Can my daughter set her comet goldfish free in the freshwater lake nearby?

Question

There is 5 of them and they are about 6-10 inches long, and pet stores won't take them, and I already have a koi pond so don't want a goldfish pond...and she really doesn't want to "flush" (wouldn't fit anyways!). Thanks

Answer 1

That would be illegal. You can't introduce alien species into the local environment. They generally destroy it.
Try freecycle, ebay or craigslist. Worst comes to worse, euthanize them. Big fish like this is messy. You will need something like this to do it property and humanely. Let your kid do it, so she doesn't grow up to be an irresponsible pet owner like you.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machete

Mantra: Why do you encourage illegal acts that destroy the environment? Top contributor? NOT!

Answer 2

Several people have already said it, but releasing into the wild is never a good idea. I'm sure that there are several pond enthusiasts where you live who would love to help you out by taking them off your hands.

Where in the country are you anyway? If you're anywhere close to Austin, Texas I would love to help you out.

Answer 3

Comet goldfish isn't a natural species, in fact, most goldfish are not.Did you know that the original goldfish is black and greenish in colour and not exactly attractive?

Humans have been breeding colour forms and not to mention, weaker forms.Therefore, it means that they would be too pathetic to compete for food in a river and may be picked on by larger or more independant fish.

Man-made fish cannot survive without regular household feeding times and are nearly hopeless in adapting to nature.I suggest for your goldfish, you should look around to see if any friends or neighbours would accept them with proper care, if not, check local fish shelters if they would accept them, at the very worst, consider donating them to fish lovers through newspaper ads.

Yes, it can be illegal to release a foreign fish in a water area but remember, most importantly is the welfare of the fish.Would you want the fish to be bullied, stressed and finally starved to death?

Answer 4

Definately not a good idea. Too many pet owners already release their unwanted pets into the wild. This usually introduces non-native species into the area and starts to change and damage the natural ecology of the area. Better to keep searching for a pet store that will take them or find a friend that will take them off your hands.

Answer 5

It is difficult to correct any position after you have made a behavioral commitment to that position. In psychology, this is Festinger's theory of cognitive dissonance. Our ideas change to conform to our behavior rather than taking a more difficult step to change our behavior to bring it in line with the truth. Our Protestant friends are heavily invested in their religious behavior, which includes tithing to man-made organizations developed to oppose the church, teaching in their Sunday Schools, and working in their charitable projects. These actions aren't all bad, but they commit Protestants to the errors of Protestantism, most notably salvation by faith alone (which relieves them of the concrete actions required by Christianity) and scripture alone as the only source of revelatory truth (which allows every reader to be a private interpreter of Christianity), I hope all seekers of truth will at least allow that Catholics do not worship statues, nor do they worship Mary, nor do we expect to earn our way into heaven through good works. I hope they can at least recognize that not all priests are pedophiles (probably none in the last 30 years), and that Catholic sacred tradition comes from Jesus and is not man-made (though Catholics have developed traditions like Christmas celebrations). I hope all will recognize that Catholics are Christians, indeed, the original Christians of the Bible. Arguing positions as discredited as those you have listed demonstrates prejudice and a closed mind, and discredits the poster as a truth seeker. Cheers, Bruce

Answer 6

While they may make it and live fine, any time you take a pet and set it 'free' it has an impact on the environment. I would try to find a home for them. Free at a garage sale? Post it at the local grocery store. It would actually be more humane to put them out of their misery than to set them free. I really am not into that, but ya gotta do what you gotta do. Talk about a teachable moment! Pets are a responsibility. Not to be taken lightly. Better for her to learn now than to get something bigger and harder to get rid of! Good luck!

Answer 7

Definitely a BAD idea. Introducing a species into our lakes and such is ILLEGAL...and you could be fined heavily. Not to mention you could kill off a native species and ruin the whole ecostructure.
Goldfish can go in with the Koi...nothing wrong with that. They can coexist happily together.
If not then put them on craigslist.org, or in your paper.

Answer 8

It's never a good idea to release species that aren't native - and in most states, it's illegal! Here's a link that goes into more detail: http://freshwater.fanatics.googlepages.com/releasingpetsintothewild

One answer has already mentioned adding them to the koi pond. If you have the room, this would be one option. You could also advertise them at your local pet/fish stores or in your local paper for other people wanting fish for ponds. Many pond owners would prefer to get larger fish to add, rather than small ones.

You might also try local schools, nursing homes, day care centers, etc. where others could enjoy them (and your daughter could have visiting privileges).

Answer 9

It's illegal most places to release fish into the wild. Stick them in the pond with the koi, they won't hurt anything. You could also post them in the free section on craigslist.org to find them a new home.

Answer 10

I wouldn't, as others said, it could introduce a different kind of disease. The fish may not be sick, but carrying something, being bred in captivity.

I guess I'm fortunate, my local petstore will take fish and give store credit for them. Since yours won't, you could try calling around right outside of your area. Your best bet is the privately owned petstores, they are more flexible than petsmart and petco. And I second the craigslist recommendation, I know people who have done that.

Or, if your daughter's school has a large enough tank, they may take them.

Good luck!

Answer 11

Flush is an option! Yikes! Don't bring them to a pond either. There are some non chain petstores that will take unplanned for pets.