Questions on Goldfish spawning

[wasabi8888]

Hi all

It's been a while since i posted.. i still have my fishes

Got a question about the above..asking for a friend of mine...I know that not many people here keep goldfishes.. but this is still my favourite fish forum...

I am not familar with goldfishes. Currently there are 2 goldfishes in her tank. Now there are eggs all over. It has been a week and nothing has hatched. The water has turned murky as well..Obviously one of them is a female, does that mean that the other is a male, and will he fertilize the eggs?

Assuming 1 is male and 1 is female (otherwise, no point asking anymore),

1. When will the male fertilize the eggs? How does one see whether the eggs are fertilized?
2. Do i need to separate the goldfishes and the eggs?
3. When will the eggs hatch?

[Hermes]

Goldfish are voracious - If the eggs are fertilized then they'll likely eat the fry if they can (Generally).

Usually, as far as my experiences take me, fertilization occurs immediately after the eggs have been released - So what might've happened is your female got confused and released the eggs without a male present. In any event, take a look at the eggs. If it looks like they have little fish inside, then read up on it.

What's more likely is that they aren't fertilized at all.

Hope that helps.

[Quixotic]

I find this a very informational and useful page, with lots of pictures and videos as examples.
http://thegab.org/Articles/SexingGoldfish.html

[planted86]

must removed the eggs... they eat both fertilized and those not fertilized... what i do is i put under gravel plate in the bare bottom tank underneath is a plastic sheet... so when the female released the eggs those that fall into the undergravel plate stick to the plastic sheet... and will not be eaten by the adult...

[celticfish]

@ wasabi8888,
For a moment I thought you're getting another tank for goldfish!
Something my dad told me about sexing them.
The male fish have white spots on the pectoral fins.
My own observation, they spawn during the pre-dawn hours.
Almost like an orgy, the whole lots will chase one another and scatter the eggs and sperm.
This explains why the fertilization rate is low.
Also, the "old timers" use plants like water lettuce and hyacinth.
The eggs get stuck in the root system and have evade predation by the adults.
This will help if you friend is not an early riser!
Alternately, any kind of "mop" looking device to trap the eggs will work.


btw this must be the first thread on goldfish that I've come acrossed in AQ...

[planted86]

actually the white spot is only for male and its on the gill cover...

[wasabi8888]

Thanks for all the replies. will let my friend know..

Irwin, no new tanks.. btw, the zebs are coming out slowing...

[Hermes]

Hah. Hope it goes well with the fish, eggs, and everything else. =) Good luck.