When you think of goldfish, you probably think of the feeble underlings of the fish world, once upon a time the prize at a funfair, who rarely live beyond a couple of years. However, this might not be quite right.
At the end of March, a wildlife pond near Eastwood in Nottinghamshire was partially drained and cleaned in a bid to encourage the return of native wildlife.
Along with some bin bags and about 50 soggy dog balls, more than 10,000 goldfish were netted, a staggering number which may have bred from as few as six unwanted pets being illegally dumped in the water by bored owners. Thankfully, these have mostly now been rehomed.
How long would it take for 10,000 goldfish to end up in a pond? According to Mat Faulkner, whose company MF Aquatics was contracted to remove the goldfish, not long. (“Probably a 10 to 15 year period,” he reckons).
In addition to the high number, most of the recovered goldfish were of a decent size – between 10cm and 20cm long. Some were 30cm. According to Faulkner, this is common. In fact, it’s the miniature goldfish in the bowl that’s the freak, not these brutes. “You can stunt a fish so that it will only grow into its available space,” he says.
And it’s not the size of the aquarium, but the quality of the water that counts. “With good water management, a goldfish will grow to eight to 10 inches in two years. People say: ‘My goldfish lived for three years, it’s done really well.’ Yeah, but they should live for 25 years.”
The goldfish, like most carp species, is not indigenous to Britain. Its ability to survive in a low-oxygen environment means it can thrive where native wildlife may struggle. Meanwhile, their forage feeding – they will eat insects, tadpoles and bread thrown for ducks – erodes banks and destroys aquatic plants.
Is Faulkner confident he sure he got all the goldfish? “We suspect we probably got in the region of 90%,” he says, adding that a follow-up visit is planned for later in the year. Of the 10,000 captured, about half were rehomed with locals who came to get them. Others went to ornamental fish dealers. “I’ve still got a few hundred left,” says Faulkner.
