The first thing you want to do (assuming you already have a smaller tank that can hold at least 4 gallons or 15 liters) is to clean your newly purchased breeders. By adding 80 eye drops of Formaldehyde, 6 drops of Copper Sulphate and just 1 small measure of Terramycin, you will be able to clean the goldfish and the tank to keep all healthy.
When females lay their eggs, they usually anchor them to something solid. If you’re going to let them breed naturally, you’ll definitely want a lush environment. If you’re going to breed them artificially, no plants are necessary, although they do improve quality of life (and act as a great water filter) when the fish are not breeding. Consider investing in spawning mops. Spawning mops are made of floating nylon string into which females send their eggs. [3] X Research source You don’t need spawning mops if you have plenty of brush, plants, or other fibrous material, but they’re an easy, efficient way of safeguarding your goldfish eggs, as grown-up goldfish tend to eat any unsecured eggs.
Feed your goldfish in small amounts but often. Feed them three times a day, being careful not to overfeed them. Many goldfish owners make the mistake of feeding their fish too much; the leftover scraps remain uneaten, sink to the bottom of the tank, decomposing and spoiling the water. No matter what you feed them, make sure you crumple it up small enough to fit in their mouths.
Remember to add water conditioner to the water that you cycle into the tank. Conditioners neutralize chemicals harmful to your fish, as well as remove chlorine and counteract chloramines.
Look at the shape of their vent. The vent is a small opening between the anus and the anal fin where fish excrete egg or sperm, depending on the sex. [5] X Research source Female vents are rounded and convex, like an outie. Feel the abdomen. The abdomen, between the pelvic and anal fins, is very soft and movable for females. Look at the pectoral fins. The pectoral fins of females are round and short. Overall, female goldfish tend to be a bit smaller and rounder than male goldfish, who tend to be longer and pointier. This, however, is a less reliable way to tell the two apart.
The presence of small white stars, or tubercles. Tubercles are little bumps that appear on the fins, head, and even gills of males when they’re ready to breed. A concave, or innie, vent. Males have a vent that slices inward instead of bulges outward. Feel the abdomen. The abdomens of males are much more rigid and hard than those of females. Look at the pectoral fins. The pectoral fins of males are pointier and longer compared to the short, round pectoral fins of the females.
For an ideal mix of breeders, try to isolate your three best male and two best female goldfish.
Be very ginger with artificial insemination. Your goldfish can bruise easily, so apply very light pressure when clearing their vents. You don’t have to keep your goldfish underwater as you squeeze their vents. Goldfish, like other fish, can breathe outside of water, although not as well. Just be sure to keep them out of water for no more than 30 seconds at a time.
When the eggs finally do hatch soon after they are fertilized, you can feed them the same food that you feed the adults. Just make sure that they are in even smaller bites than the adult food so their smaller mouths and throats are capable of ingestion. Try to keep the eggs in the same water they were bred in. Transplant only at your own risk.
