Gold Fish versus Carp Myth

[Jason Eaton]

I've always been told that gold fish grow up into carp. Is this really true? Common Carp is probably a different species then 'gold fish' or feeder gold fish from the pet store right?

We bought feeder gold fish from the pet store and put a couple dozen in each pond. Its been two years since then and one pond has large 3" gold fish but nothing looking like common carp yet.

Is this myth busted?

[Vlad Jovanovic]

Just don't flush them down the toilet or they grow legs and turn into GMEC's (Giant Man Eating Carp)...

Yeah, dude that's so busted...two totally different species...

But the GMEC's thing is true!

"...I have a cousin, who knows a guy who says..."...(slow fade out...)

[Carey Ma]

Unfair question: Do Chihuahuas grow up to be Great Danes?

Some goldfish have more selective breeding than others but just like dogs, there are many types of carp. Some carp are good eating others are not. I guess that could be said of dogs too, however I don't have experience. What I do have experience in is rearing a couple common feeder goldfish to over a foot long, weighing several pounds. No I did not eat them.

[Vlad Jovanovic]

You have a point Carey...And your right, it's an unfair question.

While we're at it I guess it's worth mentioning that generic term "Asian Carp" being thrown around in the US may actually refer to 9 or 10 totally different species... from Cyprinus carpio (Common Carp) to Carassius auratus (Common goldfish) among others...(mud carp, silver carp, grass carp, black carp, big head carp, crucian carp etc...all of them are "Asian Carp")... A Common Goldfish is a relative of the Common carp, but will never turn into one, or any other type of fish no matter how big it may get, it'll still be just a (foot long or however) big Common Goldfish...

[Jason Eaton]

Thanks guys. I was working as a commercial fisher for awhile out of Oregon and the tales about gold fish used to get pretty outrages. Haha.

[TCLynx]

Goldfish are a type of Carp, as are Koi and all the other types of carp listed.  And I have seen some incredibly big goldfish! and Koi.  What does all that mean?  Not a clue.  Kinda like are a chihuahuas and great danes still both Dogs?  Well some might disagree but yea.  Can some one still eat a goldfish, well yea, I've seen it done.  Do you want to, I'll leave that up to you but I think I'll stick to eating my catfish and bluegill.

[Jason Eaton]

Thanks TC .. I think I will wait it out till the Sac Perch are ready! The reason I ask is I have some 3" gold fish in the AP right now. They came from my pond that we put some feeders in 2 years ago. And they spawned this year. Just yesterday I went out to the ponds and there are hundreds of little fry swimming around, a little bigger then a grain of rice. I got four ponds and the other three just have feeders in them. When I get the Sac Perch I hope to populate the ponds with them but probably need to remove the goldfish first!

I'm in gold fish trouble now!

[Carey Ma]

A bit off topic but...Mmmm bluegill. I could only wish for that here. We have talapia and all sorts of carp coming outta my ...pores. I'm so sick of eating carp. I hope to raise some BM Bass at my new project. Unfortunately that's the only "game fish" we have here. Can't do trout or Sturgeon cause of water quality and simply don't have pan fish of any sort. :(

[Damon Polta]

i can see where the OP is coming from...

sometimes you buy your run of the mill gold fish, but that fish labeled "gold fish" ends up being a koi. and when those are left to grow in a large pond, they can rival the size of most common carp... ha, i've seen some koi in private pond in strip malls bigger than most of the carp i've seen and caught in my life.

so in some instances, what the OP asked could possibly happen... because since they are a member of the carp family... but thats lawyer type techicalities... lol but if you buy one of those googlie eyed guys that stare at the ceiling... don't expect them to look any different as the years pass.

and my general rule of thumb... if the "dog" is small enough to fit in a purse or get trapped between the couch cushions... it's an accessory, not a dog... lol. i own both an accessory and a dog... a shih-tzu and a staffordshire bull dog... and guess which one beats up the other for first dibs on the dog food... if you said the staffordshire... you'd be wrong...

[TCLynx]

Those little accessories have attitude.  Probably has something to do with being the ones to have trained all others in the household instead of the other way around.

Bummer Carey, BG are such good "kid fish" for fishing outings.  Then again, the North American continent doesn't really have a good selection of native polyculture fish so there are pros and cons.

[Damon Polta]

It depends on where you're at in north America... I live just off one of the great lakes. Eating fish is what we do here. Lake Erie perch and walleye are the most common of the fish here, but musket and pike can be caught as well... if you're lucky. Lol.

As far as farmed fish... the walleye can be farmed, but they don't do as well... perch can be farmed two, but both of them have a high cost diet and require really good water... he's I know it weird to say this fish require good water coming from a place where the water has actually caught fire a few times... but it is what it is....

Now, as far as out west goes... they get the trout and salmon runs... and they do the stream fishing... but like you said TC there's only a few varieties....

Now for blue Gill... I've caught a few the size of a dinner plate... crappie too.... those monsters are few and far between catches... but when you land one you feel like the king of fishing. We alsogl get some good sized cat fish in a few vareilties and am. Mouth and LG. Mouth bass.... but again... I'm in the great lakes region. Out west in the plains, desert and mountain regions... I don't think their fishing is as good as ours. Lol.