Releasing goldfish into wild?

[KarenLN]

I’ve had them for 2 years, I don’t think they’re actually goldfish but they’re definitely some kind of relative. They’re small fish- the largest ones are about 4cm long. I can’t keep them as I’m moving abroad. I’ve been calling local pet shops to see if anyone will take them, but had no luck. One shop said they’d take them and to call back today, and when I did they said they don’t take Coldwater fish. I told you they were cold water fish when I first called! No friends or family can/will take them. It seems that my only choice is to release them into a public pond nearby Can anyone help? I’m in London

Try a community website like nextdoor.com. I think I've seen fish for sale/rehoming on my local one (I'm in north London).

Failing that, come back here and I might take the poor buggers.

No, never. They carry red leg syndrome which is decimating frogs, and they are a non native species.
If you are caught, you can be prosecuted.

If you cant find a fish rescue or RSPCA, then take them to the vet to be humanely euthanased.
Dont put them in the freezer.

Don't put any pet on FB. EVER.
TBH Raven people do move out and abandon their pets. Cats and dogs.

OP please read this and please do not release your pet into the wild.

www.fishtanksandponds.co.uk/ethics/releasetowild.html

"Releasing the fish in to the wild

If you were to do this then the best scenario is that the fish quickly dies without passing on any infections. If it is a tropical fish and it is Summer then it may live a few months before slowly dying as the temperature drops, probably not what you had in mind eh?

If it is a coldwater species then it is entirely different. It is likely the fish would thrive if it could avoid predators and if it were to meet another of its species which isn't to unlikely because fish are sold in huge numbers and unfortunately quite a few are released.

If a foreign species becomes established it will displace some of the native species as has happened with Grey squirrels, Mink, Signal crayfish and so on. All of them have done untold damage to our native fauna through being released in to the wild, ironically in the case of the mink since it was released in to the wild by well meaning animal activist, the mink is responsible for bringing the once common native water vole to near extinction.

Signal crayfish have almost completely displaced the native crayfish because they carry a virus which doesn't affect them but the native crayfish has no defence against.

The grey squirrel has all but displaced the native red squirrel by simply being larger, more aggressive and more adaptable

This probably all seems a little extreme and unlikely just by you releasing your one fish in to the local canal or pond. But that really is all it takes. Some bacterial diseases for example can wipe out 90% of fish stocks in an area within a few days and the host doesn't always show signs of a disease.

Finally it is illegal to release fish in to the wild, even native fish can't be moved from one location to another without approval from DEFRA. The penalty for doing so is a fine up to £2,500.00. "

You could start a crowdfunder for FishOprhans and they could take the fish for you : win win www.fishorphans.com/

to find the person in your area www.fishorphans.com/contacts.htm

It's a fish. If no one wants it for free I'd just bonk it on the head.

Are you close to a maidenhead aquatics store? I took 2 goldfish to one recently.

Hope you find a solution OP, that isn't releasing into the wild or bonking on the head

This just reminded me that about 40 odd years ago, we released our pet rabbit into Richmond Park.

He wasn't really a pet bunny - it was the wild grey/brown colour, and not tame at all. He kept escaping and running down all the gardens, I suspect he was caught from the wild in the first place (my mum got him from the man down the road). Terrible really - at the time, it never occurred to us that this could be a bad thing to do. I think things were different in the 70s

Where in London are you and how many fish are there?

Are people really this thick? Surely most people know that you can't release non-native animals into the wild?

I used to volunteer at a Blue Cross rehoming centre and there were usually some there in their tanks waiting to be rehomed. Try Blue Cross, RSPCA and any animal sanctuary.

SE London? We will adopt them!

Oh blimey, I know next to nothing about pets (I've never owned one, don't worry, lol) but even I know you can't just release fish into the wild.
Something to do with protecting native wildlife.
I'm sure I read an article about some well meaning activists a while back who bought up a load of fish to "save" them and release them back into the sea.
They got prosecuted as half of the fish weren't from that area which could cause untold damage.

Failing that, come back here and I might take the poor buggers.

ahh good on you

ClariceBeanthatsme thanks for the suggestion, I called and they said they’ll probably take them as long as they’re not goldfish. I don’t think they are as most of them are yellow with white tails/fins? A couple of them are an orangey colour, but I know nothing about fish My sister bought them for me but she doesn’t remember the breed either! I’m taking them there tonight, really hoping they accept them.
YCAWS I’m in Stockwell but frankly I’d be willing to drive them anywhere as long as they’d be safe and looked after.
Thanks to everyone else who made helpful suggestions and didn’t resort to childish insults I could never kill them, I thought releasing them would be more humane than that.

I meant to say black tails/fins *

If you find you do need to euthanize (I know you said you didn't want to), there are two reasonably humane ways of doing this. For a smaller fish, put them in a small container (e.g. old margarine tub) and add clove oil to the water. For a larger fish- a sharp knife through the head. Then in the bin. Never, ever put them in the freezer or (even more cruel!) flush them down the loo.

You could always eat them. Dusting of flour, pan fried. Just the job.

Whereabouts in London are you? If you can't find anyone else to have them, I'll take them (better that than releasing them - this time of year the difference in water temperature would almost certainly kill them).

Sounds like they ARE goldfish, can you put up a picture?

Most Maidenhead Aquatics stores will take but you may need to pay them to take them.

Alternatively, advertise them in suitable places for a new home.

Alternative to that, euthanise - a blow to the head or cut off the head is the fastest and most humane method (flushing down the loo or freezing are NOT)..

I'm torn between saying you have goldfish, guppies or mollies based on your description but if anything i've mentioned bar goldfish then they aren't coldwater fish and I'm surprised they have survived.

How do you not know what fish you keep? Please ensure you know what type you have in future so you know how to adequate care for them- they really are all different.

I am torn too now having read the bit about black tails not white... Stick up a pic we can help you far better then!

Personally I'd say release them into the wild, better that than flush them down the toilet or taking them out of water and allowing them to die.