text: 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 don'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 don't have a timeline yet for when we're going to do that,' Churchill said.
target: Teller Lake in Boulder, Colorado, is overrun with 3,000-4,000 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 .