Pond Boss Forums STOCKING A NEW POND Types of fish to choose can you eat goldfish?

Goldfish seem to survive in large ponds and multiply and grow to large sizes very quickly. Can you eat them? thoughts? Also which perch are the best?

If your hungry.

lol lol no realklym, I am serious. Do people, in ASia eat goldfish? They get so big sp fast and multiply so fast. The guy at the store told me that goldfish 'turn into' carp when they get big??

They are basicly a pretty carp so they are eatable. The taste will depend on the water clarity.

They are related to Carp... and if you can stomach Carp you can likely stomach a big 'ol goldfish just the same. They won't reach the same size as 'common' carp or put up such a fight. For me it would just seem a little bit gross to eat a 'pet' : )

Check this site out: Goldfish

We eat carp in eastern Europe, and if I'm not mistaken, carp is the most commonly farm-raised fish world wide. Their meat is very good, but it is bony. The meat is flaky and falls away from the bones. In Europe, carp is the premier game fish that everyone wants to hook into. They are very strong and put up a fight, sometimes even ruining your reel and breaking your rod. Carp fishing is quickly gaining popularity in the US, with numerous websites and tournaments organized.
See carp.com and carp.net for info. I never ate carp over 3.5kg (about 7lbs, 3yrs old), so I don't know what the giants on these websites would taste like. I have to say that in Czech Republic, they get fed corn and about a month before the sale they are kept in tanks with clean water. But the ones you can get in Houson in Fiesta or Hong Kong market are just as good.

I forgot to add - don't eat grass carp aka White Amur. I never tried it, but I hear that their meat is very oily.

Goldfish do not turn into carp, however goldfish can hybridize with carp. Numerous body features are different between carp and goldfish. Western Lake Erie & adjoining Sundusky Bay has had a sizable wild population of goldfish since the early 1950's. Many wild goldfishes revert back to (or most of the survivors) are the natural coloration of brownish olive w/ bronzy sheen, ventrally yellow-white. Rarely do they get longer than 15"-16" & those at 18" are likely hybrids.

Seined quantities of goldfish are mostly used as fertilizer or sold in winter at a small price as food. "but they are rarely purchased twice by the same person, they are so boney" (Greeley 1936). I suspect the boneiness is similar to that of suckers; numerous interstitial (muscular) bones.

As with Ed I have never eaten grass carp, but I hear that large ones have very white, mild tasting meat and it was likened to walleye. No mention of oiliness, just good tasting meat.

I don't know why but I'm a little embrassed to say this...Anyway I would not think of eating carp after seeing all the trashy things they eat in the wild. However I was convinced to try a grass carp aka white amur. They basically eat just plants. Man I am here to tell you it is white firm and has very little taste (not fishy). It will taste like whatever you season it with. It is bony like its carp cousins but when broiled you can pull the big bones right out and be left with some good eatin'. The first bite is tough but I suggest givin' it a try. I can sell a big gold fish for some good money so I'm defientnly not going to eat it.

I wouldn't worry about eating carp because of the "junk" they eat. They eat the same crayfish, insects, and stuff that most fish eat, including walleye.
But if you are going to stock a pond with Koi (which are pretty much carp or goldfish which aren't carp but I beleive related to carp) for eating, I would just stock carp, catfish, drum, suckers, or buffalo.

LOL, I have been smoking Carp for years! My Grandpa used to smoke Carp and sheephead all the time. It is damn good smoked! Plus they are great to catch on a flyrod!