How to distinguish the gender of goldfish. How to distinguish a male from a female goldfish How to distinguish goldfish
There is a false belief that goldfish primitive in care. In fact, they are very demanding, and when breeding them, a lot of nuances appear. But, having learned to overcome difficulties, many owners are thinking about breeding their aquarium pets. If in many species of aquarium fish it is quite primitive to distinguish a female from a male (by color, size), then with goldfish the situation is the opposite.
You will need
- Aquarium, goldfish, magnifying glass
Instructions
1. Goldfish become sexually mature by two years, although this depends on the completeness and diversity of the diet and the conditions in which they are kept. In this case, the volume of the aquarium plays a very significant role - per goldfish you need at least 40 liters, and each “glass house” must be at least 100 liters. In small volumes, the fish do not progress well, they become as if “extended” and are incapable of spawning. In impeccable conditions, there were cases of even more early puberty - by one and a half years, while the diet was protein-rich. Consequently, before this age, even an experienced owner will not be able to distinguish between a male and a female.
2. When the fish become ready to reproduce, the first differences between male and female begin to appear. The female’s body takes on a rounded shape and a small spherical belly appears, while the male is more roasty.
3. The front paired fins of the male have characteristic serrations that appearance resemble small saw teeth. This is the core sign by which it is possible to distinguish a male from a female even outside the mating period.
4. With the beginning of spring, the courtship period begins for mature goldfish. At this time, the male invisibly differs from the female in his behavior. He behaves very energetically, violently courting his girlfriend, chasing her around every aquarium.
5. Another main sign of a male can be called the origin of white tubercles on the head and gill covers. Occasionally, these tubercles may be on the front fins. The same signs may appear when serious illness aquarium fish – ichthyophthyriosis. On the fins of fish there appear tubercles similar to semolina. The main thing is not to confuse the spawning signs of the male with this disease.
Goldfish are a subspecies of silver crucian carp. Despite the name, these fish may differ in color. Red, white, and black individuals are often found in nature. In addition, goldfish are able to change color throughout their lives. Basically, metamorphosis occurs in the 1st year of life, however, in some cases, fish can change the shade of their scales even after puberty. On average, goldfish are ready to spawn by 7-8 months, but it is better if they begin to reproduce later than they are 2-4 years old. During this period, they reach maximum brightness of the color of their scales and fins. Until this time, it is very problematic to realize what gender your goldfish is.
You will need
- In order to understand what gender your pet is, you need to take an observant look at it during the spawning period. If two fish of different sexes live in an aquarium, then you will immediately be able to determine which of them is male and which is female.
Instructions
1. First, compare the sizes fish. Males are usually somewhat fewer females. At the same time, the latter have a more rounded belly. Males also have a slightly convex anal opening, while in females, on the contrary, it is possible to notice a depression in this area.
2. A few days before spawning, white specks appear on the gills of males. On the first rays of the pectoral fins you can also notice small clear notches, which some breeders call “saw”.
3. During the spawning period, males become very energetic. They begin to chase the females around the aquarium, and also “molest” the brides, pinning them in a corner.
Video on the topic
Note!
If you want to breed goldfish, then do not forget that they need a lot of space for typical coexistence. Therefore, before purchasing a companion or partner for your pet, take care to expand its living space.
Helpful advice
If a goldfish lives alone, it will be quite difficult to determine its gender. True, occasionally in males ready for spawning, sexual signs may occur regardless of whether there is a partner nearby. In this case, many novice breeders get scared and think that the fish is sick with something.
Chinese and Japanese breeders have developed several famous species of goldfish. Some people think that they are very easy to care for due to their enormous popularity. Occasionally, a person may be given a goldfish as a simple gift for some merit, or lightly as a virgin present, which will inevitably prompt a person to think about how to care for goldfish so that they can live well in his aquarium.
It is worth saying that in cases where the fish is not given proper care, it dies quite quickly. Occasionally she lives every three to four days. In order to provide positive care for goldfish, you must definitely take into account what kind of aquarium you have, and also know what needs to be done with the water before introducing the fish into it. It is also important to decide what to feed the animals. Speaking of choice the desired aquarium, it is worth saying that in small aquariums these fish die. The larger the fish itself or the larger their number, the larger the volume of the glass house should be. Also, future owners must know that the water must be enriched with oxygen. The main point is the choice of “contents” of the aquarium. For example, you need to put gravel on the bottom, because bacteria live on it, which absorb ammonia and its level in the water decreases. As for the temperature that needs to be maintained in order to keep a goldfish, it should not be less than or more than 21 degrees. In order to keep one goldfish you will need: 40 liter aquarium – 1 piece. Aquarium filter, with the ability to pump air – 1 piece. Thermometer for aquariums. Medium-sized gravel. Aquarium snails. Catfish – 2 individuals. Special food for goldfish. Literature dedicated to the table of contents of goldfish. 1. Install the aquarium in a suitable place in your house or apartment.2. Place medium-sized gravel on the bottom of the aquarium.3. install a filter that pumps air.4. Install a special thermometer. 5. Pour into the aquarium clean water. 6. Add snails and catfish to the aquarium. 7. Wait a few days or even a week. 8. Make sure that the temperature in the aquarium is 21 degrees. 9. Launch the goldfish.10. Check how much food the fish eats at one time.11. Never overfeed your goldfish!12. Never use small aquariums to house your goldfish.
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Goldfish are a decoration for any aquarium. Some people think that caring for them is very primitive, but in fact there are several nuances that require special comprehension. One of these issues is reproduction. How to find out floor this type of aquarium fish?
Instructions
1. Goldfish reach floor reaches maturity only at two years of age. Until then, don't try to identify them. floor, this is actually unrealistic. However, there were cases when, under impeccable conditions of contents and a protein-intensive diet, males matured to floor morning years. These fish progress poorly in small rooms, so the volume of the aquarium should be at least one hundred liters.
2. Observe the fish during the maturation period. At this time, the females’ bodies take on a rounded shape, and the males remain lean. It is at this time that one can notice the first differences in the structure gold various fish floor A.
3. Using a magnifying glass, look at the front paired fins. In mature males, you can see characteristic notches on them, reminiscent of a saw with small teeth. By this sign it is possible to distinguish floor fish not even during the mating period, but only in floor density of mature individuals.
4. At the beginning of spring floor Mature goldfish enter the period of courtship and mating games. Males begin to differ greatly from females in behavior. They are very energetic, chasing females around every aquarium, courting wildly and passionately. After watching mating game, you can easily distinguish floor their pets.
5. Also, by observing the head of the fish observantly through a magnifying glass, you will notice another core sign of the male. White tubercles appear on the head and gill covers during the spawning period. The main thing is not to confuse them with signs of ichthyophthyriosis - the disease gold fish, in which there appears on the fins white coating, somewhat similar to semolina. Spawning signs appear only during the breeding season.
6. After spawning, be sure to transfer the fish to a previously prepared reserve reservoir. This is done so that the aquarium inhabitants do not eat their offspring. The depositor, just like the core reservoir, must be equipped with a filter and a supply of clean air.
Video on the topic
There can be many reasons for the death of aquarium fish. Ideally, the environment in the aquarium should be as similar as possible to the natural habitat of the species of fish that you have placed in it. If there are any deviations, this can lead to health problems and even death of your pets.
Aquarium fish must be provided with ideal clean water Therefore, the aquarium must be perfectly lit and filtered. And, of course, it is impossible to forget about feeding and living plants. It would seem that fulfilling these requirements is quite easy, but what could go wrong? More often than not, fish die as a result of the following violations.
Main reasons
The first reason is poor quality water. If you do not frequently clean your aquarium satisfactorily, the waste products of the fish disintegrate and poison the water with nitrogen compounds. During the day, the fish accumulates a huge number of feces - up to a third of its weight. In addition, you should not overfeed your pets; on the contrary, uneaten food will begin to decompose. Unfortunately, many novice aquarists are poorly versed in similar issues and completely forget about timely cleaning. Nitrogen compounds such as ammonium, nitrate and nitrite make their presence felt unpleasant smell and turbidity The second reason is incorrect adaptation of purchased fish to new conditions. The catch is that the water in pet store aquariums and the water in your home can be strikingly different in parameters such as pH, temperature, and hardness. It is impossible to simply take and throw a newly acquired fish into your aquarium; it may experience shock. You need to attach the bag with the new fish to the glass of the aquarium, set the aeration to low and add aquarium water to the bag every 10-15 minutes. After an hour and a half, you can pour the water from the bag into the sink and put the fish in the aquarium. For better adaptation of new fish, it is advisable to add a special anti-stress drug to the aquarium.
What does an incorrect table of contents lead to?
The third fairly common reason is various diseases. But it is worth noting that the disease option should be considered only when the likelihood of clogging or maladaptation is excluded. And here we need to make a reservation that fish get sick due to decreased immunity caused by unfavorable conditions. If one of your fish has died, or a pestilence has begun, you need to consult with an expert who is not interested in selling expensive medicines. To prevent diseases, take proper care of your fish, and place sick and recently acquired imported fish in quarantine. Finally, you should list the unfavorable factors that can negatively affect the health of your fish, which can lead to death. These factors include tap water, broken winter time heater, lack of oxygen, and finally, aggression from other fish.
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Parrot fish belong to the cichlid family. Quite often this type fish are allowed to be found in our aquariums. West Africa- the homeland of aquarium fish parrots. The male at home reaches a length of no more than seven centimeters, the female grows up to five centimeters.
The male of this species of fish breeds only one pair, so it is recommended to raise future breeders in a separate aquarium, the volume of which should not be less than forty liters. Select ten fry there. If you don’t want to plant them separately, then it’s better to keep them during the spawning period of parrots with species that live in upper layers water - this will help avoid potential clashes. The fish are ready to reproduce at approximately one year of age. Males, when ready, find a mate and look for a suitable shelter. They won't let anyone in anymore. The water temperature to stimulate spawning should be no higher than 28 degrees. During the breeding season, a female parrot fish lays about 300 eggs, their color is reddish-chestnut. The fish first prepare special shelters for the larvae after hatching. These shelters look like holes. After five days, the young begin to swim little by little and feed on plankton.
Tip 7: How to reproduce aquarium fish Danio: conditions
Getting offspring of the aquarium fish zebrafish is not difficult even for a novice aquarist. Despite the fact that this is not a viviparous fish, but one that lays eggs, it will take a little time and expense: a small horizontal aquarium, several plants, pebbles and two weeks of patience.
Danios are small, peaceful schooling fish carp family. In nature, they live in flowing or stagnant bodies of water in Asia. They can even live in flooded rice fields. They are not demanding in terms of living conditions and are suitable for beginners. Aquarium zebrafish grow up to 5 cm long, have an oblong body. Color happens various shades- from whitish to silvery, golden, pinkish, depending on the color of the close longitudinal stripes on a clear background. Danios are omnivores. They usually live in aquariums for 2 years, occasionally 4-5 years.
Preparing the spawning area
Zebrafish are small, so a horizontal glass container with a volume of 3-5 liters each is suitable as a spawning ground. 3-4 plants are laid out at the bottom, which are pressed down with smooth pebbles. Settled water at a temperature of 24-25°C is poured into the container. Zebrafish reach maturity at 4-10 months. For better spawning, experts recommend changing up to 20% of the water in the aquarium all day a week before. Fresh water should be settled and have a cool temperature - about 20 ° C. After this, 3 days before spawning, it is best to place the females and males in different aquariums. Females are distinguished from male zebrafish by a more rounded abdomen and more distinct stripes on the back. During this period, the fish are vigorously fed with high-calorie food, say, bloodworms or bark. On a certain day, the spawning ground is transferred to a well-lit place and one female with an obviously thickened abdomen at the anus and two or three energetic male zebrafish are placed in it.
Zebrafish Reproduction
After landing the fish, spawning occurs the next morning, at dawn, or a day later. It's fascinating to watch how the males begin to chase the female and chase her around each spawning area, striking directly at the belly of the fish. Thus, they stimulate it to release eggs, which are fertilized here. The eggs settle little by little, over about an hour, and attach to the bottom of the spawning ground. After the end of spawning, the zebrafish are transferred to a public aquarium. Pebbles are removed from the bottom of the spawning area so that the plants float to the surface. At the bottom, transparent egg balls are clearly visible. After 3-5 days, fish emerge from the eggs. They grow quite richly. The young are fed ciliates, “live dust,” and special food for fry. A female zebrafish lays up to 400 eggs, but no more than 100 fry survive to adulthood. Within a week the female is ready to spawn again.
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Goldfish are a type of freshwater crucian carp. They are very famous among aquarium fish lovers. However, not all of those who keep a goldfish care for it properly, although it is not at all difficult to do this.
Aquarium
There is a large variety of breeds related to the type of goldfish, say, “Ryukin”, “Lionhead”, “Vualehvost”, etc. Some of these fish reach 25 - 30 cm in length, so if you decide to have similar fish, be prepared for the fact that you will need a fairly large aquarium with a capacity of 100 to 200 liters. This size of the aquarium is needed so that the fish can live as long as possible. Small aquariums quickly accumulate ammonia, which causes the death of fish. When choosing soil for an aquarium, remember that goldfish often burrow into it in search of food, this can cause pieces of stones to get into their mouths. If you keep these fish, it is advisable to fill the aquarium with large stones or very fine sand. Neither one nor the other will cause damage to the fish. Wherever you get the soil, you need to rinse it thoroughly before putting it into the aquarium. This also applies to special soil, the one that can be bought in specialized stores. Be sure to place real soil in the aquarium. aquatic plants. They will help effectively fight ammonia and other harmful substances that accumulate in it over time. Also ensure there is sufficient light from the lamps. Goldfish on average require about 12 hours of light per day. To keep goldfish healthy, the aquarium must be equipped with a water filter. It will help keep the water as clean as possible and prevent fish from getting sick from harmful impurities, say, from rotten food particles.
Habitat care
Regularly test the water for the presence of ammonia; its level should always be at zero. In addition, the table of contents of goldfish imposes certain restrictions on the ph level of the water, make sure that this indicator is in the range from 6 to 8. Be diligent in regularly cleaning the aquarium from harmful particles that are not removed by the filter, do this at least once once a week. If you do not drain the water to replace it, be careful not to remove the fish from the aquarium; use a vacuum pump to clean it. If you change the water, transfer the fish with the help of a container, do not use a net for this. Always prepare the water for the aquarium properly; use special aquarium conditioners for this; they help bring the water to the desired state. Never use clean drinking water, it will lack many of the useful substances these fish need.
Feeding and illness
Note!
If the spawning is successful, then you need to remember that goldfish can eat their offspring. Consequently, immediately after spawning, they need to be transplanted into a fish tank. It should be equipped with a filter and air supply, and differ from an aquarium only in its smaller volume.
Helpful advice
It’s best to keep goldfish at temperatures no higher than 24 degrees.
Goldfish are quite demanding in terms of their maintenance and care, so their owners must have certain knowledge in this area, and also take into account a large number of nuances.
People who have overcome all the difficulties begin to think about breeding goldfish quite often. And the main problem they encounter is how to determine the sex of a goldfish.
Distinctive characteristics of a male and female goldfish
The sex of a goldfish can be determined by the following differences:
- The female has a more rounded body and appears bloated;
- The male has serrations, similar to small saw teeth, located on the pectoral fins;
- The female has shorter and rounder pelvic fins;
- During the spawning period, white tubercles appear on the gill covers, as well as along the front fins, which is considered characteristic feature male goldfish. However, it should be noted that the appearance of such growths may indicate the disease ichthyophthyriosis, so the main thing is not to confuse the symptoms of the disease with different sexual characteristics. The female goldfish is more aggressive and bright color compared to the coloration of the male.
- In addition, you can determine the sex of a fish by its behavior. So, in spring period The behavior of the males becomes more active - he diligently tries to care for the female, accompanying her along the entire trajectory of her movement around the aquarium.
The period of appearance of distinctive sexual characteristics
It should be noted right away that any differences between male and female become visible no earlier than the goldfish reaches its sexual maturity, the onset of which on average occurs after the first year of life. Before this, it is not possible to visually distinguish the sex of the fish.
In addition, the onset of puberty can be significantly delayed due to the small volume of the aquarium and poor diet. IN ideal More than 40 liters of water should be allocated per goldfish, and the food should be rich in protein.
HOW TO DETERMINE THE SEX OF A GOLDFISH?
Everyone wants to know the gender of their goldfish, unless of course the goldfish are purely for decorative purposes. True goldfish lovers usually want to produce offspring from them, and this is where gender determination becomes especially important. There are several ways to determine the sex of goldfish.
During the spawning period, male goldfish are easier to identify. Males develop tubercles or white tubercles, growths along the pectoral fins and gill covers. In addition, the male develops jagged teeth on the paired front fins, the so-called “saw”. Females become slightly asymmetrical, especially in the abdominal area. They look bloated.
Photo of a male goldfish, the tubercles are clearly visible in the photo, distinguishing the golden male from the female.
At the end of the spawning period and after several seasons of spawning, some males have a hard chest area.
Here are a few more ways to determine the sex of a goldfish, but even they are useless if the fish is not at least a year old*, that is, if the fish has not reached sexual maturity.
1. Males have a growth that extends through the back of the pelvic fin to the anus. In females this growth is either completely absent or much smaller.
2. In females, the area between the ventral and anal fins is soft, while in males it is hard.
3. Although it is difficult to see, the anus of females is round and convex, while the anus of males is thinner and concave.
4. The male's pelvic fins are pointed, while the female's pelvic fins are round and shorter.
5. The color of females is brighter and they are more active.
6. You can introduce a female goldfish into the aquarium and observe the reaction of the other goldfish. Males will swim to new fish, and they will chase after her.
Here is a photo of male and female goldfish 
photo male goldfish Oranda male goldfish Telescope
Photo of a female Telescope goldfish
Useful video on how to determine the gender of a goldfish
- male or female, boy or girl
Let's consider what else you should pay attention to to determine the sex of these representatives of the crucian genus. It should be noted that almost all physiological and behavioral signs listed in this article refer to healthy individuals with normal nutrition.
After all, a sick male will not pursue a female in mating season; a female that has been underfed will look shaped like a male; a bloated belly may be a symptom of a disease and not a sign of a female.
Identify the fish
It’s not easy based on gender. This can only be done visually, but even in this case, the result may be unreliable. It’s much easier to ask the seller right away when purchasing. But even the person selling fish does not always know who is male and who is female. Try to produce comparative analysis individuals by their appearance.
Question: “Opened a pet store. Business is not going well. What to do? » – 2 answers
Mollies
- These are aquarium fish of the poeciliaceae family. IN wildlife different kinds Mollies live in water bodies of Mexico, Colombia, America, and Mexico. Males and female mollies are distinguished by the shape of their anal fin. Females have a more round body shape and are viviparous, i.e. They do not spawn, but give birth to live fry.
Sumatran barbs (lat. Puntius tetrazona) are beautiful schooling fish native to freshwater reservoirs. South-East Asia.
Usually they are bought in a flock of 10-20 individuals, from which pairs are selected in the future for breeding fry. How to distinguish a male from a female if these fish are so similar to each other?
Puntius tetrazona is an active fish that aquarists love. The body is round, flattened on the sides, short and tall. By external description similar to common crucian carp (also a related fish of the Carp family). But the body color is slightly different - on a silver background, four vertical black stripes are visible, the outermost ones passing through the eyes and the base of the tail.
The Sumatran barb has its first sexual characteristics at the age of 3 months. Males and females can be distinguished by their caudal fin and color. In the male, the outer rays of the tail are colored red. Sexual maturity of fish occurs at the age of 8-10 months; until this age, all young fish must be kept together.
See how to distinguish a female from a male in a Sumatran barb.
Later, the Sumatran barb matures and acquires obvious sexual differences. In a male bright color body, during spawning it becomes even brighter, and the fins are colored. In females, the color of the scales is faded, the abdomen is full and round, and the body size is noticeably larger. The male has an angular body and active behavior.
From the age of 8-12 months (depending on housing and feeding conditions), barbs can be bred. During one spawning, a young female can bring more than 500 eggs. However, not all eggs will be fertilized, and not all larvae will become fry. If the female is not given the opportunity to spawn, the eggs will harden, which can lead to the death of the fish. Reproduction is a natural necessity for all fish, so don’t be afraid to breed them.
The mutant barb is a popular aquarium fish that looks like the Sumatran barb. In fact, these fish are related species. The mutant is a descendant of the “Sumatran”, and with each spawning the mutant fry become more and more similar to their ancestor. The mutant is distinguished by the spectacular color of its scales - the body is dark, it has orange fins.
After the fish spawn, you can notice that 25% of their offspring are exactly like Sumatran barbs. Mutants can breed with Sumatrans, and in a brood, 75% of the fry will take on the characteristics of the Sumatran parent. The body size of an adult mutant reaches 7-10 cm. The body is elongated, low and flattened on the sides.
Look at the aquarium with Sumatran and mutant barbs.
The main color of the “mutant” breed is green, with a blue shimmer; there are no stripes on the body. The dorsal fin and ventral fins are edged with red. Other fins may be partially colored or colorless. These fish can only be kept together from the age of 10 months (when they become sexually mature).
The male mutant barb is slightly smaller than the female and is characterized by a bright, green body color. Puberty occurs at the age of 7 months (depending on feeding and living conditions). To breed these fish, you need to choose young breeders; males must be 3 months older than females. Adult “mutants” can reproduce in community aquarium, however, some of the eggs and fry will be destroyed by the parents.
Effective breeding will be ensured by a spawning tank with a volume of 20 liters or more, at the bottom of which you need to place a separator net and plants (Java moss, cabomba or pinnate). The mutant barb is ready for spawning at a water temperature of 26°C, hardness aquatic environment 8o, acidity 6.5 pH.
You can launch a pair into the spawning tank - a male and a female, or 2 males and one female. Before breeding, fish of different sexes are placed in nurseries for 1 month, and during this time they are fed with live and plant foods. The diet of males should be rich in protein foods (daphnia, bloodworms, shrimp, mussels), and females should be given more plant food. In a female ready for breeding, a swelling is visible in the posterior region of the abdomen.
Aquarium hobby attracts many people today. City apartments and even offices are decorated with aquariums. It is interesting to look at decorative fish in a small pond created in the apartment. When choosing fish, it doesn’t hurt to first find out in what conditions they can live. Many individuals have great sensitivity; maintaining them will require a lot of effort.
How to distinguish a male
For the last individual to live, it is necessary to create favorable conditions, because it has special sensitivity. Her habitat These are brackish warm bodies of water. Mollies like to hide behind plants, so the aquarium should have plenty of algae.
A naturalist can distinguish mollies by looking at how the anal fin is structured. Females have a round fin. In the male, this limb is rolled up into a tube, as can be seen in the photo. They can be distinguished by the formed sexual organ - the gonopodium.
How to distinguish a female
The difference between females is their size. It is unlikely to find a large male. But the male has a very bright coloring, and his body has large fins.
Mollies can be bred in normal conditions. It is not necessary to provide special conditions for this. The main thing is that the temperature in the aquarium is 22-30 degrees. Sudden changes are harmful for the fish. The water must be clean. It should not be allowed to bloom.
- The fish are examined and their anal fin is found. You should look at the belly of the individual and find the anus. It is located next to the tail unpaired fin. If the individual is female, then it has a triangular fin, if male, then the shape of the fin resembles a tube. With this fin, the individual performs internal fertilization, since the fish are viviparous. This sign is used to determine the gender of any viviparous fish.
- There are individuals of mollies that are distinguished by size. The male is smaller in size than the female. Males are more active. It talks about the ability of an individual to produce healthy offspring. The sailing species of mollies is different from the usual one.
- An adult male Mollienesia velifera has a huge sail-shaped dorsal fin, which is why this fish is called Sailfish: photo
The female specimen has the usual small dorsal fin.
When going to a store or market to buy fish, you need to be able to distinguish a girl from a boy, because the seller’s task is to sell his goods as quickly as possible, and he may not understand such issues. Available beautiful fish into the aquarium, only it must have the ability to reproduce.
Of course, who wouldn’t want to get a luxurious molly with paired fins in the form of large brushes. Only in this case it is difficult to distinguish a male from a female, because the paired fin will also end in a large brush. The same goes for the anal fin. This occurs because this fish was created from two species of individuals and is called Huppinesia. If you come across a fish like this in a store, you should know that it is sterile and not suitable for breeding.
If we consider these fish according to their viviparous characteristics, then it is worth paying attention to the size of their abdomen. Pregnant individuals are placed in another section of the aquarium. This is necessary so that the offspring are not eaten by the fathers. Dense plantings are made in a separate aquarium. The fry like to hide under them.
The fry eat ciliates and other small live food. Their food should contain plant components: photo
When breeding sailfish, you should use large aquariums, as this species can grow up to 12 cm in length. Large viviparous fish should not be placed with fry. They can feed on them.
The sex of regular or balloon-type cubs is not immediately determined. When they reach puberty, it becomes clear who will be the father and who will be the mother: photo
With improper maintenance, feeding and care, the inhabitants of the aquarium begin to feel unwell, but they cannot say about it. Often they find out that an epidemic has appeared when it is already too late.
Easy to care for. In fact, they are very demanding, and when breeding them there are many nuances. But, having learned to overcome difficulties, most owners think about breeding their aquarium pets. If in many species of aquarium fish it is quite simple to distinguish a female from a male (by color, size), then with goldfish the situation is different.
You will need
- Aquarium, goldfish, magnifying glass
Instructions
Goldfish become sexually mature by two years, although this depends on the completeness and variety of the diet and the conditions in which they are kept. At the same time very important role The volume of the aquarium plays a role - at least 40 liters are needed for one goldfish, and the entire “glass house” must be at least 100 liters. In small volumes, the fish develop poorly, become “dragged” and incapable of spawning.
Under ideal conditions, there were cases of earlier puberty - by one and a half years, while the diet was rich in proteins. Consequently, before this age, even an experienced owner will not be able to distinguish between a male and a female.
When the fish become ready to reproduce, the first differences between the male and the female begin to appear. The female's body takes on a rounded shape, a small spherical tummy appears, while the male is leaner.
The male's front paired fins have characteristic serrations that resemble small saw teeth in appearance. This is the main sign by which one can distinguish a male from a female even outside the mating season.
With the beginning of spring in sexually mature gold The courtship period begins for the fish. At this time, the male differs noticeably from the female in his behavior. He behaves very actively, vigorously courting his girlfriend, chasing her throughout the aquarium.
Another main sign of a male is the appearance of white tubercles on the head and gill covers during the spawning period. Sometimes these tubercles can be on the front fins.
The same symptoms can occur with a serious disease of aquarium fish - ichthyophthyriosis. Tubercles appear on the fins of fish, similar to semolina. It is important not to confuse male spawning signs with this disease.
Goldfish are a subspecies of silver crucian carp. Despite the name, these fish may differ in color. Red, white, and black individuals are often found in nature. In addition, goldfish are able to change color throughout their lives. Basically, the change occurs in the first year of life, but in some cases, fish can change the shade of their scales even after puberty. On average, goldfish are ready to spawn by 7-8 months, but it is better if they begin to reproduce after they are 2-4 years old. During this period, they reach maximum brightness of the color of their scales and fins. Until this time, it is extremely problematic to understand exactly what gender your goldfish is.
You will need
- In order to understand what gender your pet is, you need to take a close look at it during the spawning period. If two fish of different sexes live in an aquarium, then you can immediately determine which of them is male and which is female.
Instructions
First, compare the sizes fish. Males are usually slightly smaller than females. Moreover, the latter have a more rounded belly.
Also, males have a slightly convex anal opening, while females, on the contrary, have a depression in this area.
A few days before spawning, white specks appear on the gills of males. On the first rays of the pectoral fins you can also notice small light-colored serrations, which some breeders call “saw.”
During the spawning period, males become extremely active. They begin to chase the females around the aquarium, and also “molest” the brides, pinning them in a corner.
note
If you want to breed goldfish, then do not forget that they need quite a lot of space for normal coexistence. Therefore, before you buy a partner for your pet, take care of expanding its living space.
Helpful advice
If a goldfish lives alone, it will be quite difficult to determine its gender. True, sometimes males ready for spawning may develop sexual characteristics regardless of whether there is a partner nearby. In this case, many novice breeders get scared and think that the fish is sick with something.
note
If the spawning is successful, then you need to remember that goldfish can eat their offspring. Therefore, immediately after spawning, they must be transplanted into a fish tank. It should be equipped with a filter and air supply, and differ from an aquarium only in its smaller volume.
Helpful advice
It is best to keep goldfish at temperatures no higher than 24 degrees.