Teller Lake has become a giant fish bowl . The lake in Boulder , Colorado , has been invaded by thousands of gold fish , which wildlife officials say started as someone dumping 'four or five ' of their pets in the water two or three years ago . The animals have now multiplied to over 3,000 or 4,000 , it 's believed , and are threatening to over-run the natural species in the lake , by eating up all their resources and spreading unnatural diseases . 'Dumping your pets into a lake could bring diseases to native animals and plants as well as out-compete them for resources , 'Colorado Parks and Wildlife ( CPW ) spokeswoman Jennifer Churchill told ABC News . Scroll down for video . Invasion : Lake Teller in Boulder has been invaded by 3,000 to 4,000 goldfish , which wildlife officials say started as someone dumping 'four or five ' of their pets in the water two or three years ago . Overrun : Goldfish are not a native species in Colorado and are very harmful to the local aquatic ecosystem . Threat : Fish that are native to the lake that are now being threatened by the invasive goldfish include channel catfish , blue gill fish and sun fish . In danger : Local officials are now considering two options - electroshocking the fish or draining the lake . Worried : Colorado Parks and Wildlife ( CPW ) spokeswoman Jennifer Churchill has warned people against dumping their pets into local environments , saying it can be incredibly dangerous . 'Everything can be affected . Non-native species can potentially wipe out the fishery as we 've put it together . ' Crews now face the arduous tasking of attempting to get rid of all the gold fish , but there are only two options . One is to drain the 12-acre lake completely , or use electrofishing , where the fish are stunned by an electrical current and removed while they are paralyzed . The latter is the most likely option . Problem : The consequences of introducing a foreign species is far-reaching , officials say . Scene : Teller Lake stretches about 12 acres in Boulder , Colorado . An electrical current is put in the water in sections and the stunning brings the fish to the surface . It was a successful method used in November 2012 at Thunderbird Lake , also in Boulder , to remove koi goldfish from the water that had been improperly introduced . Some 2,275 fish were removed in the process . 'Most people do n't realize the far-reaching effects of introducing exotic species to the environment , ' Ken Kehmeier , senior aquatic biologist for CPW , told The Denver Chanel . 'Nonnative species can be devastating to native populations by causing disease outbreaks and creating competition unbalance . Removal : In November 2012 , over 2,000 koi goldfish were removed from the nearby Thunderbird Lake by 'electrofishing ' , where the fish are shocked with an electric current and paralyzed , causing them to float . Effective : With electroshocking , crews go out in a boat and stun the fish to paralyze and then collect them . 'It 's an issue that anyone concerned with our environment should know about . ' Despite the amount of fish in the lake , officials have warned locals against retrieving some of the fish and taking them home as pets . The gold fish will likely end up at a local raptor rehabilitation program as food . 'We do n't have a timeline yet for when we 're going to do that , ' Churchill said .
Teller Lake in Boulder , Colorado , is overrun with about 12 acres goldfish . Officials believe four or five fish were dumped two or three years ago . Will potentially destroy the natural ecosystem by eating resources and introducing foreign diseases . The lake will either be drained or the fish removed using electroshocking , where an electrical current is put in the water , paralyzing the fish .