Goldfish spawning -- questions & discussion

Mmathis

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WHEN GOLDFISH SPAWN.....

I'm beginning my 3rd season with the pond. Had some babies last year, but never witnessed spawning or spawning behavior, and never saw eggs -- just found the fry, after-the-fact.

So, have a few things I thought I'd bring up -- things I've read, but not sure if I'm remembering correctly, or not sure if they're even factual. Chime in with your personal experiences, personal knowledge.....

  • spawning is triggered by an increase in water temperature
  • goldfish only spawn once a year
  • goldfish have to be sexually mature [duh!]
  • they spawn in shallow areas
  • they will spawn in planted areas
  • goldfish will eat the eggs, fry
__________________________________

NOW, for a couple of questions:

  1. This has been an unusual winter for us -- very warm. Our air temps and weather are fluctuating a lot here in Louisiana. Water temps have been consistently in the 40's, but yesterday the water was 60º. What happens if the water temps DO fluctuate and bounce around a lot instead of gradually increasing before they reach a more stable high-end? For example, I haven't checked the water today, but we had a VERY COLD front with freezing rain come through last night, so I doubt that the water is still at 60º.
  2. Do they really only spawn once a year? AND, if they do only spawn once a year, if they spawn during a false-high, [and the water drops back down in the 50's] does that mean they won't spawn again for the season?
  3. What are the in-general water temperature parameters for spawning?
  4. Is information the same for goldfish and koi?
  5. When goldfish spawn, is it as dangerous for the female goldie as I've heard it can be for koi?
  6. And LAST BUT NOT LEAST: what is the safest way to handle eggs and or fry so as not to damage them? Like removing them from the pond, setting them up in a tank? Or is keeping them in a fry cage best?
 
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thanks for asking the questions - i will be listening in :)
but i have the question - what age is sexually mature age? for goldfish - (and on a side for koi)
 

addy1

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j.w

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And mine spawn in any part of the pond where there are plants floating near the surface,ie: roots, leaves and even on rocks or screen around my floating plant ring. Does not have to be shallow water just surface water. Many more times than once per year at my pond too. If you provide the females places to hide when she is worn out from being chased she should be ok and having more than one female is good so they don't just chase one poor fish to death. I had 2 goldfish in an aquarium once that spawned and I had to immediately separate the fish from the few eggs that were left w/ a dividing screen and only one baby survived. If you have some kind of floating netted cage thing that you can float in your pond you could put the eggs in that instead of taking them totally out of the pond. They have mop things that you can put in the pond to catch the eggs on when they spawn so all you have to do is lift it out w/ eggs on it.
 
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all well and good - but i still have trouble identifying females and males!
so they will only find surface items to place their eggs on... i have hornwort - does that count?
 

Mmathis

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all well and good - but i still have trouble identifying females and males!
so they will only find surface items to place their eggs on... i have hornwort - does that count?

Females are usually more "plump" than the males, if that helps. I can tell a difference when I view them from above, but that's not saying that I'm actually identifying the genders -- just that I can tell there's a difference in some of them.

JW! Shame on you!:facepalm:
 
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TM: good to know - but thats only once they get to a certain size..
i was looking at our larger 3 the other day - when it was warm - and it looked decidedly plumper than i had seen her in a while - but then again we were back to feeding regularly daily so she might just be getting to the food quicker!
 

addy1

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Once they start chasing it is real obvious who the female is. She will be leading the boys around by their noses..........a ton of boys will follow her everywhere.
 

fishin4cars

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1 True- Spawning is triggered by warmer pond temps, usually once the water has reached 65-70 degrees, Large water changes or rain storms once the water has warmed up also triggers spawning.
2 False Each female will usually produce once a year, but it is reported that a single female can produce up to three times in a single season. Spawning can happen all through the warmer months. Older more ready females will usually spawn first, younger females will sometimes lay eggs far later in the season. I have read that some females can produce multiple times per year but personally I have not found this to be the case.
3 True- But at what age does a goldfish become sexually mature? A female goldfish needs to be about a year old, but some can produce small spawns late in the first season. Males can reproduce during the first year, but most don't get really active in the spawn until they are at least a year old.
4 True- Goldfish and koi prefer to lay the eggs near the surface, usually in roots and plants, but that's only if they are provided. If not and the fish are ready to spawn they will also you rocks along the edge, and may even spawn on the bottom if there is no other preferred place available.
5 true, see above
6 True, larger fish will eat eggs and fry, fry are only safe with adults once they have reached the 1/2"-3/4" size.

1 B . Goldfish and Koi will normally spawn once the water temps have become stable in the range in which they prefer, nature has a way of telling them when it's safe.
2 B. See above, once a female has released all her eggs she needs 2-3 months or so to reproduce eggs that will be ready for spawning again. but other females may not be ready at the first of spring and may breed later in the season.
3 B Temp above 65, ammonia 0 nitrite 0 nitrate as low as possible PH stable.
4 B. Pretty much the same information for Koi however, Koi usually need a little warmer water than Goldfish, they usually spawn a little later in the year, and they quite often are triggered to spawn by large water changes and the cycle of the moon. Full moon is a known trigger timing.
5 B. Goldfish can get rough, but normally no where near as bad as Koi. however, a resting period is not out of the question and could be recommended especially with prized females.
6 B. Eggs are best removed on spawning mops, keeping them submerged in water as much as possible. Most breeders want to raise the fry in separate smaller tubs or ponds to be able to monitor feeding and the fry closer, Tanks are very seldom used as they are to small for the # of fry, and it's harder to maintain water quality. Also in a tank, rarely is there much green water which is very beneficial to helping the initial starting of feeding by the new born fry.

I also saw someone ask about maturity of Koi, males can spawn at a year, females usually need to be two years old or older. Some females do not start spawning until their forth or fifth year, others may spawn early in maturity and may not spawn again for years or may never spawn.
 
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so a question...
with the interesting winter we have had and the false start to spring also - the fish are likely still stressed and recovering.
If a fish is a favorite pond fish ( i wont use the word prized as it means to me that i want to show or sell it ), is there a way to not allow spawning to occur?
Is that even a good idea? for instance do we want egg bound females instead?
just some random thoughts and ramblings...
btw, i am interested in seeing any of my pond fish spawn - not sure i will interfere with the natural selection that happens after, but my wife seems to be interested in raising fry.
 

Mmathis

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so a question...
with the interesting winter we have had and the false start to spring also - the fish are likely still stressed and recovering.
If a fish is a favorite pond fish ( i wont use the word prized as it means to me that i want to show or sell it ), is there a way to not allow spawning to occur?
Is that even a good idea? for instance do we want egg bound females instead?
just some random thoughts and ramblings...
btw, i am interested in seeing any of my pond fish spawn - not sure i will interfere with the natural selection that happens after, but my wife seems to be interested in raising fry.

What kind of fish do you have?
 

addy1

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I picked up some fish from a foreclosure, they were in horrible water, got egg bound since they would not spawn, a lot of them died about 3 weeks after I put them in the big pond, good clean water. I think they were too bound up to recover, all real swollen. that is the only experience I have with egg bound fish.
 
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TM: i have a mix - the largest are comets and regular goldfish - the goldfish seem to have butterfly type tails and fins though.
have some Koi now too - standard and butterfly fin -but they are all smaller - 6" and smaller i think
2 larger shubunkins - about 6" to 7" perhaps
some fantails - smaller at 5" or less but just as hungry as the largest fish!
then we have a lot of smaller shubunkins and goldfish
and 3 plecos - hope they made it ok with the cold snap.
Right now - im pretty sure that the largest 3 are the only candidates...they are between 10 and 12" - they are a carry over from when we bought the house.
 

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