# found with goldfish



## ka2zesmi786 (Feb 14, 2009)

my friend works at petsmart and a strange lil thing was shipped in the bag with them. we dont know what it is. can someone please help?


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## Mugen-Malawi (Apr 2, 2004)

Uhrm...looks like a BLUEGILL to me.


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## Chromedome52 (Jul 25, 2009)

Green Sunfish, not Bluegill. I can catch both from a local pond, as well as Pumpkinseeds and Rock Bass. Probably got into one of the raising ponds for the Goldfish.


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## why_spyder (Mar 2, 2006)

Chromedome52 said:


> Green Sunfish, not Bluegill.


+1

Definitely one of my favorite native U.S. fish. The first time I've seen one mixed in with goldfish at a LFS. :-?


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## RedKestrel (Jan 3, 2004)

I'm about an hour out of Chicago, and my brother's Oscars almost got a very special treat along with his feeder goldfish: hybrid green sunfish. He was intrigued and kept them around long enough for the largest of the six to reach almost 8"! After they passed, they made fantastic cutbait and landed me a 10 lb Channel cat and a lil' 2 lb Flathead cat.

I was surprised to see these and thought it'd be an isolated incident, but apparently, I'm not the only one it's happened to.

~ Amanda


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## gage (Feb 7, 2007)

my friend got one of these mixed with goldfish feeders before, they get a good size and pretty aggressive, be careful :lol:


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## 24Tropheus (Jun 21, 2006)

I do not understand why folk buy and use feeder goldfish. The risk of introducing disease is very high. High cost in comparison to fresh or frozen marine sprats etc. Questionable moral situation with feeding live fish to another that really dose not need it to keep it healthy.

Rant over. :wink:


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## Jsuing86 (Oct 31, 2009)

They breed those bulk gold fish in large ponds. This is just an invasive intruder. I use to see them often when I worked in the business. They do get large.... and mean.


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## padlock 08 (Jul 31, 2008)

24Tropheus said:


> I do not understand why folk buy and use feeder goldfish. The risk of introducing disease is very high. High cost in comparison to fresh or frozen marine sprats etc. Questionable moral situation with feeding live fish to another that really dose not need it to keep it healthy.
> 
> Rant over. :wink:


well some people like to keep their fish in the most natural situation they can, O's are predators naturally so why suppress their natural instincts? if the fish' behaviour don't appeal to you, don't buy them. however, breeding some convicts as feders is much safer and cheaper, at least where i live.....

-Paul


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## Chromedome52 (Jul 25, 2009)

If by "O's" you mean Oscars, their natural diet is not fish, but invertebrates - insects, snails, shrimp, crabs, etc. That's why they have powerful Pharyngeal bones in their throat for crushing shells. They only eat fish opportunistically as do most fish, even the vegetarians. Goldfish are not a good diet for Oscars.

However, there is no reason not to feed Goldfish to true piscivores, such as _Parachromis managuense_, _Petenia splendida_, or the various Pike cichlids. These fish normally are going to eat the sick fish that exist in the wild anyway, culling the unhealthy and weak, so they normally have stronger systems for fighting diseases carried by other fish.

The Green Sunfish probably would eat a few Goldfish, too, if he gets them on the smaller side.


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