If you decided to take little Bubbles or Jaws outside of the tank for a little recreational swimming in one of Minnesota's “10,000 lakes,” I think I may have found your pet goldfish. Unfortunately, this action may not have been a very wise decision.

One wouldn’t think that a little goldfish from a pet store or the local carnival would be such a huge threat to the environment.  Well, think again.  Surprisingly, these giant goldfish can cause more harm than good in Minnesota’s lakes and ponds.

So here’s a helpful tip:  Please don't release your pet goldfish into nature’s bodies of water. Check out these huge goldfish that were found in the City of Burnsville. This city is just south of Minneapolis.

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According to a recent article from CNN, this goldfish post regarding the sighting of goldfish in one of Minnesota’s lakes has gone viral across various social media pages. These giant goldfish were discovered by city officials in Keller Lake. In total, they recovered 10 goldfish from the lake.  Burnsville natural resources specialist Caleb Ashling shared with a CNN reporter that these goldfish were pretty much the size of a football.

Obviously, It's best to just keep the goldfish in a tank and not release them.  "Freed goldfish can grow to the size of a football and contribute to poor water quality by uprooting plants and disturbing the sediment at the bottom of ponds and lakes," explains the article from CNN. Apparently, goldfish can turn a clear lake green.  Why? Since they gravitate towards the bottom of lakes and ponds, the goldfish can push nutrients up to the top of the surface causing algae to form.

It’s assumed that these 10 goldfish were released into Keller Lake or possibly only a few were released, and they reproduced.

Either way, be sure to keep the goldfish in their usual home habitats and out of the lakes unless it's their time for the 21-flush salute.  That's really the only exception.

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