Size at sexual maturity?

[Dogcatlady]

At what size do I need to start worrying about my fish spawning? I just got them----2-4" Shubunkins and Sarasas. I'm hoping they don't reproduce, but I'm also hoping I don't have to worry about it for awhile.

Thanks!

 

[Jhn]

Goldfish reach sexual maturity quickly, sometimes even under a year of age. Unless you get goldfish of one sex they will reproduce quickly.

 

[Lisak1]

Yup. They grow up fast these days!

 

[Somethin' Fishy]

Yep. They're like rabbits! In every pond that I've ever had the goldfish started spawning at less than a year old. One of my ponds was more decorative than natural, with only two adult fish, so without other fish or any other predators the baby population was insane. In my other, more natural ponds with more than two adult fish the survival rate for the fry is a lot less - with the eggs being eaten by the other fish as they are laid, and frogs to prey on most of the rest.

As far as having a pond with only one sex of fish, you would have to acquire your fish when they are more mature and closely inspect each one to sex them, which even so is very difficult.

 

[j.w]

@Dogcatlady nice that you have those great varieties as they will be easy to find homes for when and if you need to.

 

[Dogcatlady]

j.w., I'm desperately hoping for no babies! My hope is to scoop out eggs as I find them. Once my plants grow, I know it'll be challenging to impossible, but I'm still clinging to hope....

 

[Dogcatlady]

Are fish eggs as obvious as frog eggs? I've never seen them.

 

[JBtheExplorer]

I'm desperately hoping for no babies! My hope is to scoop out eggs as I find them.

There will be babies, and there will be more babies after that.

I have never seen goldfish eggs in my pond, but I have seen plenty of babies. Actually, the majority of my fish were born in my pond. Most of their parents died years ago. Now the babies of those babies are having babies.

 

[poconojoe]

Yep, they reproduce and even grow pretty quick and sometimes without you even knowing.
Today I was feeding them and saw a fish I never saw before. It was about 5" long, black with orange specks. I don't know what kind of fish he was. I have koi, comets, goldfish, shubunkin. He could be any of them or a hybrid. You think I would have noticed him before given his size.
I thought I knew every fish and every group from each litter and the groups usually grow and stay around the same size. But this guy was an odd size. Maybe there's more like him hiding somewhere.

 

[Lisak1]

I have never seen goldfish eggs in my pond, but I have seen plenty of babies.

Same here - we've added may be three or four goldfish to our pond over the years intentionally - the rest of the herd was born in our pond. Never once saw eggs or even the fry before they were the size that they were willing to swim with the big guys.

Don't worry too much about breeding - they really will help control it on their own. Learn to recognize the signs of spawning and stop feeding them - hungry fish will devour eggs!

 

[Lisak1]

It was about 5" long, black with orange specks.

A lot of our goldfish babies go undetected for this very reason - they're black for the first year or two. Suddenly we see them turning gold or gaining orange patches.

 

[j.w]

I have never seen the eggs and what do get laid must mostly get eaten by the fish. They will follow a spawning female and eat them up right away. Once in awhile a few survive over the years and it has built up my population. I wouldn't worry about it tho as there is always someone who will take some.

 

[JBtheExplorer]

Never once saw eggs or even the fry before they were the size that they were willing to swim with the big guys.

I actually see fry quite often. I'll see them swimming between the openings in the lily pads.

 

[Lisak1]

I actually see fry quite often.

I see fry. I just never see them when they are teeny tiny. They already look like fish before they venture out from the "nursery".