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Surprise fish!

purplejulespurplejules Posts: 11
in Wildlife gardening
I've created a wildlife pond this year, which has worked well and we've already had breeding newts and lots of dragonflies/ damselflies.which is great. I didn't want fish as they eat everything. However, we seem to have 7 small fish approx 8-10cm long and I have no idea how they got there!  The plants were bought from reputable suppliers locally. Has anyone else had this happen? I can't bring myself to kill the fish as my husband suggested but I don't want to keep them. They look like minnows to me. Has anyone else experienced this? Thanks. 
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Posts

  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 50,122
    There are often eggs in plants you buy  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 82,724
    edited August 2021
    Minnows won't do any harm and they'll gobble up any mosquito larvae  ... they're part of our native wildlife ... not like goldfish.  
    “I am not lost, for I know where I am. But however, where I am may be lost.” Winnie the Pooh







  • purplejulespurplejules Posts: 11
    I guess I could leave them for a bit and see what happens  I'm a bit worried they could be  young goldfish. How do you tell when they're young? At what point do they start to look like goldfish? I noticed them a few weeks back and thought they were baby newts at first.🤔🙄 Steep learning curve!🤣
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 9,958
    Little minnows are much thinner than baby goldfish.
    But goldfish do start out a dark colour and it's only after a year or so they start to change to yellow/orange
    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • purplejulespurplejules Posts: 11
    Thanks. They are slim little fish with quite a forked, pointed tail. They do look like minnow at the moment. I'd say they're a grey colour. 
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 9,958
    I'd guess they are minnows - baby goldfish are very dark initially and look almost black from above - but time will tell
    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 50,122
    I'd say minnows too - very common in those circumstances, and pretty harmless.  :)

    We had a trout in the last pond which appeared from somewhere. Could have done with catching it for a dinner. 
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • purplejulespurplejules Posts: 11
    Thanks for your advice. Mumm,  fresh trout sounds good!
  • PosyPosy Posts: 3,601
    They are probably minnows - and you wanted wildlife. However, if I could put in a word for goldfish, they do NOT gobble anything up. I have had a pond, with goldfish, for 30 years and we have as much wildlife as you could possibly wish for.
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 82,724
    I have found that goldfish, being carp, tend to eat the oxygenating plants … but if you have a healthy pond with lots of oxygenating plants, and font overcrowd the pond with goldfish, the plants should replace themselves at a sufficient rate to cope with the grazing. 😊 
    “I am not lost, for I know where I am. But however, where I am may be lost.” Winnie the Pooh







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