Pet store goldfish surviving winter conditions in Lake Erie, growing to enormous sizes

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Pet store goldfish surviving winter conditions in Lake Erie, growing to enormous sizes

Local21News.com
by WKRC Staff
February 28th 2025



ERIE, Penn. (WKRC) — Pet store goldfish are not only surviving the harsh winter conditions of Lake Erie, but are thriving, officials said.

The United States Fish and Wildlife Service posted a statement to Facebook Tuesday, warning fish owners of the potential dangers of releasing goldfish into Lake Erie.

"Your pet store goldfish after two year sin the wild: 'Call me Megalodon," biologists wrote. "This goldfish isn’t supposed to be here. But someone released it, thinking they were being kind. Instead, they created an invasive problem that can last decades."
The post included a photo of an enormous goldfish that was caught in Presque Isle, Pennsylvania during an electrofishing survey.

According to officials, goldfish have been found to be hardy and can thrive even in the cold waters of the Great Lakes.

(more)
https://local21news.com/news/offbeat/pet-store-goldfish-able-to-survive-winter-conditions-in-cincinnati-lake-erie-grow-enormous-sizes-us-fish-wildlife-service-wild-animals-invasive-species-week-awareness-usfws-presque-isle-electrofishing-survey-findings-information-learning-human-interest

[catfish1957]

Pet store goldfish surviving winter conditions in Lake Erie, growing to enormous sizes

[

Cut the carp......   

I remembering seeing  a Koi (same family) at the Houston Zoo that was 50 pounds and something between 50-75 years old.

[roamer_1]

Cut the carp......   

That's right... They survive the winter just fine frozen into water tanks up in here. They are an algae eater, and have been cleaning horse tanks as long as I remember.

[catfish1957]

That's right... They survive the winter just fine frozen into water tanks up in here. They are an algae eater, and have been cleaning horse tanks as long as I remember.

That they are able to survive a -40 Montana winter?  That's amazing.

We have a koi pond that we have since given up on.  We had one fella who we called Beauregard who was almost 10 years old and almost 2 feet long.  Some critter, prob. a racoon.  poached him/her.  We were sick.

[libertybele]

Pet store goldfish surviving winter conditions in Lake Erie, growing to enormous sizes

Local21News.com
by WKRC Staff
February 28th 2025



ERIE, Penn. (WKRC) — Pet store goldfish are not only surviving the harsh winter conditions of Lake Erie, but are thriving, officials said.

The United States Fish and Wildlife Service posted a statement to Facebook Tuesday, warning fish owners of the potential dangers of releasing goldfish into Lake Erie.

"Your pet store goldfish after two year sin the wild: 'Call me Megalodon," biologists wrote. "This goldfish isn’t supposed to be here. But someone released it, thinking they were being kind. Instead, they created an invasive problem that can last decades."
The post included a photo of an enormous goldfish that was caught in Presque Isle, Pennsylvania during an electrofishing survey.

According to officials, goldfish have been found to be hardy and can thrive even in the cold waters of the Great Lakes.

(more)
https://local21news.com/news/offbeat/pet-store-goldfish-able-to-survive-winter-conditions-in-cincinnati-lake-erie-grow-enormous-sizes-us-fish-wildlife-service-wild-animals-invasive-species-week-awareness-usfws-presque-isle-electrofishing-survey-findings-information-learning-human-interest

Interesting.  I am amazed that they can survive the bitter cold waters of the Great Lakes in the winter.  See, ya learn something from this forum every day. 

[Lando Lincoln]

When I was a boy, my uncle had a farm pond that had a good bullhead population.  The pond froze over and you could see a bunch frozen in the ice. He chipped a large chunk and threw it in the barn for his farm cats. When the ice melted, all those bullheads were flipping and flopping. I remember my amazement.

[roamer_1]

That they are able to survive a -40 Montana winter?  That's amazing.

Well, they do... But you have to punch an air hole from time to time and oxygenate the water. That happens pretty naturally, as the whole idea is to keep the livestock watered.

But if you have a field tank, say, that's a ways off, and you have all your livestock down in the paddocks around the barn for easier maintenance over the winter... Well that far off tank will have all the fish in it dead come spring. You kinda just forget.  But I think it's the low oxygen that gets em, not the cold.

Bear in mind that they don't get monster-big in a stock tank either. They are considered a consumable commodity. By the barn cats generally. But one way or another, you're throwing in new stock every couple of few years. Those far away field tanks are every year.

We have a koi pond that we have since given up on.  We had one fella who we called Beauregard who was almost 10 years old and almost 2 feet long.  Some critter, prob. a racoon.  poached him/her.  We were sick.

I have kin south of here with a koi pond They have a couple gates with wire mesh welded on that they put over it every night to keep the coons out. But they found an otter in there one morning, killed off the whole thing.

[roamer_1]

When I was a boy, my uncle had a farm pond that had a good bullhead population.  The pond froze over and you could see a bunch frozen in the ice. He chipped a large chunk and threw it in the barn for his farm cats. When the ice melted, all those bullheads were flipping and flopping. I remember my amazement.

The creek I am on here has the only bullhead population I have every seen up here... I think they were brought in to keep the mill pond, but when the mill went under, they migrated out f the pond and settled in a deep pool on one side of a bridge in the creek.

I got a little famous taking folks in to show em... It was such an oddity.

[DefiantMassRINO]

Goldfish are Asiatic carp that grow to a size that's appropriate for their environment.  Bigger fishbowl = bigger fish.

If the Goldfish keep themselves warm in powerplant warm water outflows, there's no telling how many cold winters they could survive.

[Gefn]

I had a carnival goldfish that lived for 7 years in a glass pitcher type of thing they use to sell in aquarium stores.

Buried him in a jewelry box with cotton, in my parents front yard, with prayers and the 21st psalm. Silly little booger .I kinda miss him.

[Free Vulcan]

They're GOUS, Goldfish Of Unusual Size.

[Wingnut]

They're GOUS, Goldfish Of Unusual Size.

Do they taste like crappie?

[Kamaji]

They're GOUS, Goldfish Of Unusual Size.

[Wingnut]

When I was a boy, my uncle had a farm pond that had a good bullhead population.  The pond froze over and you could see a bunch frozen in the ice. He chipped a large chunk and threw it in the barn for his farm cats. When the ice melted, all those bullheads were flipping and flopping. I remember my amazement.

@Lando Lincoln
That sparked some latent memories of my youth.  Vacationing in NW WI we would go Bullhead fishing at dusk. Ugly suckers but put up a nice fight.  I think they were good eating....kinda like a catfish.

[mountaineer]

Do they taste like crappie?

I wondered whether they were edible.

[Free Vulcan]

Was hoping someone got the reference!

[Lando Lincoln]

@Lando Lincoln
That sparked some latent memories of my youth.  Vacationing in NW WI we would go Bullhead fishing at dusk. Ugly suckers but put up a nice fight.  I think they were good eating....kinda like a catfish.

All of the above. Some people enjoyed eating them but I never did. They had to come from clear water to be edible - never a farm pond where cattle drank. People would skin ‘em using pliers. Again, not me.

[Gefn]

I wondered whether they were edible.

Ask a fraternity pledge who had to swallow one - eww.

[deb]

Was hoping someone got the reference!

Favorite movie!

[Polly Ticks]