had a little pond close to her house. She decorated around it with native plants, etc. and a few benches to sit. The pond had no fish. So, she went out and bought about 200 tiny goldfish. She thought they would just eat bugs, etc....in 2 years they were exploding out of the pond, the sight was incredible. She had to get help to get them all out. Not thinking, for sure!
1 person likes this
@snowy22315 (196584)
• United States
19h
And the pet alligators that get released into sewers and what not. There are enough weird things going on with animal species right now, Feral goldfish are not needed.
1 person likes this
@AmbiePam (103423)
• United States
19h
Yeah, people say alligators have never been in the sewers. They have it on non staged videos that yes, there have been alligators in the sewer.
@May2k8 (18870)
• Indonesia
7h
A few years ago, a baby Komodo got loose and when it entered the living room, luckily its mouth only opened wide. In the past I have several types of fish but unfortunately they were eaten by stray cats.
1 person likes this
@allknowing (154043)
• India
15h
I have heard of dogs and cats being dumped and that is bad enough but not this!! I feel sorry for the fish Some human beings are ruthless.
1 person likes this
• Philippines
4h
I think they need to be incarcerated, why? abandoning an alligator is murder! What if someone weak encounter it and the alligator just attacked them. They are not moron, they are evil.
1 person likes this
@rakski (148178)
• Philippines
16h
No thank you.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (363548)
• Rockingham, Australia
2h
This is really bad that people do this. So short-sighted.
1 person likes this
@Traceyjayne (5344)
• United Kingdom
1h
I think that is so sad. Goldfish are very easy to keep. I guess a lot of folk just can’t be bothered to clean them out , that’s all you have to do really !Apart from feed them obviously.
1 person likes this
@LindaOHio (201593)
• United States
5h
We have enough invasive species. We don't need any more.
1 person likes this
@wolfgirl569 (122829)
• Marion, Ohio
18h
I have heard of goldfish in ponds before. That's a good use for the goldfish
1 person likes this
@xFiacre (14382)
• Ireland
18h
@ambiepam Some folk just aren’t well and everyone suffers as a consequence, even their pets, and everyone else has to clean up their mess.
1 person likes this
@Deepizzaguy (114432)
• Lake Charles, Louisiana
16h
I do not to have a goldfish as a pet due to financial responsibilities.
1 person likes this