Breeding goldfish
Breeding goldfish can be a little tough. You need patience.
1.Selecting your goldfish: The first thing you ill need to do is select the species of goldfish you want to breed. (See types of goldfish When choosing your fish, make sure that it is of high quality and healthy. (See choosing a goldfish) The goldfish you select must be from 2 to 4 years of age when they reach sexual maturity, but can also even be, for some goldfish, nine monthes after they hatch. Make sure the goldfish is 4-6 inches or bigger, and that the fish is not to old, as older fish can produce deformed, unhealthy eggs.
2. Determining the gender of your goldfish: This step can be a little tricky, but not always if you know what to look for. Females are generally more rounder bodied than males, with bigger anal fins.(See goldfish anatomy) Males generally have longer and thicker pectoral fins, and may also develop breeding turbules on the front fins and gills, that look like little white pimples, not to be confused with the goldfish disease ich. Males will also chase the females around and nudge the tail area. Rarely, the female may develop some turblules of her own. The females may become larger, showing that she may be carring eggs. The most effective way to tell is the anal opening, located in between the anal fin and the tail fin. If the anal opening sticks out, you have a female, but if it curves inward, you have a male.
You would need to plan a year ahead in the months of July or August. This is when most breeders sell their surplus fish at cheaper rates. If you skip this period then you would find it hard to find a good breeding quality pair of goldfish.
Cleaning the fish: The solution you need to clean the fish is one measure of Terramycin, 80 drops of Formaldehyde and 6 drops of copper sulphate in four gallons of water. The solution should be at the right temperature and the fish should get enough oxygen to breathe. Allow the goldfish to remain in this solution for 20 minutes and then move them to a separate container of clean water while you prepare a spawning tank.
1.Selecting your goldfish: The first thing you ill need to do is select the species of goldfish you want to breed. (See types of goldfish When choosing your fish, make sure that it is of high quality and healthy. (See choosing a goldfish) The goldfish you select must be from 2 to 4 years of age when they reach sexual maturity, but can also even be, for some goldfish, nine monthes after they hatch. Make sure the goldfish is 4-6 inches or bigger, and that the fish is not to old, as older fish can produce deformed, unhealthy eggs.
2. Determining the gender of your goldfish: This step can be a little tricky, but not always if you know what to look for. Females are generally more rounder bodied than males, with bigger anal fins.(See goldfish anatomy) Males generally have longer and thicker pectoral fins, and may also develop breeding turbules on the front fins and gills, that look like little white pimples, not to be confused with the goldfish disease ich. Males will also chase the females around and nudge the tail area. Rarely, the female may develop some turblules of her own. The females may become larger, showing that she may be carring eggs. The most effective way to tell is the anal opening, located in between the anal fin and the tail fin. If the anal opening sticks out, you have a female, but if it curves inward, you have a male.
You would need to plan a year ahead in the months of July or August. This is when most breeders sell their surplus fish at cheaper rates. If you skip this period then you would find it hard to find a good breeding quality pair of goldfish.
- During the winter you must feed the fish and help them build enough body mass to last the winter and be ready for spawning in the early spring. By October or November, your fish would need less food and this is the time to not only clean the fish but also separate the males from the females.
Cleaning the fish: The solution you need to clean the fish is one measure of Terramycin, 80 drops of Formaldehyde and 6 drops of copper sulphate in four gallons of water. The solution should be at the right temperature and the fish should get enough oxygen to breathe. Allow the goldfish to remain in this solution for 20 minutes and then move them to a separate container of clean water while you prepare a spawning tank.
- Make sure you make the new tank a natural spawning area with bushy natural plants, artificial fibers or spawning mops and coconut fibers, all materials that can receive the spawn. Goldfish need such props for spawning.
- Size of the spawning tank: You will need at least a tank that can hold 20 gallons of water. If the fish were bigger than you would need a bigger tank.
- Now that the fish are clean and the tank is clean too, do not feed the fish anything for the next two months except some amount of live food like insect larvae,worms, and brine shrimp. This preparation will help the females develop healthy and the males, milt that is needed to fertilize the eggs.
- If the winters are too cold in your area, you can consider using a heater.
- Watch the male goldfish developing breeding tubercles that look like white pimples on their gill covers and the pectoral fins.
- The following shedule is one that I have found and seems to be recommended:
After 48 hrs old Crushed yolk of hardboiled egg and oatmeal paste, or there is a liquid available commercially
After 2 weeks baby brine shrimp and infusoria
After 3 weeks Powdered foods can be used
First 4 weeks Feed 3 times each day
Up to 4 mths Feed 2 times each day
After 4 mths Once daily
(Feedings should be as much as they can eat in 20 minutes)
You should always siphon off any uneaten food, but be cautious so you do not siphon your fish. Once a month a tablespoon of aquarium salt should be added to the tank. Artificial aeration can be provided after 1 month.
As far as the water goes…………
You should do a partial water change every week or so depending on how many fish you have, and how big your tank is. If your tank is somewhat full, the fish will produce more waste. If stirring the gravel reveals debris, more frequent water changes are indicated. When in doubt, more often is better.
Have your water ready ahead of time (left to sit overnight to remove chlorine, or treated with a dechlorinator). Use a clean bucket for this purpose. (Use no soap or detergent!) I suggest buying a bucket which you will use only for clean fish water.
Be gentle when doing a water change. You don’t want to stress your fish. Goldfish are very curious, however, and over time, you will find that your fish won’t mind your hands in the tank at all.
Before beginning, make sure your hands are clean and well-rinsed. There should be no soap or detergent on your hands at all. Soap is poison to fishes. Never use soap to clean anything that is going into your tank! Also, disconnect anything electrical that may be nearby.
How much water will you need? I suggest a partial water change of 30%. (about 3 gallons for every 10 gallons of tank). Since your fish are used to the water quality of your tank, adding too much new water can stress them. Small, frequent water changes are best.
If your tank has algae you may want to scrape it off before beginning. You can use an algae scraper or an old credit card. I have found both to work very well.
Start by removing 30% of the water in the tank. A siphon tube is ideal for this because it lets you suction debris and algae out of the gravel. When you have removed 30% of the water, you may add fresh water. Go slowly! You don’t want a big splash, and neither do the fish.
You are done. Make sure everything is dry before reconnecting anything electrical.Watch the females become rounder body as it fills up with roe or eggs.
