I'm getting quite excited now! I can see babies in about half of the eggs and I have removed the yellow eggs with nothing in them. I saw two of the babies moving today in their eggs - hopefully they will hatch soon.

I will be off to my lfs tomorrow to see what they have to offer in the way of 'baby food'.

Some more questions: I have the eggs in a fine mesh breeding trap in the adults tank at the moment. Some of the eggs are actually attached to the mesh as the fish spawned on this! How long should I leave it like that? I have another small tank which would be okay whilst the babies are small, so should I move them to that before they hatch or wait for them to be swimming around?
Also, if I set up a baby tank will I need to cycle it or will taking water from the adults tank be okay?

I really want to get this right as they are my first babies (and hopefully not my last).

Fishy, congratulations on your goldfish fry!!
If there are not too many eggs, I would leave them in the breeding net. Fry at this stage are very fragile, and every tiny bit can turn into a problem.
They start to swim on their own when they are ready, and don't need food the first few days, until they absorb their egg sacs. There is no use in tossing food in if it just spoils the water, but doesn't do anything for the fry.
If you wonna put them in their own tank, I would use the original tank water with a LITTLE bit fresh aged and dechlorinated water. A sponge filter running on only a few bubbles every few seconds is best as filtration, anything stronger will cause too much current. Oh, and I would move them before they hatch, and don't have the water level higher than 6 inches, otherwise the weight of the water will crush them.
I just love to have fry, unfortunately mine turned out to be not fertilized, and my big oranda girl dropped around 500 eggs! Dotched a bullet there, didn't I?

Congratulations to the new mom! B)

Leaving in the net would be better, since tank water is established. If at the end you have too many fry, you can take some out using a cup. At the mean time, try to cycle the other tank using one of the adult fish and some old tank decoration, since you might want to use the tank for fry when they become older. Fry are very fragile at the begining as Ranchugirl said. They would only enjoy current when they are around 4 weeks old. Mine are 5 weeks old now and it seems they on purposely swam into the water fall as if they were taking a roller coaster ride.

Have fun!

---Goldfishpal

Thanks for the advice. I am still waiting for them to hatch out...Perhaps tomorrow morning? Does the colder weather make a difference to when they hatch out, even though they are indoors?

I can see the babies more clearly each day and could make out two little eyes in one of the eggs today.

Following what has been said above, I will leave the babies in the net in the adults' tank until the little 'uns get too big for it. I will have to start cycling the second tank in preparation now. I have not done this before, but I see there is plenty of advice on this site. Perhaps I will put Spot in there as he is still keen on chasing the ladies in the tank and wearing himself and them out!

I will keep you posted when the little ones come along and try to get some pics.

Congratulations!!

Keeping the temperature constant is very important. A smaller tank will tend to fluctuate in temperature more than a larger tank. So, if the room temperature changes more than 6 degF, better to install a heater and set it at the highest temperature the room gets. For example, if the room temperature gets to be 70deg F, set the heater to turn off just a few degrees above it.

Fishy, anything hatched yet?

Some sad news I'm afraid.

I was so happy on Saturday morning when I saw three little fishes swimming round in the net and others hatching. I went out shopping, but when I got back there was only one baby swimming round. The others had disappeared although I could see that most of them (about 30 in all) had hatched.

I sat looking round for the babies in the net, and as I watched, one of the adults came up to the net 'pecking' at it. I realised that the force of the adults sucking at the net had actually pulled the babies through.

I rescued the one remaining baby, but he died within hours of me moving him....


I have at least learnt from this and will have a dedicated tank set up next time the adults spawn. Spot is still chasing on and off, so I have a feeling that I will have a new chance to be a mum again.

Oh Fishy that is so sad. I am sorry to hear you lost your babies.

I had no idea they were so fragile. My pond fish seem to reproduce, I know they are hardier, but it sounds like a job to raise them in tanks.