What to do with Goldfish....

[MrsJimothy]

We have 6 goldfish that the new owners of our house do not want - we can not take them with us (moving to Hong Kong). I do not want to flush them down the loo and it turns out it is illegal to 'set them free' in a local pond....... the place we bought them from do not take them back.....
Does anyone near Farnborough (hants) want 6 gold fish? or can anyone suggest something - that does not involve cooking/eating them......

[MrsJimothy]

Sorry i've just figured out put this on the wrong place - don't know how to delete or move..... sorry

[bazking69]

Offer them to the young offspring of friends. Bypass asking the parents first, hit the kiddies with the hard sell.

[Shaw Tarse]

bazking69 said:

Offer them to the young offspring of friends. Bypass asking the parents first, hit the kiddies with the hard sell.

send the kids home with a plastic bag containing water& goldfish.
Preferably a watertight bag, not a recycled one with airholes

[nammynake]

Get on to practicalfishkeeping website - forum section. Someone there will usually take them off your hands.

[VolvoT5]

Oh please, stick them in the canal or local pond. Either that or put them in a small bag of water in the freezer.

[sunbeam_alpine]

It's only illegal to set them free if you're caught.

Why don't you "take them for a walk" one evening, just after dark? If they're not on a lead, and escape, it can't be your fault.

P.S. Sorry - we're too far away.

[DJFish]

Don't give them to me!
Our house is quickly turning into a bloody goldfish sanctuary!

Give your local aquatics shop a tinkle, they might take them off your hands, especially if they're a good size.

[magnus911]

Eat them.

[otolith]

Releasing them into the wild is highly irresponsible, you're quite right to have decided not to do it.

[ali_kat]

Not a clue!

But all the best to you both!

PS - does James need someone to look after the TVR?

[anonymous-user]

They make great bait for Pike fishing! Either that or let them go in a local duck pond after dark!

Edited by MonkeyMatt on Saturday 21st August 12:57

[anonymous-user]

nammynake said:

Get on to practicalfishkeeping website - forum section. Someone there will usually take them off your hands.

Yes, post that you're going to keep them in a popular but small tank like a baby biorb or something. Those fish nazis will take them from you no problem.

[Scraggles]

dropping them in the local pond is the best idea, the other fish can eat them as they wont have a clue how to feed after a lifetime of having the food drop from the top of the water...

failing that a big knife and have some poached goldfish

[Sheets Tabuer]

Stick an advert on gumtree or freecycle for free goldfish?

[RichB]

MrsJimothy said:

We have 6 goldfish...

Are they indoors in a tank or outside in a garden pond? Either way, if you can't find a home for them I'd put them in a medium sized duck pond - that way they've got two chances. Goldfish, being carp (basically coloured crucian carp) are quite hardy in ponds especially in the south of England. The biggest threat to them is pike and herons because being gold they are rather conspicuous!

[RichB]

Are there two lots of goldfish on themove or are thse the same ones?

[Chiswickboy]

Google "Farnborough aquarium", find the link for more results which will give you a list of reatilers near you.

Phone around and ask if they will take them. There are a couple of places near me that are branches of chain stores who are never interested but also there is a place I shop in regularly which is a family business and very friendly (more like a club with customers drinking tea) who often take in fish that have outgrown their tanks and need a new home.

You may not get any money but you will feel a warm glow knowing you have safely rehoused your "friends".

[otolith]

RichB said:

(basically coloured crucian carp)

A closely related native species which is nearly extinct because of hybridisation with the sodding goldfish people keep releasing!

[RichB]

Don't have a pop at me... Crucian Carp were rare 45 years ago, they've never exactly been numerous have they.